ADUs in Santa Cruz County
Your backyard,
a second home.
WS Builders designs, permits and builds ADUs across Santa Cruz County, from garage conversions to two-bedroom cottages. One licensed team, and your price in writing before work starts.
The quiz takes about 60 seconds. No obligation.
- CA Lic. 874257Licensed, bonded and insured since 2006
- One teamDesign, permits and construction in house
- A fixed priceIn writing before work starts
- A finish dateWritten into your contract
Two ways to start
Plan it now,
or read first.
If you're ready to talk about your property, take the quiz. If you're still a year or two out, start with the Playbook and read it on your own time.
Ready to plan
The 60-second lot quiz
Eight quick questions about your lot, your timeline and what the unit is for.
- A straight read on what your lot likely allows
- What matters most for the kind of ADU you want
- The option of a free 20-minute call about your address
Still researching
The Santa Cruz ADU Playbook, 2026-27
25 pages written for Santa Cruz County: what every lot is allowed, which of the four local rulebooks you're under, the water and septic costs that sink budgets, and the seven mistakes that kill backyard projects.
It's yours. A copy is in your inbox now, too.
What the law gives you
Almost every lot
qualifies.
State law took most of the "may we?" out of ADUs. The real questions on your lot are physical: where the pipes run, which water district you're in, and whether you're on sewer or septic.
800 sq ft, by right
A detached, single-story cottage on any single-family lot in the county, on top of the lot's normal size limits.
4 ft setbacks
The most the City, the County, Capitola or Scotts Valley can require at the sides and rear.
A junior unit too
Up to 500 sq ft inside the walls of the house, with its own entrance, on the same lot at the same time.
A 60-day clock
A complete application must be approved or denied within 60 days. No public hearing and no neighbor veto.
Lower fees when smaller
Smaller units pay fewer fees, and where the lines fall depends on your City or County. Take this as a starting point: we'll help you find out exactly what's feasible on your property.
No vacation rentals
Rentals must be 30 days or longer. Family, long-term tenants and students on a lease are all fine.
State ADU law as amended January 1, 2026. Your water district, sewer or septic and any coastal rules decide what your project costs. The Playbook walks through each one.
How it works
Four steps,
one team.
From your address to your front door, with one company responsible for the drawings, the permit and the build.
- 01 · 60 seconds
Take the quiz
Tell us about your lot, your timeline and what the unit is for.
- 02 · 20 minutes
A call about your address
Josh goes through what your lot allows, a realistic budget for the size you have in mind, and the permit path where you are. No obligation.
- 03 · On site
Site walk and a fixed price
Warren Swanepoel, the owner of WS Builders, walks the lot. You get a fixed price in writing before any work starts.
- 04 · Design to keys
Design, permits and build
We draw the plans, take them through the City or County, and build it, with the finish date written into your contract.
Guides
Read up on
your lot.
How much does an ADU cost in Santa Cruz County?
What WS Builders' ADUs have historically cost, from a garage conversion to a two-bedroom cottage, and the fees, utilities and site work that move a Santa Cruz County budget.
ADU rules in the City of Santa Cruz
What the City of Santa Cruz allows for ADUs and junior ADUs: how many units, sizes, heights, setbacks, parking, coastal permits and rentals, with the City's own sources.
Converting a garage into an ADU in Santa Cruz County
What it takes to turn a garage into an ADU in the City of Santa Cruz or the unincorporated County: legal structures, parking, size, fees, the building code, and what our conversions have historically cost.
ADU rules in unincorporated Santa Cruz County
What the County of Santa Cruz allows for ADUs outside the cities: how many units, sizes, heights inside and outside the Urban Services Line, setbacks, parking, septic, coastal permits, fees and legalizing an older unit.
Questions homeowners ask
Straight
answers.
Can I build one on my lot?
Almost certainly. Every single-family lot gets an 800 sq ft detached unit by right, plus a junior unit inside the house. What varies is the cost, not the permission.
What moves the price?
Mostly what's underground and on paper: your water district, sewer or septic, how far the utilities have to run, the slope, and the size thresholds where fees start. A site walk turns that into a fixed price in writing.
Can I rent it out?
Yes, for 30 days or longer. Short-term and vacation rentals aren't allowed in the City, the County, Capitola or Scotts Valley.
Do you handle the permits?
Yes. Design, permits and construction are all done by our team, so one company answers every City or County comment.
Who will I be working with?
WS Builders, Inc., a licensed general contractor based in Scotts Valley (CA Lic. 874257), owned by Warren Swanepoel. Josh Bacorn handles the first call and stays your contact.
Start with your lot
See what fits
in your backyard.
Sixty seconds, no obligation. Or call Josh at (831) 818-4321.