Guides
ADU questions,
straight answers.
What it costs, what the City and County allow, and what to check before you draw anything. Written by WS Builders for homeowners in Santa Cruz County, with a source for every rule.
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.
Updated October 27, 2026ADU 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.
Updated October 27, 2026Converting 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.
Updated October 27, 2026ADU 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.
Updated October 27, 2026
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