Solana Beach ADU guides

Clear answers checked against the City of Solana Beach ADU handout (June 2025), PADU guide and state law.

ADU types

Choose the unit that fits your lot.

Detached ADUs: Detached ADUs in Solana Beach: 6 ft eave-to-eave separation, the 800 sq ft FAR exemption, 50 cubic yard grading limit, matching style and a separate address.
Attached ADUs: Attached ADUs in Solana Beach: no interior access to the house, matching style, an entrance hidden from the street, and how FAR and sprinklers apply.
Junior ADUs: Solana Beach JADUs: the recorded covenant, owner residency, 30-day minimum rentals, and the efficiency kitchen specs the city wants on the plans.
Garage conversions: Converting a garage to an ADU in Solana Beach: no new parking or utility connection required, the garage FAR exemption trade-off and sprinkler rules.
ADUs above garages: Building an ADU over a garage in Solana Beach: height under state law, FAR effects, keeping the garage exemption, and the entrance and stair rules.
Prefab ADUs: Factory-built ADUs in Solana Beach: the same FAR, grading, separation and style rules, the manufactured-home solar exception, and delivery on tight lots.
Multifamily ADUs: ADUs on Solana Beach multifamily lots: conversions up to 25% of units, up to eight detached ADUs under state law, and the sprinkler rule for the building.

Plans, pre-approved designs and legalization.

PADU plans: How Solana Beach's Pre-Approved ADU (PADU) program works: 800 sq ft and 16 ft limits, sprinkler notes, unmodified vs modified plans, and fees.
ADU design: ADU design rules in Solana Beach: same style, materials and colors as the house, hidden entrances, 2 ft projections, roof equipment and landscape plans.
Plan check: How to submit an ADU permit in Solana Beach: email counter@cosb.org with plans and the Coastal Commission letter, plan check fees, and four-department review.
Legalization: Bringing an existing unpermitted unit into compliance in Solana Beach: state protections, delayed enforcement for pre-2020 units and the city submittal.

What SBMC 17.60.210 and the handout require.

ADU rules: Solana Beach ADU rules at a glance: SBMC 17.60.210(A), FAR, separation, entrances, grading, utilities, rentals, fees and Coastal Commission approval.
Floor area and 800 sq ft: How Solana Beach counts ADU floor area: FAR tiers by zone, the 800 sq ft ADU exemption, up to 400 sq ft for garages, and the 60% threshold that caps ADUs.
Coastal approval: Solana Beach requires a California Coastal Commission approval letter with every ADU building permit application. What that means and how to plan for it.
Grading and drainage: Solana Beach bars ADUs that need over 50 cubic yards of grading. How cut and fill are counted, topo and drainage studies, roof drains and storm water forms.
Parking: Solana Beach ADU parking: no spaces for conversions, state exemptions near transit, the one-space cap, and how garage spaces affect floor area.
Utilities: Utilities for Solana Beach ADUs: separate connections for new builds (sub-meter may be allowed), one sewer lateral per parcel, sprinklers and solar.
Rental rules: Solana Beach ADU rental rules: 30 consecutive days minimum for ADUs and JADUs, JADU owner residency, the covenant, and what this means for income plans.

Fees and financing.

Fees: Solana Beach ADU fees: plan check by valuation, address assignment, impact fees at 750 sq ft, utility charges, and other agency fees to plan for.
Financing: ADU financing in Solana Beach: equity lines, refinancing, construction loans and cash, plus the status of the CalHFA ADU grant and scam warnings.