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What are Burbank's ADU rules, and how do they differ from LA's?

Burbank is a separate city, so the Los Angeles rulebook stops at the city line: no LADBS, no LADWP, no LAUSD fee, no ZIMAS. Burbank's own ADU FAQ sheet caps a detached backyard house at 850 sq ft, or 1,000 sq ft with at least two bedrooms, and limits the R-1-H hillside zone to conversions of existing space 21. The city amended its ordinance in December 2023 78, but in December 2025 the state housing department wrote that the ordinance on file with it is from 2020 and may be out of compliance with state law 9.

Edited by Ryan Rambo, construction managerFacts checked 2026-10-13

Is building an ADU in Burbank really different from building one in Los Angeles?

Yes. Burbank has its own planning and building divisions, its own electric and water utility and its own school district, so every agency changes at the city line. The ADU rules sit in Burbank Municipal Code section 10-1-620.3, amended by the City Council on November 7, 2023 through Ordinance No. 23-4,002 7. Questions go to Burbank's Planning Division at (818) 238-5250 or planning@burbankca.gov, not to LADBS 1.

The biggest difference is size. Los Angeles allows an Ordinance ADU of up to 1,200 sq ft and two stories 19; Burbank's sheet stops at 850 sq ft, or 1,000 sq ft with two bedrooms 2. The state floor is the same in both cities: a lot with one house is entitled to one detached new ADU of up to 800 sq ft with 4-foot side and rear setbacks 12.

How big can my ADU be in Burbank?

Up to 850 sq ft for a detached studio or one-bedroom, and up to 1,000 sq ft with at least two bedrooms, according to the city's FAQ sheet 2. An attached ADU may be 800 sq ft or 50 percent of the main house, whichever is greater, but not more than 1,000 sq ft, and in the Mountain Fire Zone the cap for either type is 800 sq ft 2.

The 850 and 1,000 figures carried into the December 2023 ordinance 8. They are exactly the smallest maximums the state lets a city set; a city with no compliant ordinance falls back to the state default of 1,200 sq ft for a new detached ADU 25; whether that applies in Burbank is the question in the last section. A Junior ADU inside the house is capped at 500 sq ft 6; see JADU vs ADU.

How tall can a Burbank ADU be, and how close to the property line?

A detached ADU that is not on top of another structure is limited to one story, 12 feet to the top of plate and 17 feet to the top of the roof or any architectural feature 3. Over a garage, accessory structure or another ADU the limit is 20 feet to plate and 23 feet to roof; attached to the house, 20 and 30 feet 3. The state's base height for a detached ADU is 16 feet, and a city may not go lower 18.

Setbacks are 4 feet from the rear and side property lines, and 5 feet when the unit sits on top of a garage or accessory structure 4. Burbank also wants 5 feet between the ADU's walls and other structures, 4 feet eave to eave, and the zone's normal front setback; a converted garage keeps its existing nonconforming setback 4.

My Burbank house is in the hills. Can I still build?

You can convert; whether you can build new depends on which rule wins. The FAQ sheet says that in the R-1-H zone an ADU may be created only by converting an existing garage, guest dwelling or square footage within the main house, and that in the Mountain Fire Zone or the R-1-H zone only one ADU or one Junior ADU is allowed 1. The Mountain Fire Zone cap is 800 sq ft 2. On CAL FIRE's March 24, 2025 recommended maps, Burbank has 3,565 acres of Very High fire hazard, up from 3,493 acres on the 2011 maps 21.

State law lets a city designate where ADUs go, but only for water and sewer capacity, traffic flow and public safety 13. It also entitles a single-family lot to one detached new ADU of up to 800 sq ft 12, and HCD's letter to Burbank notes that a city may not impose development standards on those units beyond what Government Code section 66323 allows 10. Los Angeles concluded its own fire-and-hillside ban cannot be enforced on State ADUs 20. Whether Burbank reads its conversion-only rule the same way is a question for Burbank Planning, in writing, before you pay for a design.

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Do I need parking, do I have to live there, and can I rent it short-term?

Parking: one space per ADU, unless the property is within one-half mile walking distance of public transit or the street requires a parking permit, in which case none 5. Parking lost when a garage is demolished or converted for the ADU does not have to be replaced 5.

Living there: owner occupancy is not required when only an ADU is built 6, and a city cannot impose it on an ADU 14. A Junior ADU is different: Burbank requires the owner to live in the main house or the JADU and to record a covenant 6. See our owner occupancy guide.

Renting: a city may require that ADUs and JADUs be rented for terms longer than 30 days 15, so plan on a tenant, not a nightly rental.

What will Burbank charge me in fees?

Three agencies bill separately, and 750 sq ft is the line for two of them.

At 750 sq ft or under, the city impact fee and the school fee both fall away.

How long does Burbank take, and what is the preapproved plan program?

The state clock is the same as in LA: the city must tell you in writing within 15 business days whether your application is complete, and once complete it has 60 days to approve or deny or the application is deemed approved 17. The city's plan check manager told the Burbank Leader in December 2024 that the process can take anywhere from three months to, in some cases, over a year 24.

The Burbank Preapproved Accessory Dwelling Unit Program, BPAP, launched that month to fix it. A homeowner picks from a library of plans the city has already reviewed, skipping the architectural, structural, life safety and energy compliance plan checks, and the city expects to finish its review within 30 days 24. The library includes a design city staff engineered and a collection of ADU floor plans from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety 24. For LA's version, see our LA standard plans guide.

Are Burbank's ADU rules about to change?

Probably. On December 5, 2025, the California Department of Housing and Community Development wrote to Burbank's Community Development Director that the most recent ADU ordinance on file with HCD is from 2020 and that, given the changes to state law since, it may be outdated and out of compliance 9. The letter also spells out the consequence: a city that fails to submit an adopted ordinance to HCD within 60 days, or to respond to HCD's findings within 30 days, has an ordinance that is null and void and must apply only state ADU law 11.

We found no Burbank ordinance adopted after December 2023 as of October 2026. Treat the FAQ figures as the city's position, treat the state's 800 sq ft detached unit as the floor nobody can take away 12, and ask Burbank Planning two questions in writing before design starts: which ordinance applies to your address, and whether a State ADU under section 66323 is being approved on R-1-H and Mountain Fire Zone lots.

Quick answers

Does the City of Los Angeles ADU ordinance apply in Burbank?

No. Burbank is a separate city with its own ADU section in its municipal code, amended by Ordinance No. 23-4,002 in November 2023 7.

What is the biggest detached ADU Burbank allows?

The city's FAQ sheet caps a detached studio or one-bedroom at 850 sq ft and a two-bedroom unit at 1,000 sq ft; in the Mountain Fire Zone the cap is 800 sq ft 2.

Can I build a new detached ADU on an R-1-H lot in Burbank?

Burbank's FAQ allows R-1-H ADUs only by converting an existing garage, guest dwelling or space inside the house 1. State law entitles a single-family lot to one detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft 12, so ask Burbank Planning in writing.

Is there an ADU size that avoids Burbank's impact fees and school fee?

Yes. An ADU of 750 sq ft of interior livable space or less is exempt from impact fees under state law 16, and Burbank Unified charges its fee only on an ADU over 750 sq ft 22.

Sources

  1. FAQ: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Where can I build an ADU?, City of Burbank Planning Division. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  2. FAQ: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), What is the maximum square footage?, City of Burbank Planning Division. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  3. FAQ: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), What is the maximum height allowed?, City of Burbank Planning Division. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  4. FAQ: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), What are the required setbacks?, City of Burbank Planning Division. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  5. FAQ: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Is parking required?, City of Burbank Planning Division. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  6. FAQ: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), design standards, Junior ADU and owner occupancy, City of Burbank Planning Division. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  7. Accessory Dwelling Units (Planning Division page), City of Burbank Community Development. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  8. Ordinance No. 23-4,002, amending BMC Title 10 development standards for ADUs and JADUs (effective Dec. 8, 2023), section 10-1-620.3(F)(2), City of Burbank. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  9. City of Burbank, Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance Updates, Letter of Technical Assistance (Dec. 5, 2025), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  10. Letter of Technical Assistance to the City of Burbank (Dec. 5, 2025), Changes to ADU Law in 2024, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  11. Letter of Technical Assistance to the City of Burbank (Dec. 5, 2025), Changes to ADU Law in 2025, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  12. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), 66323 Units: Single-Family Detached ADUs, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  13. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), Must ADUs be allowed jurisdiction-wide?, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  14. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), Can local agencies require owner-occupancy for an ADU?, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  15. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), Are rental terms allowed?, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  16. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), Can impact fees be charged for an ADU less than 750 square feet?, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  17. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), process and timeline for reviewing ADU applications, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  18. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), height limits, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  19. ZA Memorandum No. 143, Revision 1 (LAMC Chapter 1), updated Aug. 1, 2025, Table 1 (detached ADUs), Ordinance ADU column, Los Angeles City Planning / LADBS. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  20. ZA Memorandum No. 143, Revision 1 (LAMC Chapter 1), updated Aug. 1, 2025, Q.42, Los Angeles City Planning / LADBS. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  21. Recommended Fire Hazard Severity Zones (March 24, 2025): Phase 4, LRA acres by city, Los Angeles County, Burbank row (Moderate 2025 / High 2025 / Very High 2025 / Very High 2011), CAL FIRE, Office of the State Fire Marshal. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  22. Developer Fees, Burbank Unified School District, Facilities Services. Facts checked 2026-10-13
  23. Electric Service Planning FAQ, Burbank Water and Power (BWP). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  24. City tackles housing crisis with new ADU program (Dec. 30, 2024), Burbank Leader (Outlook Newspapers). Facts checked 2026-10-13
  25. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026), maximum unit size, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Facts checked 2026-10-13

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Greenlight is not a contractor, architect or engineer, and this is not legal advice. Rules change; every fact here shows the date we last checked it.