Del Mar ADU guides

Measured answers for Del Mar lots, checked against the City of Del Mar ADU page and state law.

ADU types

Which kind of unit suits your lot.

Detached ADUs: Detached ADUs in Del Mar: 850 or 1,000 sq ft, 16 ft height, 4 ft setbacks, protected trees, slopes and the JrADU pairing under Chapter 30.91.
Attached ADUs: Attached and interior ADUs in Del Mar: the 50% of house limit, why choosing one rules out a JrADU, duplex rules, and the coastal permit process.
Junior ADUs (JrADUs): JrADUs in Del Mar: up to 500 sq ft within the walls of the house, only in single dwelling zones (CVPP, R1 zones), efficiency kitchen, separate entrance.
Garage conversions: Turning a Del Mar garage into an ADU: existing setbacks carry over, no replacement parking under state law, the coastal permit and design considerations.
ADUs above garages: ADUs over garages in Del Mar: second-story limits, attaching to an existing garage instead, roof deck ban and height rules under Chapter 30.91.
Prefab ADUs: Prefab and modular ADUs in Del Mar: Chapter 30.91 size, 16 ft height, design offsets, matching finishes, grading limits and delivery on tight streets.
Duplex and multifamily: ADUs on Del Mar duplex and multifamily lots: two ADUs per duplex, attached-design option for coastal protection, 25% conversions and two detached ADUs.

From first sketch to approval.

ADU design: Del Mar ADU design standards: plane offsets, privacy glazing, no roof decks, matching within 20 ft, Dark Sky lighting, screening and driveways.
The application: How to apply for an ADU in Del Mar: the ADU Application Packet, fees, plan sets, administrative CDP processing, 60-day approval and concurrent new homes.
ADU legalization: Del Mar's ADU Amnesty Program for units existing as of April 15, 2021, state delayed enforcement, and the nonconforming structure rule.

The ordinance, the coastal permit and the state floor.

ADU permits: Del Mar ADU rules: Chapter 30.91 effective June 12, 2025 after Coastal Commission certification, where ADUs are allowed, how many, and how to apply.
Coastal permit: Why every Del Mar ADU goes through an administrative Coastal Development Permit, what the Coastal Act changes about size and attachment, and how to prepare.
ADU size: Del Mar ADU size: 850 or 1,000 sq ft detached, 50% for attached, 500 sq ft JrADUs, the 800 sq ft universal size and the coastal exception.
ADU parking: Parking for a Del Mar ADU: the state's one-space cap, exemptions near transit and for conversions, and garage conversions without replacement parking.
Utilities: Utilities for a Del Mar ADU: when a separate connection can be required, how connection fees are capped by state law, and what to check early.

Costs, fees, financing and the city's affordability goal.

Cost and fees: Del Mar ADU fees for FY 2027: $1,227 planning and $771 engineering review, connection fee rules, and the cost drivers of Del Mar's coastal standards.
Financing: Ways Del Mar owners pay for ADUs: cash, home equity lines, cash-out refinance and construction loans, plus the status of the CalHFA ADU grant.
Affordable ADUs: Del Mar's goal of 15 affordable ADUs by 2029 and the Incentive Program: bonus JrADU, 500 sq ft FAR bonus and bonus units on larger lots.