Torrance | ADUs and SB 9

Torrance, California ADUs and SB 9: ADU Sizes, Heights and Setbacks, Design Standards, Junior ADUs, Two-Unit Projects, Permits and Fees

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a second home on a lot that already has, or will have, a main home. A junior ADU (JADU) is a unit of 500 square feet or less inside a house. Torrance rewrote its ADU section, 92.2.10 of the Municipal Code, by Ordinance 3954 in August 2025, after the state housing department sent the City a letter listing concerns. In 2025, 88 of the 107 homes that received building permits in Torrance were ADUs. This page covers the ADU section, the City's SB 9 section, the places where they differ from state law, and the fees. The Torrance overview has the summary.

ADU Types and Limits

Source: Torrance Municipal Code, Section 92.2.10, subsections (D), (E) and (G), as amended by Ordinance 3954 of August 19, 2025.

The purpose line says the section provides "for the creation of accessory dwelling units consistent with Sections 66310 through 66332 and 66333 through 66339 of the Government Code, as amended from time to time. In any instance where there is conflict, State law shall govern." The City reviews an ADU "ministerially, and without discretionary review or a hearing." Ministerial review means staff check an application against fixed rules. The state rules are on the California ADU law page.

Why the Section Changed in 2025

The first recital of Ordinance No. 3954 gives the reason: "areas of concerns identified by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) via a letter dated September 5, 2024, and recent amendments to State law" required the City to amend the Zoning Ordinance. It adds that failure to meet the State requirements "will nullify the City ADU Ordinance in its current form." The ordinance was introduced on August 5, 2025 and adopted on August 19, 2025. It rewrote Section 92.2.10 and repealed Section 92.2.11, the former separate junior ADU section. The HCD letter itself was not read for this guide.

Where an ADU Is Allowed and How Many

• Where. "ADUs and JADUs shall be permitted in any residentially zoned and mixed-use zone lot that includes a proposed or existing dwelling."
• The table. Table 92.2.10-1 lists, for a lot with one single-family structure, either one detached ADU and one junior ADU, or one attached ADU and one junior ADU.
• The State-exempt units. Subsection G opens "Notwithstanding any development standard or other limitation set forth in Subsections above" and requires the City to approve "One (1) JADU and one (1) ADU per lot" created inside an existing or proposed house or accessory building, and "One (1) detached ADU per lot with an existing or proposed dwelling" of up to 800 square feet. Government Code 66323 lists the same units "or any combination" of them.
• Density. "an ADU is an accessory use that does not count toward the allowable density for the lot."
• What counts as attached. "Any attached ADU must have at least 25% of total linear wall in common with the primary dwelling," and a patio cover or breezeway alone does not attach it.
• What counts as multifamily. "a structure with two or more attached dwellings on a single lot is considered a multifamily dwelling structure. Multiple detached single-family dwellings on the same lot are not considered multifamily dwellings."
• SB 9 lots. "No ADU or JADU shall be permitted on a property developed under the provisions of TMC Section 92.29.34."

Size, Height and Setbacks

• Maximum size. "An attached or detached ADU shall not exceed 1,000 square feet." and "JADU shall not exceed 500 square feet."
• Minimum size. An ADU or junior ADU must be at least the size of an efficiency unit, which the section sets at "a minimum floor area of 150 square feet."
• Conversions. A converted accessory structure "is not subject to the maximum floor area size requirement when no expansion or addition is proposed," apart from "an expansion of not more than 150 square feet limited to accommodating ingress and egress."
• Lot coverage and floor area ratio. An ADU "Shall comply with the lot coverage requirements of the underlying zone" and its floor area ratio. In R-1 that ratio is 0.6. State law limits both: a city may not use them to block "an accessory dwelling unit with at least 800 square feet of interior livable space and with four-foot side and rear yard setbacks."
• Height outside the hillside and coast. Detached: "18 feet for one-story and 23 feet for two-stories in all zoning districts." Attached: "18 feet for one-story and 25 feet for two-stories."
• Height in the Hillside Overlay and Coastal Zone. Detached: "16 feet for one-story in all zoning districts, greater height as permissible provided in Section 66321 of the Government Code." The February 2026 staff report puts it this way: "Within the Overlay, a two-story ADU is only allowed if attached to the primary residence, detached two-story ADUs are not permitted."
• Interior height. One story "Shall not exceed 12 feet of interior height," and two stories 22 feet.
• Setbacks. Detached: front 15 feet, side 4 feet, rear 4 feet. Attached: side 4 feet, rear "Same as primary dwelling." Both: "Building Separation: 6 feet from wall to wall."
• Accessory building cap. The 700 square foot limit on R-1 accessory buildings does not apply to an ADU.

Parking

• The rule. "1 parking space shall be required for each ADU unit," in addition to the parking of the main home. "Such parking does not need to be enclosed and may be provided as tandem parking on an existing driveway."
• One curb cut. "Only one curb cut shall be allowed per street frontage."
• No replacement. "Replacement parking is not required if a garage, carport, covered parking structure, or uncovered parking is demolished in conjunction with the construction of an ADU or converted to an ADU."
• Six exemptions. No parking is required where the unit "is located within one-half (1/2) mile walking distance of public transit," is in a historic district, "is part of the proposed or existing primary residence or an accessory structure," where street parking permits are required and not offered to the occupant, where a car sharing vehicle is within one block, or where the ADU is filed with a new house or apartment building.
• Public transit. The section defines it as a place "where the public may access buses, trains, subways, and other forms of transportation that charge set fares, run on fixed routes, and are available to the public." A bus stop meets that wording.

The Design Standards

Subsection (E)(8) holds fifteen design standards for all ADUs and junior ADUs. The ones that shape a plan most are below.

• Entry. "Entryways shall not open on the same architectural elevation as the main entrance door to the primary dwelling," and an entry door may face the street only when "setback at least 10 feet from the public right-of-way." A covered entryway is required.
• Stairs. "New stairways shall be completely enclosed and part of the interior of the structure."
• No balconies or decks. "New balconies, full height windows or doors openings with a guardrail, roof decks, and decks greater than 2 feet above grade are prohibited." So are new mezzanines and lofts.
• Matching the house. "Building architecture, exterior materials, finishes, and color shall match the primary dwelling on the lot," and the roof form and pitch match as well.
• Materials and colors. "At least two building materials shall be used on any building frontage," and "Each building shall use at least two exterior colors."
• Blank walls. "No building facade may extend in a continuous plane for more than 20 feet without a window, door, variation in horizontal plane, or vertical architectural element."
• Torrance Tract. On a parcel with a contributing house in the Torrance Tract Overlay, the proposal "shall be consistent with the Torrance Tract Design Guidelines."

These standards sit in the subsections that subsection G sets aside for the State-exempt units. Government Code 66323 says a city "shall not impose any objective development or design standard that is not authorized by this section" on those units. An owner who builds only an 800 square foot detached ADU, a converted ADU or a junior ADU should ask the City in writing which design standards it applies.

Junior ADUs

• Where. A junior ADU is "contained entirely within a proposed or existing single-family dwelling or within the walls of a garage attached to a proposed or existing single-family dwelling."
• Bathroom. "If the JADU does not include a bathroom, the JADU shall include an interior entry to the primary dwelling to share the sanitation facilities." With its own bathroom, an interior entry into the house is prohibited.
• Kitchen. A junior ADU may have an efficiency kitchen with a cooking facility with appliances, a food preparation counter and storage cabinets.
• Second story. A junior ADU on the second story of an existing house may add 150 square feet for an enclosed staircase.
• Parking. "If an attached garage is converted from non-livable space to a JADU, replacement parking would not be required."
• Covenant. The owner records a covenant with the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office before occupancy. It states that the junior ADU "shall not be sold separately from the single-family dwelling" and "shall not be operated as a short-term rental or rented for periods less than 30 days."

ADUs on Apartment Lots

• Conversions. ADUs may be made in "portions of existing multiple-family structures that are not used as livable space, including, but not limited to, storage rooms, boiler rooms, passageways, attics, basements, or garages." The number is "a maximum of 25 percent of the existing dwelling units, with a minimum of one (1) ADU. Fractions shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number." A 10-unit building could add two (VanPlex arithmetic: 25 percent of 10 is 2.5).
• Detached. With an existing building, "A maximum of eight (8) units shall be permitted but shall not exceed the number of existing multifamily units on site." With a proposed building, two.
• Size and height. 800 square feet each, four-foot side and rear setbacks, and 16 feet or the height Government Code 66321 allows.

The ADU Permit, Step by Step

The City's ADU page says ADU projects "are reviewed and processed ministerially by the Building & Safety Division as part of the building permit process." The ADU Plan Review and Permit Process handout lists five steps.

• Step 1. Speak with a planner at the Permit Center, 3031 Torrance Boulevard. The Planning Division number is (310) 618-5990.
• Step 2. Hire a designer, licensed architect or engineer, and a licensed contractor.
• Step 3. Submit a preliminary plan to the Planning Division. "Plans must measure 24 inches by 36 inches" and show the site plan, floor plan, elevations, setbacks, lot coverage, floor area ratio and open space. Payment is "in the amount listed on the fee schedule." The handout does not name the fee line.
• Step 4. Submit building plans and documents to the Building and Safety Division, (310) 618-5910.
• Step 5. Build, and pass the final inspection.

• State deadline. Government Code 66317 requires a decision "within 60 days from the date the permitting agency receives a completed application if there is an existing single-family or multifamily dwelling on the lot," and if the agency has not acted, "the application shall be deemed approved."
• Existing violations. A permit "shall not be denied due to the correction of nonconforming zoning conditions, building code violations, or unpermitted structures that do not present a threat to public health and safety and are not affected by the construction of the ADU."
• Garage demolition. A demolition permit for a detached garage that an ADU replaces is reviewed with the ADU permit "and issued at the same time."
• Coast. In the Coastal Zone, "A copy of the California Coastal Commission permit approval (i.e., Coastal Development Permit, Waiver, or Exemption) shall be filed with the Community Development Department as part of the building permit application."
• Hillside. The City's Hillside Overlay flowchart lists accessory dwelling units among the items that "only require a Building Permit," with no hillside review.
• Pre-approved plans. The Pre-Approved ADU page lists four one-story detached plans of 798, 751, 640 and 440 square feet. The City calls them "approximately 80% complete for permitting," and the owner contracts with the designer who owns the plan.

ADU Fees

• Impact fee. The Development Impact Fees handout effective July 1, 2026 lists "Accessory Dwelling Unit $2,375.18 per unit," for an "ADU 750 SF or greater in size and 150 SF of new floor area." The same handout lists $11,177.72 for a single-family unit and $9,500.83 for a multi-family unit. An impact fee is a charge on new building that pays for public facilities.
• The State limit. Government Code 66311.5 bars impact fees on "an accessory dwelling unit that has 750 square feet of interior livable space or less," and says fees on a larger one "shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling unit."
• Review fees. The section says a fee is assessed with the building permit application "to reimburse the cost incurred for plan review, permit processing, development impact mitigation," and for the cost of adopting and amending the ADU ordinance.
• Planning lines. The Planning Division Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 lists a Preliminary Review by Community Development Department staff at $167 and a Plot Plan Review at $889. It has no line named for ADUs. Ask the Permit Center which line the preliminary ADU plan review uses.

SB 9 Two-Unit Projects

SB 9 is the 2021 state law that makes a city approve two homes on a lot in a single-family zone with no hearing. The two-unit rule is Government Code 65852.21. Torrance adopted Section 92.29.34 in December 2021 and January 2022, and its history note lists no later amendment.

Source: Torrance Municipal Code, Section 92.29.34, subsections (b), (c), (d) and (g), and Section 92.2.10(D)(1).

• Size. "Each newly constructed residential unit shall not exceed eight hundred (800) square feet in size."
• Height. "Not to exceed sixteen (16) feet and one (1) story."
• What is waived. "New residential units created or converted pursuant to this Section shall not be subject to lot coverage, floor area ratio or usable open space standards."
• Parking. "One (1) on-site, unenclosed space per unit," which "may be provided as tandem parking on a driveway."
• Other criteria. No rentals of less than 30 days, a permanent foundation, and "New entry door shall not open directly toward an alley." New balconies, roof decks, mezzanines and lofts are prohibited.
• Notice. When the building permit is issued, the City mails "an informational notice of the ministerial action taken to property owners within five hundred (500) feet."
• SB 10. The next section records that "The City Council has elected not to use or participate in SB 10," a separate state law that lets a city choose to zone parcels for up to ten homes.

The statute has changed since the City wrote this section. As amended, it says a city "shall not impose objective zoning standards, objective subdivision standards, and objective design standards that do not apply uniformly to development within the underlying zone," unless they are more permissive. The February 2026 staff report quotes that sentence and adds, under its SB 9 heading, that "the development standards of the underlying zone apply." The R-1 zone itself allows two stories and 27 feet. The City section says State law governs in a conflict, so ask the Planning Division in writing which size and height limits it applies to a two-unit project today. The lot split half of SB 9 is on the lot size and subdivisions page.

Permits in Numbers

The 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report, attached to the City Council staff report of March 24, 2026, counts building permits by structure type. In 2025 the City permitted 88 accessory dwelling units, 11 single-family detached homes and 8 homes in buildings of two to four units, 107 in all, and 97 ADUs were completed. The report's line for SB 9 duplexes shows zero projects and zero units. The staff report notes that one table in the attachment totals 108 permitted units and two others total 107, and says staff will work with HCD to fix the difference.

Where the Code, City Documents and State Law Differ

• Junior ADU owner occupancy. The covenant states the junior ADU "shall be considered legal only so long as either the single-family dwelling or the JADU is occupied by the property owner." Government Code 66333, amended effective January 1, 2026, says "Owner-occupancy shall not be required if the junior accessory dwelling unit has separate sanitation facilities." The statute controls for a junior ADU with its own bathroom.
• Attached ADU size. Government Code 66314 says the floor area of an attached ADU "shall not exceed 50 percent of the existing primary dwelling." The City section gives a flat 1,000 square feet and has no 50 percent line. Ask which figure the City applies to a small house.
• The 15-foot front yard. Government Code 66321 bars front setbacks that do not permit an ADU of at least 800 square feet with four-foot side and rear setbacks. On a lot where 15 feet leaves no room for such a unit, the statute controls.
• ADUs with SB 9. The City bars any ADU on a property developed under its SB 9 section. Government Code 65852.21 says a city "shall not be required to permit an accessory dwelling unit or a junior accessory dwelling unit on parcels that use both the authority contained within this section" and the lot split statute. The statute's release covers parcels that use both.
• The R-1 use list. Section 91.4.1 allows one ADU or one junior ADU "or combination thereof." Subsection G lists three units together.
• The date of the ordinance. The City's ADU page says "In October 2025, the City Council adopted amendments to the ADU Ordinance." The ordinance itself is signed "ADOPTED and PASSED" on the 19th day of August 2025, and the ordinance table lists it under 8-19-25.
• The impact fee threshold. The handout charges an ADU "750 SF or greater." The statute exempts one of 750 square feet "or less."
• A cross-reference. Subsection (E)(6)(D) refers to "§92.2.10(6)(A)(ii) and §92.2.10(6)(A)(iii)." The section has no paragraph (iii).

Limits of This Page

The code text is the publisher's copy, current through Ordinance 3969 of June 23, 2026. City Council agendas for 23 meetings from January 13 to October 6, 2026 carry no ordinance on ADUs or SB 9. The HCD letter of September 5, 2024, the City of Torrance Design Guidelines, the Torrance Tract Design Guidelines, the junior ADU covenant form and the City's SB 9 application forms were not read. Building permit fees for a given ADU depend on its valuation, and school fees and utility connection charges are not given. Whether a lot is within one-half mile walking distance of public transit depends on its location.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Torrance overview, the California ADU law page and the California SB 9 page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)