What are the ADU rules in Carson?
Ike Mbelu, Principal Partner · Last checked
On this page: The short answer · What Carson's code sets · What state law guarantees
The short answer
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§9122.1
One ADU plus a junior ADU
Carson, in LA County, approves ADUs ministerially, with no hearing. On a single-family lot you can add one new attached or detached ADU plus a junior ADU. A detached unit can reach 1,200 square feet and 16 feet, with four-foot side and rear setbacks. Carson Municipal Code §9122.1.
Have a lot in LA County? Send us the address and we'll tell you what it holds.
What Carson's code sets
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01
Size
Detached: up to 1,200 square feet. Attached: 850 for a studio or one bedroom, 1,000 with more bedrooms, or half the house, whichever is smaller. Other standards can't push either below 800. Junior ADU: 500. §9122.1(E)(4).
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02
Height
Detached: one story and 16 feet. Over a detached garage: two stories, within the zone's height limit. §9122.1(E)(3).
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03
Setbacks
Four feet at the side and rear for new construction. No added setback to convert a garage, carport or existing room. No minimum lot size. §9122.1(E)(1)-(2).
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04
Parking
One space at most. None within a half-mile walk of public transit, and none for a junior ADU. Convert or demolish the garage for an ADU and its spaces need not be replaced. §9122.1(E)(9).
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05
Apartment lots
Convert unused space such as storage or garages into ADUs, up to a quarter of the existing units and at least one. Plus up to two new detached ADUs. §9122.1(D)(3)-(4).
What state law guarantees
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01
The unit count
An ADU and a junior ADU on any single-family lot. On a lot with existing apartments, state law now allows up to eight detached ADUs, never more than the existing unit count. Confirm with Carson which number applies to your lot. Gov. Code §66323(a).
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02
Height floors
A city must allow 16 feet detached, 18 within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop, and 25 feet attached, or the zone's limit if lower. §66321(b)(4).
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03
Next door and county-wide
Read the LA County ADU rules, garage conversions or ADU vs JADU. More on building in Carson.
This is a summary of the Carson Municipal Code and state law, not legal advice. Confirm the current code for your site.
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