What does the Gardena ADU ordinance allow?
Ike Mbelu, Principal Partner · Last checked
On this page: The short answer · What Gardena's code sets · What state law guarantees
The short answer
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§18.13
An ADU on every residential lot
Gardena, in LA County, allows an ADU on every residential lot with a house or apartments. On a single-family lot you can add an ADU and a junior ADU inside the house or garage, plus a new detached ADU up to 800 square feet with four-foot side and rear setbacks. Gardena Municipal Code §§18.13.030 and 18.13.060, amended September 2026.
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What Gardena's code sets
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01
Size
Up to 850 square feet of interior livable space for a studio or one bedroom, 1,000 with more than one bedroom. The by-right detached unit is capped at 800. §18.13.050(E)(1), §18.13.060(A)(2).
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02
Height
Detached: 16 feet, or 18 within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop, plus two feet to match the house's roof pitch. Attached or over a garage: up to 25 feet, never more than two stories. §18.13.050(G).
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03
Setbacks
Four feet at the side and rear. None for a converted garage or other existing structure. Keep six feet from every other building. §18.13.050(F).
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04
Parking
One space, and only if the ADU has a bedroom. None for a studio, for space inside the house, or within a half-mile walk of public transit. A converted garage's spaces need not be replaced. §18.13.050(H).
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05
Junior ADU
Up to 500 square feet inside the house. The owner must live on site only if the junior ADU shares a bathroom with the house. §18.13.070(H).
What state law guarantees
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01
The unit count
One ADU and one junior ADU, plus one new detached ADU, on any single-family lot in California. A city may cap that detached unit at 800 square feet, which is the number Gardena uses. Gov. Code §66323(a).
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02
Setback and parking ceilings
No city can require more than four feet at the side and rear, or more than one space per ADU or per bedroom. §66314(d)(7), (d)(10).
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03
Next door and county-wide
Read the LA County ADU rules for the state floors, or SB 9 if you want a lot split. More on building in Gardena.
This is a summary of the Gardena Municipal Code and state law, not legal advice. Confirm the current code for your site.
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