Can I put an ADU in my backyard?

The three questions to ask the planning desk

1. 1Is an accessory dwelling unit permitted in this zoning district, for this parcel?
2. 2What is the maximum size, and what setbacks apply to a detached structure here?
3. 3Is separate utility metering allowed, required, or prohibited?

Have the parcel ID in front of you. The answer is parcel-specific and a general answer about the county is worth very little.

Two things that stop projects after zoning says yes

• The HOA. An association can prohibit what zoning permits, and many do. Read the covenants before you pay for drawings.
• Septic capacity. In unincorporated areas this is the quiet killer: a septic system is sized for a bedroom count, and another dwelling usually means another bedroom.

The easier version of the same idea

Many jurisdictions treat an attached in-law suite with no separate kitchen far more permissively than a detached unit with one. If what you actually need is somewhere for a parent to live with dignity, that route is often faster, cheaper and less contentious.

The planning and construction detail for that is in in-law suite planning mistakes.

Get the answer before you pay for drawings

The most expensive way to learn your setbacks is from a designer who has already drawn the building. An hour on the phone with the planning desk, before anyone is engaged, is the cheapest step in the project.

I build these in Seminole and Orange County, and I will make that call with you if it is easier: get in touch. If the yard is not the answer, an addition against moving is the other way to solve the same problem.

What an accessory dwelling costs to service

The building is the visible part. The services are what people forget: a trench for water, sewer or septic, a sub-panel and a circuit run from the main house or a new meter, and a drainage plan so the new roof does not put water where the yard cannot take it.

On a deep lot, that trench can be the largest single line on the quote. Ask for it to be priced separately so you can see it, and check whether the utility requires its own permit.