California city planning guide
Chico ADU Guide: Free Site Plans, Pre-Approved Designs & Permits
Chico has one of California’s more homeowner-friendly ADU pathways: 14 City pre-approved designs plus a newer grant-funded program that can prepare the site plan for you. The key is knowing which current workflow applies before you pay for design.
The Chico shortcut
Before hiring a designer, check whether the City can do the site-plan work for you.
Chico’s current grant-funded program offers free site-plan preparation for homeowners using a City pre-approved ADU model. The published process is: choose a model, submit the Pre-Approved ADU Site Plan Application, pay the $150 application fee, then Planning screens feasibility and connects the owner with the City’s on-call engineer for a site visit and site-plan preparation.
Open the City’s current site-plan program checklist →
How the newer program works
Chico’s site-plan program turns a stock plan into a property-specific starting package.
1. Pick a City model
The City says it offers 14 pre-approved ADU plans free of charge. Start with the ADU/JADU hub and catalog, then select the model that best fits your household and lot.
2. Apply for site-plan help
Submit the current site-plan application with owner/property information and the $150 program fee. Planning first checks whether an ADU appears feasible on the property.
3. Work with the City’s engineer
If the property passes the initial screen, the City’s on-call engineering consultant arranges a site visit and prepares the site plan. The owner later certifies the plan reflects the requested placement and orientation.
Open Chico’s official ADU/JADU hub → · Open the site-plan application →
Pre-approved designs
The plans are free—but the property work is still real.
Chico says its ADU catalog contains 14 pre-approved designs prepared by Jackson & Sands Engineering. The City also says the firm will complete energy calculations during construction free of charge. A pre-approved building design does not eliminate the need to verify zoning, setbacks, utilities, drainage, trees, access and the site-specific permit package.
Planning screen
Use Chico’s standards as a starting point, then check the current state-law pathway.
| Planning issue | Chico material | What the homeowner should do |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family property | City guidance says a single-family lot can support an attached ADU, or a detached ADU plus a JADU, subject to the applicable pathway. | Confirm current zoning and whether the design uses a state-protected or local standard route. |
| Detached size | City development materials show up to 1,200 sq. ft. for non-exempt detached ADUs on single-family properties, subject to a percentage of the main dwelling. | Check the current HCD handbook because state minimum allowances can override older local limits. |
| Setbacks | New detached ADUs generally use 4-foot side/rear setbacks in the City materials. | Conversions and protected 800-sq.-ft. pathways can follow different rules. |
| Septic or well | The City specifically directs owners proposing to use septic systems or wells to Butte County Environmental Health. | Verify those requirements before assuming the City building permit is the only agency approval. |
Permit sequence
A practical Chico ADU planning path
Confirm zoning and the existing dwelling type
Use Chico Planning or the City map to confirm the parcel and whether it is single-family or multifamily before selecting a design.
Decide whether to use a City pre-approved plan
If yes, compare the 14 City designs first. If no, budget for a custom building-plan package.
Check the newer site-plan program
For a pre-approved model, ask Planning whether the $150 grant-funded site-plan pathway is available for your property and what it includes today.
Resolve site evidence
Document property boundaries, existing structures, trees, paving, access, drainage, utilities and the ECSP requirements before the permit set is finalized.
Submit digitally and track corrections
Chico’s Building Division says applications, plans and documents are submitted digitally, with plan-check correspondence distributed by email. The City uses eTRAKiT as its permit portal.
Pay applicable fees, build and close inspections
Use current City calculators for development-engineering and ADU impact fees rather than copying an old project total.
Fees & utilities
Chico gives homeowners more fee tools than most cities—use them.
Site-plan program
The newer City checklist states a $150 application fee for the grant-funded pre-approved ADU site-plan program. Verify availability and scope before relying on it.
Development-engineering calculators
Chico publishes a Building Permit Plan Review Fee Calculator and a dedicated Development Impact Fee calculator for ADUs greater than 750 sq. ft.
State impact-fee rule
California’s March 2026 HCD handbook says an ADU with 750 sq. ft. or less of interior livable space is exempt from impact fees from local agencies, special districts and water corporations, subject to the statutory definitions.
Existing unpermitted ADU
Chico has a dedicated AB 2533 legalization page.
The City says owners of qualifying unpermitted ADUs constructed before January 1, 2020 may use the AB 2533 pathway and recommends obtaining the property’s assessor records before meeting with the Building Official or Plans Examiner. It also encourages a confidential third-party code inspection before applying.
Before your first City call
Build this Chico property file.
- Property address and APN
- Current zoning
- Single-family or multifamily status
- Desired ADU type and bedrooms
- Preferred City pre-approved model, if any
- Existing structures and distances to property lines
- Large trees and landscaping constraints
- Driveway and emergency access
- Water, sewer or septic/well status
- Drainage and ECSP questions
- Whether the $150 site-plan program applies
- Written fee estimates and unresolved questions
Continue planning
Turn Chico’s program into a property-specific plan.
Official sources
Re-check these before paying for design or permits.
- City of Chico ADU/JADU Information
- Free Site Plans for Pre-Approved ADU Projects
- Pre-Approved ADU Site Plan Application
- City of Chico Building Division
- Development Engineering Calculators
- California HCD ADU Handbook
Independent educational resource. ADU Project Planner is not the City of Chico and does not approve permits. Local requirements, grant programs and fee schedules can change.