Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit - State Senate Bill 1332

In accordance with the provisions of California Government Code §65852.27 the City of Belmont has established a program for pre-approved plans for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Through this program, design professionals can submit construction documents for review to be a part of the City’s pre-approved ADU Design Program.

Pre-approved ADU design plans will be featured on the City’s ADU Plans Gallery, which allows homeowners to browse and filter ADU designs and connect directly with design professionals to use or purchase plans. All plans will require site specific planning and permitting. It is possible that the design of certain ADUs will not work due to site constraints. Homeowners will have to coordinate with the design professional to include details like where the ADU is situated on the lot, foundation plans, utility plans, and more, prior to submitting plans to the City for the expedited review.

Application Forms:

There are two (2) application forms, including:

• For designers to apply for review of ADU plans (pre-approval phase), the Pre-Approved ADU Application and Submittal Checklist can be found here.
• For designs and/or applicants for reusing the pre-approval ADU plans (site-specific phase), the Pre-Approved ADU Site Specific Plan Checklist and Building Permit Application can be found here.  

Applicable Fees:

• The appropriate fee, as adopted by the City Council and included in the Master Fee Schedule, must be paid at the same time the application form is submitted.
• ADUs that are 750 square feet or greater will be subject to Transportation and Park Impact Fees.

Part 1 – Pre-Approval of Submitted Plan (No Site)

1. Design professional submits plans to the City along with an application and applicable fees.
2. City staff reviews the submitted plans within 60 days and asked for corrections as needed.
3. Design professional resubmits as requested until approved.
4. The pre-approved plan details and designer contact information as provided by the applicant is posted on the City’s ADU Gallery online (it is not required to post plan sets). Staff must remove listings within 30 days if requested by the designer. Pre-approval expires at the end of the building code cycle.

Please note that the posting of a pre-approved ADU plan shall not be considered an endorsement of the designer.

Part 2 – Using Pre-Approved Plans (Site Specific)

1. Homeowner selects a pre-approved plan and contacts the designer directly to receive plan set.
2. Homeowner submits site-specific application, applicable fees, and building permit, usually with the help of the designer or another professional. Includes site-specific materials not reviewed during pre-approval (like a site plan, utility connections, etc.).
3. Staff review complete application within 30 days (the plan must be identical to the plan that were previously approved).
4. Homeowner resubmits as requested until approved and building permit is issued.
5. City staff conducts building inspections during the construction phase.