We start with your design. Modular is how we build it, not what you settle for.
Shape Homes · Where we build · Saratoga
Saratoga allows 1,200 square feet and then attaches conditions that are worth reading twice, because at least two of them look out of step with current state law.
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| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum size | 1,200 sq ft | City ADU page |
| Attached ADU | Limited to 50% of the existing living area | City ADU page |
| JADU | 500 sq ft or less | City ADU page |
| Height | Per zoning district maximum | City ADU page |
| Setbacks above a garage | 5 ft side and rear where setbacks are nonconforming | City ADU page |
| Floor area | ADU and main home both count toward total floor area and coverage | City ADU page |
| BMR bonus | One-time 10% increase if deed-restricted below market rate | City ADU page |
| Minimum lot size | 90% of the zoning standard — appears to conflict with state law | City ADU page |
| Parking | One space in a garage — appears to conflict with state law | City ADU page |
| Design review required | Multi-story, over 18 ft, over 6,000 sq ft cumulative, or Pmw/Pd/Pdf ground | City ADU page |
Sources: City of Saratoga ADU page, Saratoga ADU handout, Santa Clara County ADU Resource Center, Saratoga, Saratoga Fire Prevention, Saratoga arborist report checklist. Rules change often; we confirm them for your lot before design.
Size is rarely the constraint. These are.
The in-garage parking mandate and the 90%-of-standard minimum lot size both appear to conflict with current California ADU law. The City's page may simply be out of date. We do not assume it is, and we do not assume it is not. We ask, in writing, and we tell you the answer before you commit.
Multi-story, over 18 feet, over 6,000 square feet cumulative floor area, or a project on Pmw, Pd or Pdf ground. That last one is a geologic designation, not a design choice, and it is the trigger people find out about late. It is checked at lot check here.
Both the ADU and the main home count toward your total floor area and site coverage. A ten percent one-time increase is available if you deed-restrict the unit below market rate. Whether that trade is worth it is an arithmetic question we run before design, not after.
In Saratoga Village, the Golden Triangle and established garden neighborhoods, the tree canopy can shape the construction plan as much as the rooms. The City's development guidance identifies review for work near protected-tree driplines, including neighboring trees. We map foundations, trenches, grading, equipment parking and material storage together. Required protection and any deposits are checked before selecting a final location.
Saratoga's published guidance distinguishes the general ADU size limit from conditions for buildings within required setbacks. We draw those areas on the survey and confirm which provisions govern your proposed location. Two footprints with the same floor area can use different approval conditions. Comparing them early also shows how much daylight, outdoor space and separation from the main home each option leaves.
Pierce Road and other foothill locations need a different first look from a level suburban lot. We review slope, ground-movement information, creek proximity and mapped fire or flood conditions, then confirm the reports needed for the proposed work. A section through the site shows existing grade, floor level, drainage and retaining work. It should also make the entry route understandable before the finish selections begin.
Exterior coordination with the main home is considered alongside driveway access and the working area. We confirm the applicable local standards while selecting the roof, materials and colors. The site-work scope includes unloading space, tree protection and restoration of paths or planting. For a hillside ADU, geotechnical work, fire-safe specifications and drainage can change the estimate even when the interior plan stays the same.
The specific numbers behind the tree and setback traps above.
In Saratoga, any tree 10 inches or more in trunk diameter is protected, and native oaks, redwoods, and similar species are protected starting at 6 inches. Review can be triggered when proposed work falls under or within five feet of a protected tree's canopy dripline, including a tree on a neighboring property. Trees that are kept near the work generally need a security deposit of 25% to 100% of their appraised value, and trees approved for removal need a deposit at 100%, with a 15-day notice period before the work begins.
Saratoga's general ADU maximum is 1,200 square feet, but the City's published standards set smaller limits for an ADU located within a required setback: 1,000 square feet within the side and rear setback, and 800 square feet within the front setback, subject to the applicable provisions. We put those setback lines on the survey before choosing a footprint, because a plan that fits geometrically between the home and the fence can still land in a different approval condition depending on exactly where it sits.
Saratoga treats the two differently, and the difference is the kitchen.
Saratoga defines a guest house as lodging without a kitchen, and the City counts a 220-volt outlet or a gas line for cooking as enough to make a kitchen. A guest house over 250 square feet needs design review. An ADU, by contrast, is approved by staff and can sit as close as 4 feet from the side and rear property lines.
| Guest house without a kitchen | ADU with a kitchen | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 15 ft | 16 ft |
| Setbacks | Within 6 ft of a line only with a use permit | 4 ft side and rear |
| Review | Design review over 250 sq ft | Staff approval |
In Saratoga, an ADU is simpler to approve and easier to place than a guest house. Source: City of Saratoga ADU page.
Tree and geotechnical review add deposits that sit outside the construction price.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Arborist review deposit | $1,500 |
| Geotechnical deposit | $5,000 plus $1,103 |
| Technical review | $1,116 |
| Design review (only if the ADU goes above 18 ft) | $5,305 |
| Geotechnical clearance in hazard areas | $850 fee plus a $5,000 consultant deposit |
| PG&E new electric service for an ADU (average, projects finished 2023 to August 2025) | $4,832 |
We price the items your lot needs before you sign. Sources: Santa Clara County ADU Resource Center, Saratoga, City of Saratoga geotechnical clearance, PG&E ADU service report.
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Site assessment and tree/slope review | 1 – 2 weeks |
| Design and fixed-price agreement | 3 – 6 weeks |
| Permit submittal and plan check | Up to 60 days for a complete ministerial submittal, longer with corrections or design review |
| Build, from permit | A few months; we confirm the schedule in your agreement |
Source: HCD ADU Handbook, City of Saratoga ADU page.
Three from the library, chosen against this town's rules rather than its postcode.
Planning ranges, all in: factory package, delivery, foundation, utilities, permits and site work.
What moves a project inside its range is the lot, not the home. On Saratoga parcels the items above are what usually decide it. A range is not a bid; a fixed price applies only as written in an executed construction agreement. See the plans or how the build works.
1,200 sq ft maximum. An attached unit is limited to 50% of the existing or concurrently approved living area of the main home. A junior ADU is 500 sq ft or less.
The City's published ADU page says one off-street space in a garage, waivable with an uncovered space plus a below-market-rate deed restriction. That requirement appears to conflict with current state ADU law and the page may be stale. We confirm the current position with Planning rather than repeating it.
Four ways: a multi-story structure, anything over 18 ft, a project taking cumulative floor area over 6,000 sq ft, or a project on Pmw, Pd or Pdf ground. The last is a geologic designation you do not choose.
The City's page states 90% of the zoning standard. A minimum lot size for an ADU at all is a local deviation and appears to conflict with state law. Confirm before relying on it either way.
It may. The City's guidance includes review for work near the dripline of protected trees, including those on an adjoining property. We show excavation, services and staging as well as the building, then confirm the review and protection requirements.
Check the survey, slope, ground-movement information, creek conditions and applicable fire or flood maps. Confirm whether geotechnical or other specialist review is needed. A site section should show the foundation, drainage, retaining work and a usable entry route.
Their locations may need different foundations, utility routes, tree protection, access arrangements or retaining work. Permit and specialist-review charges also depend on the project. We compare the building and complete site scope together so the estimate reflects the chosen placement.
Yes. California law allows long-term rentals of 30 days or more for ADUs statewide. Short-term rental rules are set locally, and Saratoga, like most Bay Area cities, restricts or prohibits stays under 30 days.
A new detached ADU does. Under the current California Energy Code it needs new solar, which can sometimes be added to an existing system elsewhere on the property. An attached ADU is treated as an addition and does not trigger its own solar requirement.
Only on the new building. The Santa Clara County Assessor does not reassess the existing home; it assesses the ADU at market value once finished, or partly if construction is still underway on the lien date.
Often, yes. The City has run its own legalization pathway for older units, and separate state law covers ADUs built without permits before 2020. We confirm which process applies to your unit and what documentation the City currently requires before treating legalization as a given.
We pull your parcel, the Saratoga ordinance and a street view of the driveway before the call.
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