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Permit guides
ADU Permits in Dixon: a Homeowner's Guide
The Building Department, the DCAP portal, a separate fire sprinkler submittal, and Dixon's long fee schedule — in plain language.
Last updated October 2026. Rules change; always confirm current requirements with the city before you build.
Who handles your permit
In Dixon, ADU permits run through the Building Department at 600 E A Street, Dixon, CA 95620 — Building@cityofdixonca.gov. Submittals go through the Dixon Civic Access Portal (DCAP). One Dixon-specific rule to know upfront: fire sprinkler plans are a separate submittal directly to the Fire Department — they don't ride along inside the building permit package.
What you can build
1,200 sq ftMax for a detached ADU under state law
16 ftHeight limit for most detached ADUs
4 ftMinimum side and rear setbacks, detached ADUs
1 + 1One ADU plus one Junior ADU per single-family lot
$0 feesNo impact fees for ADUs under 750 sq ft statewide
60 daysState deadline to act on a complete application
Dixon-specific things to know
- Separate fire sprinkler submittal. Sprinkler plans go straight to the Fire Department — budget that as its own review track.
- Long impact fee schedule. Dixon's development impact fees cover wastewater, drainage, police, transportation, fire, administrative, public works, school, library, water, and Solano County capital facilities. ADUs under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees statewide; larger ones are proportionate to the primary dwelling — get the fee worksheet early.
- DCAP portal. The Dixon Civic Access Portal is the submittal and tracking route — make sure uploads meet the portal's file requirements before intake.
- Contact by email. The Building Department's published contact is Building@cityofdixonca.gov — written questions create a record.
Budget the fee stack before you design. Dixon's impact-fee list is one of the longer ones in the corridor. Staying under 750 sq ft keeps the state impact-fee exemption in play and simplifies the budget — design to the threshold, not past it.
What goes into the submittal
- Building permit application via DCAP
- Site plan: lot lines, structures, setbacks, easements, utilities, drainage
- Architectural plans: floor plans, elevations, sections
- Structural plans and calculations, Title 24 energy documents
- Separate fire sprinkler plan package to the Fire Department, if sprinklers apply
Where applications usually get stuck
- Missing the separate fire submittal. Homeowners fold sprinklers into the building set and wonder why review stalls.
- Fee under-budgeting. The multi-agency fee stack surprises people who priced the build but not the permit.
- Portal upload errors. Wrong file formats or secured PDFs bounce at intake — check DCAP's requirements first.
- Rural services. Fringe parcels on septic or well need conversion plans before the ADU proceeds.
Not sure where to start? That's the part we do. We map Dixon's fee stack and the separate fire track for your parcel, and manage the submittal and corrections — one point of contact.