Permit guides

ADU Permits in Pleasant Hill: a Homeowner's Guide

Pleasant Hill sorts ADUs into two classes — and offers three free permit-ready plans. Know your class before you design.

Last updated October 2026. Rules change; always confirm current requirements with the city before you build.

Who handles your permit

ADU permits in Pleasant Hill go through the Community Development Department, Planning Division (100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, (925) 671-5270). Applications can be emailed to building@pleasanthillca.org. The city's ADU handout is the best first read — it lays out the Class 1/Class 2 system plainly.

What you can build

Pleasant Hill's two-class system:

Class 1Conversions, JADUs, detached ≤800 sq ft — lightest review

Class 2Attached ADUs and detached >800 sq ft

Up to 3Class 1 ADUs/JADUs per single-family lot possible

16 / 25 ftHeight: 16 ft detached, 25 ft attached

4 ftMinimum rear and side setbacks

3 freeBuilding-permit-ready ADU plans online

Class 1 detached ADUs need no additional parking and no design review against the primary dwelling. Over 800 sq ft, lot coverage, FAR, and parking rules tighten.

Three free plans — plus outside agencies

The city publishes three building-permit-ready ADU plans free to residents. Even with pre-approved plans, you submit a scaled site plan showing the ADU against property lines and structures — and an optional front porch needs staff sign-off on development standards.

Budget time for outside agencies: depending on your lot, you may need the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, and your water district (Contra Costa Water District, EBMUD, or the City of Martinez Water District). They run on separate timelines.

One drafting note: Pleasant Hill measures setbacks from the furthest projection of the structure — eaves included — to the property line.

Classify first. Whether you're Class 1 or Class 2 changes the parking, coverage, and design rules — confirm with Planning before drawing.

What goes into the submittal

Pleasant Hill's submittal basics:

Residential building permit / zoning application (emailed to building@pleasanthillca.org)
Site plan, floor plans, elevations (existing and proposed)
Title 24 energy compliance
Structural details as required
Outside agency permits: fire, sanitary, water as applicable

Where applications usually get stuck

Class confusion. Designing as Class 1 and landing in Class 2 means rework on parking and coverage.
Outside agency queues. Fire, sanitary, and water districts each add their own review time.
Eave-based setbacks. Measuring from walls instead of eaves is a classic correction.
Coverage/FAR over 800 sq ft. Larger ADUs hit lot coverage and floor-area-ratio limits.

Not sure where to start? That's the part we do. We look at your property, map the requirements, coordinate the plans and specialists, and manage the submittal and corrections — one point of contact.

Tell us what you need help with.

Not sure where to start? That's what we're here for.

Send your project

Erik — (916) 540-8960 · Vall — (916) 956-8106
office@pcg-engineering.pro