An Accessory Dwelling Unit is like a second small house on your property, and under a strict set of rules, you can have an ADU on your Sequim or Port Angeles property. The following is from the Clallam County Code:
In addition to the general requirements of CCC 33.50.030, accessory dwelling units shall be subject to the following requirements.
(1) Size.
(a) Size of Detached ADU. Detached ADUs shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the gross floor area of the primary dwelling unit, nor exceed 1,250 square feet in gross floor area.
(b) Size of Attached ADU. Attached ADUs shall not exceed thirty-five (35) percent of the gross floor area of the primary dwelling unit.
(2) Density.
(a) The property on which an ADU is to be located must comply with the minimum lot size of the underlying zone. Parcels not meeting the minimum lot size may be allowed an attached ADU, but detached ADUs are prohibited.
(b) Outside of designated urban growth areas, the property on which a detached ADU is to be located shall be at least 1.5 acres in size. This standard may be waived by the Administrator where it can be demonstrated that the detached ADU will be served by a community water supply and community sewage disposal system.
(c) Inside areas zoned Agricultural Retention (AR), detached ADUs are prohibited except on lots that are subject to the agricultural retention development standards of CCC 33.07.010(4) to CCC 33.07.010(10), or where the existing parcel is thirty (30) acres or larger is size.
(d) Inside areas zoned Commercial Forest (CF), detached ADUs are prohibited.
(3) Occupancy.
(a) The owner of the parcel shall live either in the primary dwelling or ADU as their primary residence. For the purpose of this standard, “permanent residence†shall mean occupancy by the underlying property owner for no less than 120 days during a calendar year.
(b) ADUs may be used for occupation by family members, guests, renters, lessees, and estate caretakers/groundskeepers.
(4) Design.
ADUs shall be designed so that the appearance of the lot remains that of a single-family residential development through the following standards:
(a) All building entrances shall be located so that only one entrance faces the road frontage of the development.
(b) On-site parking area shall be provided.
(c) Access for vehicle ingress and egress shall share the same legal access onto a public or private road as the primary dwelling unit and no new access shall be established for the ADU.
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Last Updated on June 6, 2024 by Chuck Marunde
I inquired about adding an ADU on my 5.13 acre property which is zoned RCC5 and I was told no. We wanted the ADU for my elderly mother-in-law, is there a valid reason the county denied this? Our property is located up Deer Park road near Township Line road.
Thanks
David, the local regulations on ADUs are in the Clallam County Code, and if you meet their strict set of requirements, you’ll be approved. But if you cannot check off every box, they won’t approve it.
I live in the greater San Diego area and many suburbs are strict in terms of permits to either convert or rehab a home, or do new construction, and an ADU is something a lot of areas like mine do not allow. It’s great that your zoning allows that in Sequim.
Hi Chuck,
I look forward to receiving your blog and have garnered a great deal of information pertinent to my real estate questions. Your insight as a retired real estate attorney and current realtor makes you the perfect person from whom the “Real Facts” can be believed.
In Clallam County if one is building a home outside the city of Sequim is an owner allowed to build a barn to house the supplies? Only electricity would be necessary to run the power tools and perhaps a chemical toilet for comfort.
Toni, Clallam County has a building code, and as long as you comply with the building code, and of course your property’s zoning ordinance and CC&R’s (coventants), if there are any, sure you can build a barn. A lot of folks here do exactly that. Some prefer to build an inexpensive RV storage barn, especially for those with several acres where they have the room.