The five plans
| Model | Size | Layout | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Laurel | 460 sq ft | Studio or one bedroom | Metal roof; floor plan options |
| A2 Willow | 460 sq ft | Studio or one bedroom | Pitched roof; floor plan options |
| B Redwood | 870 sq ft | Two bedrooms | Solar PV required; over 750 sq ft, so impact fees |
| C Elderberry | 1,000 sq ft | Two bedrooms | Solar PV required; impact fees |
| D Magnolia | 1,184 sq ft | Three bedrooms | Solar PV required; impact fees |
The plans were checked against the 2022 California codes, energy calculations included, which the County says means "a stream-lined permit process and significant savings". They are funded by a state Housing and Community Development grant and are free to download from the Shelf Ready ADU page.
What the free plans do not cover
| Still on you | County rule |
|---|---|
| Building permit fees | "Standard Building fees apply to all permits using Shelf Ready ADU plans" |
| Impact fees | "ADUs greater than 750 square feet are subject to impact fees" (Models B, C and D) |
| Solar | A separate miscellaneous permit, at extra cost, for the PV system on Models B, C and D; PV plans by a registered design professional or the installing contractor |
| Fire district | Your local fire jurisdiction "may require a separate fire department review, permit and fees" |
| Site plan | A plot plan showing where the ADU goes; a designer, contractor or the homeowner can draw it (sample form GI-29) |
| Changes | None beyond receptacles, lights and switches, apart from the A1/A2 floor plan options |
| Paperwork | A hold harmless agreement, then the application through the County's Citizen Access portal |
The model choice drives the extra costs. The two 460 sq ft models stay under the 750 sq ft impact-fee line and need no solar permit; the 870 sq ft Redwood crosses both lines.
What it means for hiring a builder
- Get bids on the exact model. Because every builder prices the same drawings, bids are directly comparable, line by line. Ask each to list site work, utility trenching and the solar system separately.
- Who draws the site plan. Setback questions go to the County at SacPlan@SacCounty.gov; a builder who has done the plot plan before saves a correction round.
- Speed. One early participant told the County he "had the permit within about a week or two" once his site plan was drafted (Sacramento County, February 2025); by then 15 residents had submitted site plans. That is one owner's experience, not a County target.
- License. Check the builder's CSLB license; our Sacramento County contractor license lookup shows how.
What 207 Sacramento County ADU permits show
| Measure | Unincorporated Sacramento County ADU |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 207 |
| Firms / active in the last 12 months | 134 / 55 |
| Usual filed value | $133,039 |
| Middle half of builders' usual value (9 builders with 3+ permits) | $99,402 to $173,840 |
| Usual days from issue to final | 254 |
| Permits that reached a final | 92.8% |
| Firms with a single ADU permit | 109 (81.3%) |
| Firms with an active CSLB license match | 82.8% |
| Busiest / quietest month | August (186) / February (64) |
ADUs here finish: 92.8% of permits reached a final, usually 254 days after issue, so plan on most of a year of construction after the permit. Only 9 builders filed three or more ADU permits, and 81.3% of firms filed one, so ask any builder for the address of a finished ADU and look up its permit. Values by firm are on Sacramento County ADU cost. For comparison, remodel values are on Sacramento County remodel cost.
Compare Sacramento County ADU builders by permits →
What this does not tell you
Our data does not flag which ADU permits used Shelf Ready plans. Filed values are construction estimates and leave out impact fees, fire district fees, utility connections and the solar system's separate permit. The County page gives no end date for the program; the plans were checked to the 2022 codes, so ask the County whether they still qualify after a code update. The County's impact fee amounts were not on the page we read; email dssgeneralinfovm@saccounty.gov for them.
How we know this
Program details are quoted from Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection's Shelf Ready ADU page and the County's 13 February 2025 article, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are Sacramento County permits on homes in unincorporated areas classified as ADUs, October 2023 to September 2026; license matches are to California CSLB records.
Numbers come from Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Sacramento County have free ADU plans?
Yes, for unincorporated Sacramento County only. The County's Shelf Ready program offers five detached ADU plan sets, from a 460 sq ft studio or one-bedroom to a 1,184 sq ft three-bedroom, paid for by a state Housing and Community Development grant.
- What fees do I still pay with a Sacramento County Shelf Ready ADU?
Standard building permit fees, impact fees if the ADU is over 750 square feet, a separate miscellaneous permit for the solar PV system the larger models need, and any fire district review and fees. The plans themselves are free.
- Can I use Sacramento County's Shelf Ready ADU plans in the City of Sacramento or Elk Grove?
No. The County says the plan sets 'can only be used in unincorporated Sacramento County'.
- Can I change a Shelf Ready ADU plan?
Barely. Beyond adding receptacles, lights or switches, the plans cannot be modified, except for the floor plan options offered in Models A1 and A2.
- How much does an ADU cost in Sacramento County?
The usual unincorporated Sacramento County ADU permit was filed at $133,039 (207 permits, October 2023 to September 2026). That is construction value on the permit, before fees, utility work and the site plan.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- ADU construction cost in 2026: what ADU permits were filed at in 12 cities
- Home improvement costs in unincorporated Sacramento County, CA (2026): what 14 kinds of jobs were filed at
- ADU cost in San Diego County: what the permits were filed at, by size
- Home improvement costs in Anaheim, CA (2026): what 8 kinds of jobs were filed at
For one city
- Sacramento County building permit search: Accela Citizen Access and records requests
- Hiring an HVAC contractor in Sacramento County: the CSLB C-20 license, the permit, and what 7,900 HVAC permits show
- Sacramento County contractor license lookup: CSLB, the County permit portal, and what the permits show