Imperial Beach, CA
Imperial Beach ADU Permit Fee Calculator (2026)
Instant fee breakdown for Imperial Beach, California. Total range: $3,600–$9,000.
Imperial Beach, California ADU Permit Fees
Total estimated range: $3,600–$9,000
Plan Check
$600–$1,500
Building Permit
$1,000–$2,500
Impact Fees
Waived (< 750 sf)
School Fees
$2–$3/sf
Utility Hookups
$2,000–$5,000
Source: City permitting schedules and FeeBuilder surveys, updated April 2026.
Imperial Beach permit process at a glance
Permitting office: Imperial Beach Community Development Department
Typical plan review: 10-18 weeks
Fee waivers: ADUs under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees per AB 681.
Imperial Beach sits entirely in the California Coastal Zone, so every ADU also requires a Coastal Development Permit. The flat coastal lots make construction straightforward but the CDP layer adds 6-12 weeks beyond standard city review. Imperial Beach has very few protected design overlays compared to Coronado, so most CDPs are administrative rather than discretionary.
Sample real-world fee example
Scenario: 600 sq ft detached ADU on 5,500 sq ft Imperial Beach lot
| Plan check | $900 |
| Building permit | $1,500 |
| Coastal Development Permit (ministerial) | $650 |
| Sewer connection | $2,200 |
| Water (Cal-Am) meter | $2,300 |
| TOTAL | $7,550 |
Common Imperial Beach ADU permit mistakes
- Skipping the Title 24 energy compliance docs at submittal — adds 4-6 weeks of correction cycles.
- Confusing the AB 681 impact-fee waiver — it only applies to ADUs strictly under 750 sq ft of conditioned floor area.
- Missing the separate water-meter and sewer-capacity applications, which run on a parallel track from the building permit.
- Missing the CDP application — required citywide because Imperial Beach is entirely in the Coastal Zone.
- Not confirming Cal-American Water service area connection requirements.
How Imperial Beach compares nearby
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