Colorado Springs ADU rules
✓ Verified against code · August 19, 2026
Current rules under UDC 7.3.304E (City Code Ch. 7), adopted by Ordinance 25-45, in effect since April 21, 2025. Colorado Springs adopted on time — and pushed back on purpose. Council amended the detached-ADU height cap down to 16 ft from the floor, restored a parking requirement staff had proposed eliminating, and wrote into the ordinance's recitals that conflicting state laws 'may be superseded by local law' under home rule, even while seeking supportive-jurisdiction status.
Common questions, answered from the code
How tall can a detached ADU be in Colorado Springs?
16 feet, regardless of roof pitch — city council amended that down from the prior 25/28-ft standard during adoption, over the staff proposal. That's the strictest DADU height cap in our corpus; two-story backyard units are effectively out unless you're converting above a garage (25 ft).
UDC 7.3.304E.2.b · Permalink
Do I need parking for a Colorado Springs ADU?
Yes — one off-street space per ADU on top of the home's parking. Staff proposed requiring none; council restored the requirement. It's stricter than what Colorado's ADU statute contemplates, and the city's ordinance openly asserts home-rule authority for such differences.
UDC Table 7.4.10-A · Permalink
Do I have to live on the property?
Only when you apply: an owner-residency affidavit at application time (waived when the ADU is built together with a new home). The old ongoing owner-occupancy rule and its recorded declaration were repealed by Ordinance 25-45.
UDC 7.3.304E.1.a · Permalink
Can I run my Colorado Springs ADU as an Airbnb?
No — an ADU and a short-term rental can't exist on the same property, unless both were legally permitted before June 30, 2025.
UDC 7.3.304.A.3.d · Permalink
The rules at a glance
| ADUs allowed per lot | One ADU per lot with a single-family detached home — attached, integrated, or detached — in all districts where single-family homes are allowed. Wildfire (WUI-O) overlay: integrated only; R-2: detached only with a home on a 5,000+ sq ft lot.UDC 7.3.304E.1 |
| Maximum size | Detached: the lesser of 50% of the principal home's habitable area or 1,250 sq ft; if the home is under 1,500 sq ft, the ADU may still be 750 sq ft. ADU floor area is exempt from the accessory-structure area cap.UDC 7.3.304E.2.a |
| Detached ADU height | 16 ft for a detached ADU, regardless of roof type or pitch — council cut this from the prior 25/28-ft standard on the floor. Garage conversions: 25 ft. Attached/integrated: the zone maximum.UDC 7.3.304E.2.b (as amended 3/25/2025)Previously: 25 ft (28 ft with steep roof) under the prior code — changed by Ord 25-45 council floor amendment, adopted Apr 8, 2025 |
| Detached ADU setbacks | Front and side: same as the principal building. Rear: 5 ft. No detached ADUs in front yards; the old alley/above-garage setback rule was repealed.UDC 7.3.304E.2.c–d |
| Off-street parking | One off-street space per ADU, in addition to the home's parking — council restored this after staff proposed zero. Stricter than the state statute's narrow parking allowance.UDC Table 7.4.10-A; contrast C.R.S. 29-35-403(2)(a), (3) |
| Owner-occupancy | Application-time only: an owner-residency affidavit when applying, with an exception for ADUs built simultaneously with a new home. The old ongoing owner-occupancy and recorded declaration were repealed.UDC 7.3.304E.1.a |
| Lot coverage / floor area | ADU exempt from the combined accessory-structure floor-area cap; zone lot-coverage and dimensional tables still apply.UDC 7.3.304E.2.a; Part 7.4.2 |
| Permit path & timeline | Administrative — site plan plus building permit, decided on objective standards; utility ability-to-serve determination required, plus a 14-day posted public notice before the permit issues. No land-use application fee. No published review timeline.UDC 7.3.304E.1.i–j |
Worth knowing
- An ADU and a short-term rental can't coexist on the same property (grandfathered only if both were legal by June 30, 2025).
- The 16-ft detached height cap is the region's strictest — it effectively rules out two-story DADUs except over converted garages.
- A detached ADU meeting all subdivision provisions may be subdivided and sold — otherwise a recorded no-separate-sale covenant applies.
- Prefab and tiny homes qualify on permanent foundations; the ordinance created a new ADU-O overlay district.
- The ordinance's recitals stake an explicit home-rule position against conflicting state law — making Colorado Springs a jurisdiction to watch if ADU preemption ever reaches the courts.
On our watchlist
The city's supportive-jurisdiction certification status is unverified; its home-rule recitals make it a candidate for future preemption disputes over the parking and height provisions.
Check your parcel
The rules above are citywide — what you can build depends on your lot’s zone, size, and setbacks. Look yours up on the official viewers:
Primary sources
Other Colorado cities
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Not legal advice. Every fact above cites the code section it comes from — check the cite, or ask your city’s planning department to confirm your specific lot. Spotted an error or a new ordinance? See about to reach us; corrections are logged in the changelog.