Everett ADU rules
✓ Verified against code · August 19, 2026
Current rules under EMC 19.08.100 Table 8-6, under the Everett 2044 zoning (NR / NR-C), adopted by Ordinances 4101-25 / 4102-25, in effect since July 8, 2025. The Everett 2044 periodic update, effective July 8, 2025, rewrote Title 19, deleted the owner-occupancy requirement, and abolished the old R-S/R-1/R-2 zones — any source citing those zones is describing a code that no longer exists. A housekeeping ordinance (CB 2512-91, January 2026) is already amending the new code, with more expected.
Common questions, answered from the code
Do I have to live on the property to rent out an ADU in Everett?
No. The owner-occupancy requirement was deleted by the Everett 2044 code rewrite effective July 8, 2025. Sources published before then — including some that still rank well — describe the old requirement.
EMC 19.08.100 (Ord 4102-25) · Permalink
How tall can an Everett DADU be?
This is genuinely unsettled in the current code: the tables cap detached accessory buildings in NR zones at 18 ft on non-alley lots, while the older ADU-specific 24/28-ft allowance survives only in UR4/UR7 zones — and state law arguably preempts anything under 24 ft. Get written confirmation from Everett planning for your lot before designing; we log any resolution in our changelog.
EMC 19.22.020 Tables 22-1/22-2 · Permalink
Does an Everett detached ADU really need its own water meter?
Yes — detached ADUs require a separate metered water service (and a dedicated side sewer, with limited shared exceptions). Budget for it; it routinely surprises people comparing city costs.
EMC 14.16.430 · Permalink
How many ADUs can I build in Everett?
Two per lot, in all zones except industrial, attached or detached, with no minimum lot size.
EMC 19.08.100 Table 8-6 · Permalink
Do I need parking for an Everett ADU?
Effectively no — all dwelling units under 1,200 sq ft are exempt from vehicle parking citywide, which covers any conforming ADU. Bike parking is required.
EMC 19.34.050(C) · Permalink
The rules at a glance
| ADUs allowed per lot | Two ADUs per lot in all zones except industrial — attached, detached, or a combination, with no minimum lot size.EMC 19.08.100 Table 8-6 |
| Maximum size | 1,000 sq ft of gross floor area, excluding garage and accessory-structure space. No size cap for an ADU located within one floor of the principal dwelling.EMC 19.08.100 Table 8-6 row 3; EMC 19.04.030 |
| Detached ADU height | Contested in the current code. The 2023 ADU ordinance allowed 24 ft (28 ft on alley lots), but the 2025 rewrite's Table 22-2 caps detached accessory buildings in NR zones at 18 ft on non-alley lots (24 ft on alley lots with a steep roof), with the 24/28 allowance surviving only in the UR4/UR7 zones. This sits in tension with the state-law height minimums — confirm your specific lot with Everett planning before designing.EMC 19.22.020, Tables 22-1/22-2; RCW 36.70A.681 |
| Detached ADU setbacks | Detached ADUs use the principal-building setbacks: front 10 ft; interior side 5 ft (none where the side lot line abuts an alley); rear 5 ft (none on alley lots).EMC 19.06.020(F) Table 6-4; Table 6-2 |
| Off-street parking | Effectively none: every dwelling unit under 1,200 sq ft is exempt from off-street vehicle parking, which covers every conforming ADU, citywide, with no transit test. Bicycle parking is required.EMC 19.34.050(C); 19.34.160 |
| Owner-occupancy | None. The Everett 2044 rewrite deleted the owner-occupancy requirement effective July 8, 2025. (It existed as recently as the 2023 ordinance, so pre-2025 sources will say otherwise.)EMC 19.08.100 (current); Ord 3963-23 §5 (former rule)Previously: Owner occupancy of the principal dwelling or ADU was required (Ord 3963-23) — changed by Ord 4102-25, effective July 8, 2025 |
| Lot coverage / floor area | 50% maximum lot coverage in NR (35% NR-C), plus 5% for two-unit lots, plus an additional ADU-specific bonus: up to 5% more of the lot's ground area may be used for up to two ADUs. No FAR limit in NR.EMC 19.06.010 Table 6-1; Table 8-6 row 4 |
| Permit path & timeline | Permitted outright with no discretionary review (except historic-overlay DADUs, which get historical commission review). Residential building permit plus trade permits; no published typical timeline.EMC Table 5-1; Table 8-6 row 8 |
Worth knowing
- Detached ADUs require their own water service and meter (attached ADUs may share under single ownership) and a dedicated side-sewer connection — a real cost line many budgets miss.
- Traffic impact fees are waived for the first ADU and triggered at the second; park impact fees run per bedroom.
- A 4-ft hard-surface emergency walkway is required from the ADU's front door to the street.
- Frontage improvements are waived for up to two ADUs when the principal dwelling remains.
On our watchlist
CB 2512-91 (January 2026) amends EMC 19.04/19.06/19.08/19.22/19.34 — including the height section at the center of the DADU-height ambiguity. The city says more housekeeping ordinances may follow. We re-check EMC 19.22.020 each verification pass until the height question resolves.
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
- Everett ADU handout
- Ordinance 4102-25 (Everett 2044)
- City ADU page
- E2044 housekeeping ordinance (CB 2512-91)
Other Washington cities
Bellevue · Bothell · Burien · Edmonds · Issaquah · Kent · Kirkland · Lynnwood · Olympia · Redmond · Renton · Sammamish · Seattle · Shoreline · Tacoma
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.