Puyallup ADU rules

✓ Verified against code · August 20, 2026

Current rules under PMC 20.20.010(11) (Accessory Dwelling Units), adopted by Ordinance 3341 (building on Ord 3324), in effect since April 28, 2026. Puyallup adopted its HB 1337 baseline in Ordinance 3324 in 2025, then restructured the ADU standards again in Ordinance 3341, effective April 28, 2026. Its parking rule is the most granular in this ledger — it scales with both lot size and bedroom count — and its ADU height, at up to 36 ft, is among the most generous in Washington.

Common questions, answered from the code

Do I need parking for a Puyallup ADU?

It depends on three things, which makes Puyallup's rule the most detailed in this ledger. Within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop, nothing is required. Outside that, a lot under 6,000 sq ft needs one space per unit; a lot over 6,000 sq ft needs one space for a studio or one-bedroom ADU and two spaces for a two- or three-bedroom ADU. Bedroom count is a design decision, so it is worth modelling parking before you settle the floor plan.

PMC 20.55.010(11) · Permalink

How tall can a detached Puyallup ADU be?

Up to 36 ft in the RS-35, RS-10, RS-08 and RS-06 zones, because an ADU simply takes the principal dwelling's height allowance. In RS-04 the figure is 28 ft permitted or 25 ft conditionally. That 36 ft is among the most generous ADU height allowances in Washington — well above the 24 ft floor the state requires.

PMC 20.20.010(11)(h); Table 20.20.020 · Permalink

How many ADUs can I build on a small Puyallup lot?

On a lot that meets the zone's required area, two, in any combination. On an undersized lot the default is one — but two are still possible in three specific configurations: stacked units, one attached plus one detached, or converting an existing structure and adding a new unit. So an undersized lot is not automatically a one-ADU lot.

PMC 20.20.010(11)(a)–(c) · Permalink

Can I sell a Puyallup ADU separately?

Yes. An ADU may be sold or conveyed as a condominium unit, or through unit-lot subdivision, independently of the principal dwelling.

PMC 20.20.010(11)(j)–(l) · Permalink

Does a Puyallup ADU count against density?

No — ADUs are expressly exempt from density calculations in the RS zones. Lot coverage and floor-area ratio are a different matter: the code exempts ADUs from density but says nothing either way about coverage or FAR, so we treat ADU floor area as counting toward those limits until the city says otherwise. If your lot is close to its coverage ceiling, ask before you design.

PMC 20.20.029(1) · Permalink

The rules at a glance

ADUs allowed per lot	Two per lot, attached and/or detached in any combination, on a lot meeting or exceeding the zone's required lot area. On an undersized lot, one ADU — or two only in specific configurations: stacked units, one attached plus one detached, or the conversion of an existing structure plus a new unit.PMC 20.20.010(11)(a)–(c)
Maximum size	1,000 sq ft of floor area with a maximum of three bedrooms, excluding garage, workshop and unfinished storage space. Puyallup sets no minimum size.PMC 20.20.010(11)(d)–(e)
Detached ADU height	The same height allowance as the principal dwelling: 36 ft in the RS-35, RS-10, RS-08 and RS-06 zones, and in RS-04 either 28 ft as permitted or 25 ft conditionally.PMC 20.20.010(11)(h); Table 20.20.020
Detached ADU setbacks	Front and street-side setbacks follow the zone table; a minimum 5 ft to the rear and interior side, and at least 10 ft of separation from the principal dwelling — or fire-rated construction where an existing structure is converted at less than 10 ft. A detached ADU may sit at the property line along a public alley, unless the city routinely plows snow in that alley. An attached ADU takes the principal dwelling's setbacks.PMC 20.20.010(11)(g)(i)(A)–(D), (g)(ii)
Off-street parking	None within a half-mile walking distance of a major transit stop. Beyond that, one space per unit on lots under 6,000 sq ft; on lots over 6,000 sq ft, one space for a studio or one-bedroom ADU and two spaces for a two- or three-bedroom ADU.PMC 20.55.010(11), cross-referenced at PMC 20.20.010(11)(f)
Owner-occupancy	Not required. A full-text search of the ADU subsections returns no owner-occupancy language.PMC 20.20.010(11) (absence verified)
Lot coverage / floor area	ADUs are expressly exempt from density calculations in the RS zones. They are not expressly exempted from maximum lot coverage (40–50% by zone) or floor-area ratio (0.45:1 to 0.6:1 by zone), and we found no language either way — so treat ADU floor area as counting toward those limits until the city confirms otherwise.PMC 20.20.029(1); PMC 20.20.028; Table 20.20.020
Permit path & timeline	An attached ADU is created by interior conversion or addition; a detached ADU may come from converting an existing structure such as a garage. Either may be sold or conveyed as a condominium unit or through unit-lot subdivision independent of the principal dwelling. Illegal ADUs must be legalized or removed. No published review timeline.PMC 20.20.010(11)(j)–(l)

Worth knowing

The parking rule is the most granular in this ledger: it turns on lot size and bedroom count together, so a three-bedroom ADU on a larger lot outside the transit walkshed needs two spaces while a studio needs one.
At up to 36 ft, a detached Puyallup ADU can be markedly taller than in most Washington cities — it simply inherits the principal dwelling's height allowance.
A design-compatibility requirement applies: the ADU's scale, bulk, architectural style and location on the lot must be compatible with the principal dwelling's design standards.
The alley setback allowance carries the same snow-plowing caveat as Auburn's.
Puyallup sets no minimum ADU size, unlike neighbouring Auburn's 300 sq ft floor.

On our watchlist

Ordinance 3347 (July 21, 2026) amends PMC 20.20 but its per-subsection tags attach to the middle-housing and cottage-housing provisions rather than subsection (11); we have not read the ordinance itself.

Whether ADU floor area counts toward lot coverage and FAR is inferred from the absence of an exemption, not from a stated rule.

Puyallup's development impact fees sit in a separate fee schedule not covered by this pass.

Primary sources

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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.