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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit in Lakewood, Colorado

Required for construction of a new attached or detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on a single-family residential lot in Lakewood. Governed by Section 17.4.3.1.A of the Lakewood Zoning Ordinance plus the standard building permit process (applied for as 'Building Residential New — New Accessory Dwelling Unit' in eTRAKiT). No variance or waiver may be requested to allow an ADU.

Verified 2026-07-01 · Source

When you need this permit

  • ADUs allowed in most residential zone districts — check the use table in Article 4.1 of the Lakewood Zoning Ordinance for the specific zone
  • Minimum lot size: 9,000 square feet, regardless of zone district
  • ADU must comply with all primary-structure dimensional standards for the applicable zone district and may not be located in front of the primary dwelling unit
  • Maximum height: 30 feet for a detached ADU
  • ADU cannot exceed 700 square feet of gross floor area or contain more than one bedroom; only one ADU permitted per lot
  • Owner-occupancy required: the property owner must live in either the primary or accessory dwelling unit, evidenced by a recorded Owner Occupancy Certificate with Jefferson County (submitted just prior to building permit issuance)
  • Exterior of the ADU must be similar in appearance to the primary dwelling (materials, color, roof pitch, detailing)
  • 1–2 off-street parking spaces required for the ADU, in addition to parking for the primary residence; must be labeled on the site plan
  • Process: (1) check with Water/Sewer District for ADU requirements, (2) check with Building Department for code regulations, (3) submit ADU Supplemental Zoning Review Form, (4) prepare construction drawings and submit for building permit, (5) submit recorded Owner Occupancy Certificate before permit approval

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (same table as new construction)VERIFIED — ADUs are applied for as 'Building Residential New — New Accessory Dwelling Unit' in eTRAKiT (per the eTRAKiT Permit Types info sheet) and are therefore billed as new residential construction on the City of Lakewood Building Permit & Inspection Fee Schedule's valuation-based table — no ADU-specific fee variance or carve-out exists in the published fee schedule (re-confirmed by re-fetching and full-text-reading the 2-page fee schedule PDF via Playwright browser-fetch past the Akamai/edgesuite WAF). Plan review (65% of permit fee) and estimated use tax (3% of 50% of valuation) apply identically to ADUs as to any other new residential construction.
Varies by valuation — see Residential Building Permit fee tiers ($26.00 minimum up to $5,570.15 + $3.45/$1,000 over $1,000,000)
Plan Review Fee
65% of the building permit fee
Estimated Use Tax
3% of 50% of the project valuation

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Lakewood building department
~0–0 business days

How long did your Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit permit actually take in Lakewood?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation

    Footings and foundation before concrete pour — 36-inch frost depth minimum

  2. 2

    Framing

    Structural framing before insulation/wall cover

  3. 3

    MEP Rough-In

    Mechanical, electrical, plumbing rough-ins before walls closed

  4. 4

    Final

    All work complete; Certificate of Occupancy issued once required inspections pass

See the full Lakewood inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • The ADU Zoning Summary handout is dated (revised 06/20/2017) but remains the current document hosted on lakewoodco.gov — confirm no subsequent zoning text amendments with the Planning Department (303-987-7505) before relying on the 9,000 sq ft lot minimum and 700 sq ft/one-bedroom cap, since Colorado has passed statewide housing/ADU-related legislation in recent years that may interact with local ordinances.
  • Owner-occupancy is mandatory and enforced by a recorded covenant with Jefferson County — plan to record the Owner Occupancy Certificate before your building permit can be approved.
  • No variance or waiver may be requested for an ADU under the Lakewood Zoning Ordinance — the dimensional and site standards are hard requirements, unlike some other permit types.
  • This is distinct from unincorporated Jefferson County's ADU rules — confirm you're in Lakewood city limits (not county land) before applying under this ordinance.
  • FLUX WATCH: Colorado HB24-1152 (statewide ADU legalization/standards, effective for many jurisdictions by mid-2025-2026) and related HB24-1304 transit-corridor housing law may require Lakewood to revisit local ADU dimensional caps (e.g. the 700 sq ft/one-bedroom limit and 9,000 sq ft lot minimum) for state-law compliance. The fee mechanics here (valuation-based building permit fee + 65% plan review + 3%-of-50%-valuation use tax) are unaffected by this flux and remain grounded/published regardless of how the zoning standards resolve — but re-check the zoning figures with Lakewood Planning (303-987-7505) given the statewide ADU legislative activity.

Frequently asked questions

Lakewood requires an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit for: ADUs allowed in most residential zone districts — check the use table in Article 4.1 of the Lakewood Zoning Ordinance for the specific zone; Minimum lot size: 9,000 square feet, regardless of zone district; ADU must comply with all primary-structure dimensional standards for the applicable zone district and may not be located in front of the primary dwelling unit; Maximum height: 30 feet for a detached ADU; ADU cannot exceed 700 square feet of gross floor area or contain more than one bedroom; only one ADU permitted per lot; Owner-occupancy required: the property owner must live in either the primary or accessory dwelling unit, evidenced by a recorded Owner Occupancy Certificate with Jefferson County (submitted just prior to building permit issuance); Exterior of the ADU must be similar in appearance to the primary dwelling (materials, color, roof pitch, detailing); 1–2 off-street parking spaces required for the ADU, in addition to parking for the primary residence; must be labeled on the site plan; Process: (1) check with Water/Sewer District for ADU requirements, (2) check with Building Department for code regulations, (3) submit ADU Supplemental Zoning Review Form, (4) prepare construction drawings and submit for building permit, (5) submit recorded Owner Occupancy Certificate before permit approval. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Lakewood — Public Works Department, Permit Counter (Building Division) at 303-987-7500 before starting work.

In Lakewood, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (same table as new construction) is: Varies by valuation — see Residential Building Permit fee tiers ($26.00 minimum up to $5,570.15 + $3.45/$1,000 over $1,000,000). Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Estimated Use Tax — 3% of 50% of the project valuation. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit in Lakewood typically runs 0–0 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Lakewood — Public Works Department, Permit Counter (Building Division) at 303-987-7500.

You'll need: ADU Supplemental Zoning Review Form; Building Permit Application (via eTRAKiT); Owner Occupancy Certificate; Site Plan; Construction Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Lakewood requires 4 inspection(s) for an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit, in order: Foundation, Framing, MEP Rough-In, Final. Schedule each through City of Lakewood — Public Works Department, Permit Counter (Building Division) (303-987-7500).

Apply through City of Lakewood — Public Works Department, Permit Counter (Building Division) at 480 S. Allison Pkwy, Lakewood, CO 80226 (Civic Center North). Phone: 303-987-7500, email: permitcounter@lakewoodco.gov. Office hours: Contact Permit Counter at 303-987-7500; permits are applied for, tracked, and paid online through eTRAKiT (lakw-trk.aspgov.com/eTRAKiT). Official information: https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Public-Works/Building-and-Construction-Permits.

Per the Lakewood Zoning Ordinance Section 17.4.3.1.A, an ADU cannot exceed 700 square feet of gross floor area or contain more than one bedroom, and only one ADU is permitted per lot. Minimum lot size is 9,000 square feet regardless of zone district, and detached ADUs are capped at 30 feet in height.

Yes. The property owner must occupy either the primary dwelling or the ADU, and must record an Owner Occupancy Certificate with Jefferson County as a covenant running with the property, submitted just prior to building permit issuance.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-01.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Lakewood building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit in other cities

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