City of Richmond ADU rules — what you can build and when.
By-right ADUs in every residential district — Richmond legalized them city-wide in 2023.
Verify locally — rules are changing ahead of July 1, 2027. This page reflects our working understanding at publication. Always confirm with the City of Richmond zoning department before you design or file. We handle that verification as part of every Readiness Assessment.
Richmond in one screen.
- By-right in all residential districts since September 2023
- Size: 1/3 of the main dwelling's floor area, or 500 sf — whichever is greater
- No owner-occupancy or family-relation requirement
- Detached units require a new address and may take separate utility connections
Reading between the lines.
Richmond is, on paper, one of the friendliest ADU jurisdictions in Virginia. The September 2023 ordinance removed the district-by-district patchwork and made accessory dwelling units a by-right accessory use anywhere a single-family home is permitted.
The size rule is unusually workable: one-third of the main house's floor area, or 500 sq ft, whichever is greater. On a typical Fan or Northside lot with a 1,400 sq ft house, that floor is what makes a real one-bedroom cottage possible rather than a glorified shed.
The friction in Richmond is physical, not regulatory — narrow lots, alley access, older sewer laterals, and Old & Historic District review where applicable. Adding an ADU also reclassifies the property for certificate-of-occupancy purposes, and a detached unit gets its own street address.
Richmond answers.
Can I build a backyard ADU in Richmond, VA?
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Yes. Since ORD. 2023-196 took effect in September 2023, accessory dwelling units — attached or detached — are permitted by-right in all Richmond residential zoning districts.
How big can a Richmond ADU be?
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One-third of the floor area of the main single-family dwelling, or 500 sq ft, whichever is greater. The 500 sq ft floor is what makes ADUs viable behind smaller homes.
Does Richmond require owner-occupancy for an ADU?
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No. Richmond's ordinance does not impose an owner-occupancy requirement or a family-relation restriction on ADU occupants.
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