ADUs Decisions in San Francisco
How adus requests are decided across San Francisco, CA council meetings, the vote and the conditions on the record
ADUs is one of the most actively tracked zoning topics in San Francisco, CA. ZoneWire has analyzed 16 council meetings and detected 104 instances of adus activity. Below are the most recent discussions.
What is Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
A secondary, smaller residential unit on the same lot as a primary dwelling, such as a backyard cottage or garage apartment.
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary housing unit located on the same parcel as a primary single-family residence. ADUs go by many names - granny flats, in-law suites, backyard cottages, garage apartments, or casitas - but they all share the common characteristic of being smaller, subordinate residential units that share a lot with the main house.
Read full definitionADUs in San Francisco, CA
A secondary, smaller residential unit on the same lot as a primary dwelling, such as a backyard cottage or garage apartment. In San Francisco, CA, local government bodies regularly discuss adus as part of zoning and land use decisions.
ZoneWire has analyzed 16 meetings in San Francisco and detected 104 mentions of adus, an average of 6.5 mentions per meeting.
No material zoning changes in San Francisco in the last 30 days. We monitor every San Francisco, CA meeting and surface new opportunities here as they happen.
Recent ADUs meetings in San Francisco
Board of Appeals - 2026-07-15
CompletedPlanning Commission - 2026-05-28
CompletedPlanning Commission - 2026-04-16
CompletedBoard of Supervisors - 2026-04-07
CompletedPlanning Commission - 2026-02-12
CompletedWhy Track ADUs?
ADU policy has become one of the most active areas of zoning reform nationwide. States like California, Oregon, and Washington have passed legislation overriding local restrictions on ADUs, making them a by-right use in most residential zones. Common regulatory changes include eliminating owner-occupancy requirements, reducing parking mandates, and allowing ADUs on any residential lot.
ADUs Regulations in California
California sets the regulatory framework that governs how adus decisions are made at the county and municipal level. State statutes define zoning authority, hearing requirements, and appeal processes that directly affect adus outcomes in San Francisco.
View all California zoning activityEvery ADUs decision in San Francisco
See how every adus request in San Francisco was decided: the vote, the conditions attached, and how it moved through its hearings.
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ADUs in Other Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary housing unit located on the same parcel as a primary single-family residence. ADUs go by many names - granny flats, in-law suites, backyard cottages, garage apartments, or casitas - but they all share the common characteristic of being smaller, subordinate residential units that share a lot with the main house. ZoneWire tracks adus activity across San Francisco, CA public meetings.
ZoneWire monitors San Francisco, CA planning and council meetings, transcribes them, and flags adus activity. As of the latest update we have analyzed 16 meetings and detected 104 adus mentions.
Tracking adus in San Francisco surfaces zoning and development signals early, so developers, investors, and brokers can evaluate parcels and approvals before they reach the broader market.
The San Francisco Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors, and Zoning Administrator are all tracked by ZoneWire for CUA (Conditional Use Authorization) applications, discretionary review requests, 309 exceptions, housing density bonus projects, and rezoning across all San Francisco neighborhoods.
San Francisco has approximately 10 zoning-related meetings per month across the Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors, and various hearing bodies. The Planning Commission meets weekly, while the Board of Supervisors meets twice per month.
A CUA (Conditional Use Authorization) is a San Francisco planning approval required for certain uses or developments that are not permitted as of right in a given zoning district. CUAs are heard by the Planning Commission and are a key signal for new restaurants, bars, large retail, and residential projects in neighborhoods like the Mission and SoMa.
The highest volume of zoning activity in San Francisco occurs in SoMa for large mixed-use and residential towers, the Mission District for CUA and discretionary review applications, the Western Addition and Tenderloin for density bonus projects, and the Sunset and Richmond districts for ADU and housing production.
Key zoning terms for San Francisco include CUA (Conditional Use Authorization), discretionary review, 309 exception, housing density bonus, SUD (Special Use District), PUD (Planned Unit Development), office allocation, and large project authorization. ZoneWire tracks all of these automatically across every San Francisco governing body.
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Know how adus requests get decided in San Francisco, CA
Get the vote, the conditions, and how each adus request was decided, the day it lands.
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What gets approved in San Francisco
In San Francisco, 82% of land-use board decisions were approved over the last 24 months. Commercial / office / retail clear 89%, Special exception / conditional use 73%. ZoneWire analyzed 199 land-use board decisions in San Francisco over the last 24 months. Here are the most active project types and how often each one clears.
| Project type | Decisions | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial / office / retail | 53 | 89% |
| Special exception / conditional use | 40 | 73% |
| Single-family homes | 25 | 96% |
| Land use / comp-plan amendment | 24 | 88% |
| Variance | 15 | 47% |
| Multifamily / attached housing | 13 | 92% |
| Industrial / warehouse | 7 | 86% |
| Mixed-use | 7 | 57% |
11 decisions that went against the odds
These are the denials and deferrals in categories that usually sail through, the deals worth understanding before you commit capital.
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