ADU Resources & Finance Tools

Incentives

Building an ADU is a major expense, so the City will offer incentives to help. These incentives, or benefits, assist homeowners in financing and building ADUs. Homeowners can apply by contacting Neighborhood & Housing Services staff, and the City will provide incentives based on their eligibility. More information on these incentives will be available in Fall 2024.

 

Glossary of Common ADU Terms

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

A smaller residence on the same property as a larger, main house.

Affidavit

A written statement from a person that they sign and swear is correct.

Area Median In (AMI)

The middle or “median” income for an area, such as a city. Your household income is how much money you and everyone in your household makes in a year.

Attached ADU

An ADU that connects to the main house, such as a garage apartment.

Certificate of Occupancy

A document that says your building meets all City code requirements. You get this when all required inspections for your project are complete.

Covenant

An agreement between two parties (such as between you and Bexar County).

Detached ADU

An ADU that is a stand-alone unit separate from the main house. Sometimes called an Accessory Detached Dwelling Unit or ADDU.

Incentive

A way to encourage something like ADU development. One City incentive is fee waivers, which lessen the amount of fees you have to pay for a permit.

Owner Occupancy

The requirement that the property owner lives on the property (either in the main house or in the ADU).

Permit Application

A request for a permit. You usually need a permit if you want to build, remodel, repair, or demolish a structure on your property.

Permitting Fees

Fees that are required as part of your permit application. Some fees can be waived if you qualify for incentives.

Prefabricated ADU

An ADU that is produced and assembled before it is put on a property. For more information on whether you can use a prefabricated ADU, please contact the Development Services Department at 210-207-1111.

Redline Comments

Notes from a reviewer saying what edits should be made to a document.

Residential Building

A structure built for one or more people to live in, like a house or a duplex.

Setbacks

The minimum distance a building can be from the front, side, and rear property line. A five-foot (5’) rear setback means that a building cannot be built within five (5) feet of the rear property line.

Unified Development Code (UDC)

The City of San Antonio's standards and procedures for new development within the city.

Zoning

The legal use of the land. Zoning says what you can build on a property and what development standards (such as height and size) you must follow. For example, a property zoned "single-family residential use" can have one house and one ADU if it meets all code requirements.