ADU Approval in Campbell: How One-Week Permits Work

Last month, the City of Campbell launched a "streamlined permit process" for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), or what some call in-law units. A permitting process that used to take two to three months now takes a week or less for qualified projects in Campbell. This is now the fastest ADU approval timeline in Santa Clara County.  

So, what are the qualifications for the fast track? The city is currently accepting two applications per week for ADUs under 800 sq ft, on properties that aren't historic, don’t have code violations, and are NOT located in certain neighborhoods like Campbell Village or San Tomas.

They’ve made this possible by assigning dedicated planners just to ADU projects. It's a smart move in a city where land is tight, and homeowners are looking for ways to expand living space—whether for family, rental income, or future flexibility.

Another helpful resource: there’s now a shared ADU plans gallery available through the Community Planning Collaborative. These are pre-approved designs available to homeowners across 10 local cities. This is actually a HUGE step as in the past some cities kept these plans under lock and key, even making it hard on some homeowners to look into past plans and permits of their own homes. 

This is a great example of a local government cutting red tape to meet housing demand in a realistic, homeowner-friendly way.

Pretty cool stuff! Sometimes I feel like housing and permit bureaucracy is there just to make us feel like the government is doing their job. I'm sure that's an overgeneralization, but it's nice to see easy housing like this streamlined!