ADUs are allowed in BisbeeTypes:DetachedInternal
Types:DetachedInternal
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Bisbee, AZ
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
# of Properties
3,170
Owner-occupied
43%
Zoning districts
20
Avg Home Value
$154,744
Median Lot Size
1.00 acres
Avg Income
$50,392
Residential Types:
3,170 housing units
Single Family
25%
Other
75%
Zoning Districts:
4,409 parcels · 20 districts
R-1
80%(3,522)
C-1
4%(197)
RM
4%(176)
CM-2
3%(152)
Other
8%(362)
ADU Rules
What can you build in Bisbee, AZ?
Bisbee, AZ follows state and local rules for Accessory Dwelling Units. Here is a concise overview of the local rules.
Eligibility
- –Internal / Attached ADU: By Right
- –Detached ADU: By Right
Interior / Attached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum internal ADU size is 40% of the primary residence gross floor area (within existing primary residence).
Detached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum size of 600 sq ft for a detached ADU (backyard cottage).
Max Units
- –1 ADU per lot (all residential districts)
Owner Occupancy
- –Owner-occupancy is not required.
Parking
- –1 space per ADU if 1,000 sq ft or less; 2 spaces per ADU if more than 1,000 sq ft; exceptions: HPOZ exemptions when parking is not feasible; on Arizona Street, on-street spaces may count; lots existing at ordinance adoption exempt if they cannot meet parking; feasibility determined by Zoning Inspector.
Rental Restrictions
- –Rentals allowed only after Certificate of Occupancy; if rented, minimum rental term of 30 days; short-term rentals under 30 days prohibited.
ADU State Law
What can you build in Arizona?
- –ADUs must be allowed as a permitted use wherever single-family dwellings are allowed.
- –Must allow at least 2 ADUs per lot (1 attached + 1 detached). A third detached ADU must be allowed if the lot is ≥ 1 acre and one ADU is restricted-affordable (≤ 80% Area Median Income).
- –ADU rules cannot be more restrictive than single-family rules in the same zoning area for height, setbacks, lot size, lot coverage, and building frontage; and side/rear setbacks cannot exceed 5 feet.
- –The city cannot require additional parking (or fees in lieu of parking).
- –The city cannot prohibit separately leased long-term rentals (≥ 90 days or month-to-month) for either the primary home or the ADU; local short-term rental rules may still apply.
- –The city cannot require the ADU to match exterior design, roof pitch, or finishing materials of the primary home.
- –The city cannot require public street improvements as a condition of allowing an ADU, except to repair or reconstruct a street disturbed by ADU construction.
- –The city cannot require a restrictive covenant as a condition of approving an ADU.
- –ADUs cannot be built over a public utility easement without written utility consent; building, fire, and health codes still apply, but the city cannot require commercial code or sprinklers solely because it is an ADU.
- –Private restrictions may still apply (HOAs, deed restrictions, and other private covenants between parties).
- –Backstop rule: If the municipality failed to adopt the required ADU regulations by January 1, 2025, ADUs are allowed on residential lots in that municipality without limits.
- –In municipalities with population ≤ 75,000, in unincorporated county areas, and on the statute's exempt lands (tribal; defined military vicinity; defined airport vicinity with >65 dB), there is no state ADU override. ADUs depend on local rules.
- –Private deed restrictions and HOA covenants may still limit ADUs, and the statute does not eliminate those private covenants (it mainly limits what a municipality can require or condition).
What's allowed on your lot?
These are the municipality-wide rules. What's allowed on a specific property also depends on state laws, setbacks, floor area ratio, lot coverage, environmental constraints, topography, and other property-specific factors. Search your address on FutureLot to see what's allowed on your property.
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ADU rules in other Arizona municipalities
Rules change at the town line. Check the municipality your property is actually in.
Cochise County