ADUs are allowed in SurpriseTypes:DetachedInternal
Types:DetachedInternal
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Surprise, AZ
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
# of Properties
70,179
Owner-occupied
71%
Zoning districts
24
Avg Home Value
$376,122
Median Lot Size
0.15 acres
Avg Income
$101,807
Residential Types:
70,179 housing units
Other
100%
Zoning Districts:
83,951 parcels · 24 districts
PAD
87%(72,622)
R-1
5%(4,215)
R-2
4%(3,282)
RR
2%(1,873)
Other
2%(1,959)
ADU Rules
What can you build in Surprise, AZ?
Surprise, 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 cap of 1,000 sq ft
- –Maximum internal ADU size: 75% of the gross floor area of the existing single-family dwelling
Detached ADU Size Limits
- –Detached ADU maximum size is 75% of the gross floor area of the existing single-family dwelling.
- –Detached ADU maximum size is 1,000 sq ft.
Max Units
- –Single-family lots under 1 acre: 1 attached + 1 detached ADU per lot.
- –Single-family lots 1 acre or more: 1 attached + 1 detached per lot; or 1 attached + 2 detached if at least one ADU is a restricted-affordable dwelling unit.
- –Duplex or multifamily lots: 0 ADUs permitted on the same lot.
Owner Occupancy
- –No owner-occupancy requirement.
Parking
- –0 spaces required for ADU; parking waiver; not required on tribal land or near military/general aviation/public airports; no in-lieu parking fee.
Rental Restrictions
- –Restricted-affordable ADUs: HUD rent cap; shall not be rented to any entity; must be leased to qualified occupants with required marketing; no lease extension if occupant becomes over-income; annual compliance reporting.
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.
Maricopa County