If you've been thinking about adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to your property, you might be wondering, "Just where can I put it on my lot?" That's an obvious question with a not-so-obvious answer - especially in Pennsylvania. Fear not, though, because I'm going to do my best in the words that follow to give you some guidance on what you can do to start planning an additional cottage on your property.
1. Zoning
First things first. You need to know if your municipality (governing body) will allow ADU's. Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth comprised of hundreds of municipalities across the state. And each one acts as its own government - with individual Zoning Codes. Some municipalities are more formal than others - so - even finding the Zoning Codes can be tricky (even in the world where everything seems to be online).
- I'd suggest first checking online - using a search like "Zoning Code for [insert municipality and state here]." It's a great and easy first step - especially if the Code does exist online. It'll have you diving into the details of your local government and getting your hands dirty to start understanding that there are guidelines and rules to follow for different parts of your municipality (or town, city, Borough, etc.). If not online - you will probably need to call or visit your local office to see what they have in place. Keep this Zoning Code handy for the following steps.
- Once you have the Zoning Code for your local area, you'll also want to see if there is a Zoning Map online. If the Code is online, there's a really good chance that the Map will be online, too. This Zoning Map will show the streets and roads of your Municipality - and - it's typically color-coded to show which Zoning Codes apply to which streets/properties. Find your property on that map and note the Zoning that applies to your property.
- Refer back to your Zoning Code (from Step 1) and look for the section that provides detail for your Specific property Zoning Classification. This is where you'll start to really get your hands dirty and dig in. Now, this can be confusing, as there are typically charts and rules (and asterisks that talk about other rules and other zoning requirements). However, if you take it one step at a time, you can likely figure out if an ADU is allowed - and - if so, where you can place this on your lot.
Overwhelmed by this? It can be a lot. And some people don't like digging into the details. If that's the case, it's something we do for you after our initial consultation.
2. Setbacks
If you've reviewed your Zoning Code and Zoning Map and you've discovered that ADU's ARE allowed for your property, the next thing you'll want to know are the required setbacks on your lot. If you haven't heard the term "setbacks" before, these are minimum distances that one must adhere to when building any type of building. An ADU typically follows the same setback requirements of the principal house on the property.
The best way to see what I'm talking about is to see an actual example!
Take a look at the property plan to the right (known as a plot plan). The outermost dimensions (65' x 120') represent the entire property. The lines on this plot plan are represented by a long dash/short dash. So - we know that this particular property is 65' wide by 120' Deep.
Zoning Code doesn't always let you build right up to the property line (Why? Have you ever heard of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow? If not - that's your homework.) So - we show the setbacks on this plot plan as a series of consistent shorter lines. These represent the area in which we're allowed to build under the Zoning Code for this specific Municipality.
If you look a little bit to the right of the "Existing Driveway," you'll see the number "25." This tells us that we need to be 25 feet off of the front property line for any building. And you can see the Existing House is beyond that line.
This particular property also requires that you don't build any closer than 5 foot from each side of the property. So, you'll see "5'" marked along both the left and the right sides.
Now, I happen to know that this property has a matching 25' setback from the rear property line, too. The actual distance is not indicated on this plot plan, but you can see the dotted line for this rear setback right above the words "Proposed ADU Structure."
Speaking of that Proposed ADU Structure, note that it is beyond the setback lines for this property. Technically, the ADU could have likely been placed most anywhere within that dotted setback line area. In this case, we just happened to place it behind the existing driveway for really easy access to the ADU.
Figure out your setbacks, and you'll be able to start planning your ADU location, too.
If you've found the Zoning Classification for your property and have found that an Accessory Dwelling Unit is allowed, and you've found your building setbacks, you're well on your way to moving forward with an ADU. I've oversimplified the process here, because there are likely a few other things you'll need to figure out (things like "Impervious Coverage"), but I don't want to overwhelm you with too much in one article. There will be plenty of time to explain this in the future.
In the meantime, happy planning!
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