Compare ADU zoning rules across 2 Georgia cities. Average ADU score: 6.0/10.
Gathered from the 2 cities below, with the bill or ordinance each one names. Statewide measures are listed once with the cities they reached, rather than repeated for each.
Statewide law sets a floor; the numbers that decide your project are local. Here is the spread across the 2 Georgia cities covered here, taken from each city's own ordinance rather than a state summary.
| Question | Across Georgia |
|---|---|
| Are ADUs permitted? | 2 of 2 permit them. |
| Detached size cap | Median 700 sq ft, from 600 to 700 sq ft across the 2 cities publishing a numeric cap. |
| Owner-occupancy | Required in none of them. |
| Build cost | $120,000 to $260,000 depending on city and unit type. |
| Easiest and hardest here | Atlanta scores 6/10; Savannah scores 6/10. |
Recomputed whenever a city page changes, so this and the city pages below cannot disagree.
| City | Max Size | Setbacks | Permit Fees | Build Cost | 1BR Rent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 750 sq ft or less (definition, Sec. 16-29.001(12)(a)7). Two further caps apply to any accessory building in R-1 through R-5 (Sec. 16-28.004(3)): gross floor area no more than 30% of the main house's floor area, counting garage and unconditioned space in the ADU, and footprint no more than 25% of the rear yard. A 2,000 sq ft house therefore allows a 600 sq ft ADU, not 750. | R-5: 4 ft (Sec. 16-07.008(3), ADU exception). R-4 and R-4A: 15 ft, the district rear yard with no ADU exception (Sec. 16-06.008(3), 16-06A.008(3)); a Board of Zoning Adjustment variance ($100 filing fee) is the only way to go closer. | $1,700-$2,750 for a $150,000-$300,000 ADU: building permit $7 per $1,000 of construction cost (minimum $150) plus a $25 technology fee, three trade permits at $150 plus $25 each, and a $100 certificate of occupancy (Department of City Planning fee tables, checked Sept 2026). | $120,000-$240,000 | $1,300-$1,750/mo | 6/10 |
| Savannah | Footprint capped at 40% of the principal dwelling's footprint, not to exceed 700 sq ft; in A-1, RSF-E, RSF-30 and RSF-20 the cap is 40% or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is less (Sec. 8.7.4.d). Footprint is measured at finished grade inside the exterior walls (Sec. 13.3), so second-storey floor area is not capped. No minimum floor area since May 2023: the unit must meet the building code (2018 IRC). Maximum one bedroom; variable through the Zoning Board of Appeals ($620). | Detached ADU: 5 ft; 3 ft where the lot abuts a lane; none where the district sets no rear setback for the principal building (Sec. 8.7.4.a.iii). Portions over 15 ft tall need 15 ft from a rear line without a lane. An attached ADU uses the principal dwelling's rear setback (RSF-6 and RSF-5: 20 ft). | 2026 Revenue Ordinance, Art. P: valuation = floor area x $80/sq ft; permit = $8 per $1,000 of the first $5,000, $4 per $1,000 to $10,000, $2 per $1,000 above, plus $75 plan review (valuation under $75,000). A new 700 sq ft ADU is about $230; a conversion within the existing footprint is a flat $200. | $130,000-$260,000 | $1,300-$1,800/mo | 6/10 |
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