Buckeye treats an accessory dwelling unit as a permitted accessory use in every residential district under Development Code §3.3.4.A — one attached plus one detached per lot, 5-foot rear and side setbacks, no parking requirement, no separate utility meter unless the utility insists, and a size limit of 75% of the house's gross floor area. The city has also published three pre-approved casita plans at 200, 600 and 1,000 sq ft that skip most of plan review. Buckeye's rule is unusual in two ways: a duplex lot may also add one ADU, and the code sets no flat 1,000 sq ft ceiling, so on a large house the 75% rule allows a bigger casita than most Valley cities.
In Buckeye you will also hear an ADU called a casita — Arizona's ADU statute (A.R.S. §9-461.18) and most local codes use it. The rules on this page apply either way.
Zoning & Size Requirements [1][2]
Yes — Buckeye allows ADUs. A detached ADU can typically be up to 1,000 sq ft under current Arizona and Buckeye zoning rules.
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| Allowed Zones | An accessory use to a principal residential use in every zoning district listed in Table 3.1-1, Table of Allowed Uses (Buckeye Development Code §3.3.4.A.1) — the table marks 'Accessory Dwelling Unit' as permitted (P) across the residential districts from AG and R1-43 through R1-6, R1-3, R1-1, MF-1, MF-2 and MH and in the mixed-use districts, keyed to §3.3.4.A; ADUs are also allowed in the obsolete districts that allow single-family dwellings |
| Max Size (Detached) | 75% of the gross floor area of the single-family dwelling on the same lot (Development Code §3.3.4.A.4). The code sets no separate 1,000 sq ft ceiling, so a 2,000 sq ft house allows a 1,500 sq ft ADU — and the three city pre-approved casita plans run 200, 600 and 1,000 sq ft |
| Max Size (Attached) | Same rule — 75% of the house's gross floor area (§3.3.4.A.4) |
| Max Size (JADU) | Not a category in Arizona — Buckeye's Development Code has no junior ADU designation |
| Max Height | The building height of the zoning district, since an ADU follows the site and building standards for principal dwellings in its district (§3.3.4.A.2): 35 feet in AG, R1-43, R1-18, R1-10 and R1-6; 45 feet in R1-3 and R1-1; 40 feet in MF-1; 30 feet in MH (Table 4.1-1, Dimensional Standards — Rural and Residential Districts) |
| Max Units | 2 per single-family lot — one attached plus one detached ADU (§3.3.4.A.3.a). A lot developed as a duplex is permitted one ADU (§3.3.4.A.3.b). On a lot of 1 acre or more: at least one additional detached ADU if at least one ADU is a restricted-affordable unit, deed-restricted with proof provided as a condition of the building permit (§3.3.4.A.3.c) |
Setback Requirements [1][2]
Buckeye requires a rear setback of about 5 ft for a detached ADU, and no additional parking is required. Owner-occupancy is not required — you can rent it out without living on the property.
| Rear Setback | 5 feet from the property line — the ADU exception to the district's principal-dwelling setback (§3.3.4.A.2), which otherwise runs 20 to 40 feet in the R1 districts (Table 4.1-1); state law caps what the city may require at 5 feet (A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(6)) |
| Side Setback | 5 feet from the property line (§3.3.4.A.2) — the state-law ceiling |
| Front Setback | The district's front setback for a principal dwelling (§3.3.4.A.2; Table 4.1-1): 40 feet in AG and R1-43, 25 feet in R1-18, 20 feet in R1-10, 12 feet in R1-6 and R1-3, 0 in R1-1, and 40 feet everywhere for a front-loaded garage in the larger districts |
| Parking Required | None — 'Parking for vehicles is not required for an ADU' (§3.3.4.A.7; A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(3)) |
| Owner Occupancy | Not required — §3.3.4.A is silent on occupancy and rental terms, and under state law Buckeye may not prohibit leasing or advertising either the house or the ADU as separate long-term rental housing, nor require any familial or other relationship between occupants (A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(1)-(2)) |
| Min Lot Size | No ADU-specific minimum lot size — the district's lot coverage limit is the practical constraint, and ADUs are exempt from the district's maximum residential density (§3.3.4.A.6). A lot of 1 acre or more unlocks a third unit |
Permit Process & Fees [3][4][5]
An ADU permit in Buckeye goes through a ministerial, by-right review. Confirm with Buckeye Development Services — no published ADU review timeline found in a city source; pre-approved plans are designed to shorten review. Permit fees: Building permit fees apply (Building Permit Application, revised July 22, 2026; a Permit and Impact Fee Request Form is available) — confirm current amounts with the Buckeye Permit Center.
| Approval Process | A building permit through Buckeye's Permit Portal, reviewed by Development Services; by-right as a permitted accessory use, with no hearing or conditional use permit (§3.3.4.A). If you use one of the city's three pre-approved casita plans, name the plan on the application — the plans cannot be used where the geotechnical report needs a different foundation, where any change to the plans is wanted, where the structure does not meet setbacks, in a flood hazard area, or where the ADU would exceed 75% of the house |
| Review Timeline | Confirm with Buckeye Development Services — no published ADU review timeline found in a city source; pre-approved plans are designed to shorten review |
| Permit Fees | Building permit fees apply (Building Permit Application, revised July 22, 2026; a Permit and Impact Fee Request Form is available) — confirm current amounts with the Buckeye Permit Center |
| Impact Fees | Yes — Buckeye's development impact fees were re-adopted by Resolution 04-25 on February 18, 2025 and took effect on May 5, 2025 (Finance → Impact Fees; amounts in the 2025 Development Fee Report). How they apply to an ADU is not stated on the page — ask the Permit Center for an estimate before budgeting |
| Plan Check | Full plan review under Buckeye's building and fire codes. The ADU is not required to have separate utility services unless the public utility determines a separate meter is needed for safety (§3.3.4.A.5). State law bars a commercial building code or a fire-sprinkler requirement for an ADU (A.R.S. §9-461.18(D)) |
| Pre-Approved Plans | Yes — three pre-approved ADU plans: Buckeye Casita 200, Saguaro Casita 600 and Sonoran Casita 1000 (square feet), each with three elevations and a floor plan, under the city's Pre-Approved Housing and ADU Design Plan Program (Building Safety); three house plans at 1,200, 1,600 and 2,000 sq ft sit alongside them |
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Construction Costs [6]
Building an ADU in Buckeye typically costs $120,000-$245,000 ($145-$270 per sq ft); a garage conversion runs $55,000-$135,000.
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| Average Build Cost | $120,000-$245,000 |
| Cost per Sq Ft | $145-$270 |
| Garage Conversion | $55,000-$135,000 |
| Prefab ADU (Installed) | $85,000-$200,000 |
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Rental Income Potential [7][8]
A 2-bedroom ADU in Buckeye rents for around $1,550-$1,950/mo, an estimated 6-9% annual return.
| Avg Rent (1 Bedroom) | $1,200-$1,550/mo |
| Avg Rent (2 Bedroom) | $1,550-$1,950/mo |
| Short-Term Rental | Confirm with the City of Buckeye — §3.3.4.A does not address short-term rental of an ADU, and Arizona limits how far cities may restrict vacation rentals (A.R.S. §9-500.39). What state law does guarantee is the long-term side: Buckeye cannot prohibit leasing the house or the ADU separately on a 90-day-or-longer or month-to-month basis (A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(1), (I)(3)) |
| Est. Annual ROI | 6-9% annual return |
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Recent Law Changes
What's Changed Recently
- Development Code §3.3.4.A (Accessory Dwelling Units) and the ADU line in Table 3.1-1 carry the history note Ord. No. 28-25, §3, October 21, 2025 — the current text tracks A.R.S. §9-461.18's minimums on unit count, setbacks and parking
- Arizona HB 2720, codified at A.R.S. §9-461.18, requires every municipality over 75,000 people to allow at least one attached and one detached ADU as a permitted use wherever single-family homes are allowed — Buckeye's population of about 114,300 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 estimate), up from 91,500 in 2020, puts it inside the mandate
- State law bars the city from requiring extra parking or in-lieu fees, exterior design matching, a city-imposed restrictive covenant, or rear/side setbacks over 5 feet (A.R.S. §9-461.18(B))
- Buckeye published three pre-approved casita plans (200, 600 and 1,000 sq ft) under its Pre-Approved Housing and ADU Design Plan Program, adopted pursuant to Arizona's pre-approved plan law (A.R.S. §9-461.20)
- Development impact fees were re-adopted by Resolution 04-25 (February 18, 2025) and took effect May 5, 2025
Tips for Building an ADU in Buckeye
- Start with the pre-approved plans: the Saguaro Casita 600 or Sonoran Casita 1000 skip most of plan review if your lot meets setbacks, is outside a flood hazard area and the unit stays under 75% of the house — and any deviation from the drawings voids the pre-approval
- Do the 75% arithmetic: Buckeye's only size rule is 75% of the house's gross floor area, so a 1,400 sq ft house allows 1,050 sq ft — more than the 1,000 sq ft ceiling in neighbouring cities — while a 1,000 sq ft house allows only 750
- No second meter unless the utility demands one (§3.3.4.A.5) — that saves the water-tap and meter costs that Glendale, for instance, requires
- The 5-foot rear and side setback is the ADU exception; the district's normal rear setback is 20 to 40 feet, so ask for the §3.3.4.A.2 exception explicitly at plan review
- A duplex lot can add an ADU here (§3.3.4.A.3.b) — rare in Arizona; most cities bar ADUs on any multi-unit lot
- Budget for impact fees before you commit: the 2025 schedule took effect May 5, 2025, and the Permit Center will run a Permit and Impact Fee Request for you
- Wheels are out: mobile homes, industrialized housing, RVs, travel trailers and any other transportable structure cannot be an ADU (§3.3.4.A.2)
ADU Builders in Buckeye
Looking for an ADU builder in Buckeye? ADU projects need a contractor experienced with local zoning, the permit process, and utility connections — not every general contractor has built one. We match Buckeye homeowners with experienced local ADU contractors who provide free, no-obligation quotes. Getting at least three bids typically saves 20-40% on the same scope.
Sources & References
All data on this page is sourced from official government records and verified market data. View our full methodology.
- Buckeye Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7 Development Code — §3.3.4.A Accessory Dwelling Units, Table 3.1-1 Table of Allowed Uses, Table 4.1-1 Dimensional Standards (Ord. No. 28-25, 10-21-2025) Municipal Code — Accessed 2026-09-06
- A.R.S. §9-461.18 — Accessory dwelling units; regulation; applicability; definitions state_statute — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Pre-Approved Housing Design and Accessory Dwelling Units — City of Buckeye Building Safety Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Impact Fees — City of Buckeye Finance (Resolution 04-25; fees effective May 5, 2025) government — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Permit Center References — City of Buckeye (Building Permit Application rev. 7/22/2026; Permit and Impact Fee Request Form) Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Angi — ADU Construction Cost Data (same source and access as the Peoria entry; West Valley ranges applied) Market Data — Accessed 2026-09-01
- RentCafe — Average Rent in Buckeye, AZ (updated August 31, 2026: 1BR $1,368, 2BR $1,747; city average $1,822) Market Data — Accessed 2026-09-06
- U.S. Census Bureau — Vintage 2024 Population Estimates, sub-est2024.csv (Buckeye city, AZ: 114,334) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-06
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