These rules apply to UNINCORPORATED Clark County - most of the Las Vegas Valley, including Enterprise, Spring Valley, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Whitney and Winchester, which are unincorporated towns, not part of the City of Las Vegas. Title 30 calls an ADU an 'Accessory Living Quarters' (ALQ) and allows one per lot as an accessory use to a single-family home in every RS district (Table 30.03-1, standards in 30.03.03); the 30.07.02 definition expressly includes cooking areas and 'rental for occupancy by others'. Since Ordinance 5349 took effect on March 5, 2026 (the county's 2025-session/AB 396 update) the only lot rule is 4,000 sq ft or more and not in a manufactured or tiny-home park, and because that sentence is no longer marked 'shall not be waived', a smaller lot can now ask for a Special Use Permit. Size is capped at 75% of the home's habitable floor area on lots under 10,000 sq ft (not waivable) and 100% on lots of 10,000 sq ft or more or in the Nonurban Area; a detached casita uses the RS district's accessory setbacks (5 ft side and rear, 6 ft from the house) and accessory height (14 ft in RS10 through RS2, 25 ft in RS80 through RS20). Approval is a building permit with a 14-day first-review goal - no hearing, no owner-occupancy rule, one parking space.
Zoning & Size Requirements [1][2][3]
Yes — unincorporated Clark County allows ADUs. The size limit is a formula rather than one figure — see the size rule in the table below — under Nevada state law and the County's zoning code.
See what this means for your lot — ask Clark County ADU builders for a quote →
| Where ADUs Are Allowed | By right (no Special Use Permit) as an accessory use - 'A' in Table 30.03-1, as amended by Ord. 5349 eff. March 5, 2026 - in RS80, RS40, RS20, RS10, RS5.2, RS3.3, RS2 and RM18, plus CR, AG and OS, always in conjunction with a single-family residence (30.03.03). Not allowed in a manufactured or tiny-home park or on a lot under 4,000 sq ft; because Ord. 5349 dropped that rule's 'shall not be waived or varied' tag, 30.03.01B.5 lets such a lot apply for a Special Use Permit (UC) |
| Max Size (Detached) | 75% of the habitable gross floor area of the primary dwelling on lots under 10,000 sq ft (30.03.03 ii(b): 'shall not be waived or varied'); 100% of the primary dwelling's gross floor area on lots of 10,000 sq ft or more or anywhere in the Nonurban Area (ii(c)). Must have a similar roof line and complementary colors and building materials to the main house (ii(d)); a recreational vehicle cannot serve as the unit (ii(e)) |
| Max Size (Attached) | Same 75% / 100% formula - the 30.07.02 definition covers a unit 'in a portion of the primary dwelling without interior access' as well as a separate structure, so an attached casita with its own entrance qualifies; 'cooking areas' are part of the definition, so a kitchen is allowed |
| Max Size (JADU) | No junior-ADU category in Title 30 - one Accessory Living Quarters per lot or parcel (30.03.03 i(b)); space with interior access to the house is simply part of the house, not an ALQ |
| Max Height | Accessory-structure height from the RS district tables (30.02.02-30.02.08): 14 ft in RS10, RS5.2, RS3.3 and RS2 (the common valley lots); 25 ft, or up to the primary structure's built height if greater, in RS80, RS40 and RS20. An attached unit is part of the primary structure (35 ft) |
| Max Units | One Accessory Living Quarters per lot or parcel, in conjunction with a single-family residence (30.03.03 i); by definition it is not counted as an additional dwelling unit for density (30.07.02). |
Setback & Parking Requirements [1][2][3]
Unincorporated Clark County requires a rear setback of about 5 ft for a detached ADU, and one off-street parking space is required. Owner-occupancy is not required — you can rent it out without living on the property.
| Rear Setback | 5 ft for an accessory structure in every RS district (the rear 'primary / accessory' entry in 30.02.02-30.02.08, e.g. 20 / 5 in RS5.2, 15 / 5 in RS3.3 and RS2, 25 / 5 in RS10) |
| Side Setback | 5 ft interior side for an accessory structure in every RS district; street side 10 ft; 6 ft building separation between the casita and the house (RS district tables, 30.02.02-30.02.08) |
| Front Setback | The district front setback applies - 20 ft in RS5.2, RS3.3 and RS2, 30 ft in RS10, 40 ft in RS80-RS20 (RS20: 20 ft on a private street) - so a detached casita sits behind the front plane, in the side or rear yard; a front-yard accessory structure must match the house's colors and materials (30.04.05D) |
| Parking Required | 1 space per Accessory Living Quarters (Table 30.04-2), on top of the 2 spaces required for the single-family dwelling; Ord. 5349 left this row unchanged and it is the most Nevada's AB 396 lets the county require |
| Owner Occupancy | Not required - the 30.07.02 definition of Accessory Living Quarters includes 'rental for occupancy by others', and neither 30.03.03 nor Ord. 5349 adds an owner-occupancy condition; long-term rental to a tenant is allowed (short-term rental is a separate licence question, see below) |
| Min Lot Size | 4,000 sq ft (30.03.03 ii(a), as rewritten by Ord. 5349): Ord. 5349 deleted the old rule that the lot had to meet its zoning district's minimum area and deleted the 'shall not be waived or varied' sentence, so a lot under 4,000 sq ft (or in a manufactured/tiny-home park) can apply for a Special Use Permit with a public hearing instead of being barred outright |
Permit Process & Fees [4][5][6][7][8]
An ADU in unincorporated Clark County is approved administratively — no public hearing. Typical timeline: the county's published first-review goal of 14 days for 'Residential Minor' projects (a casita is neither a standard plan nor a custom home), then 10 days per correction cycle (Building & Fire Prevention Plan Review Timelines); a Special Use Permit adds hearing scheduling. Permit fees: valuation-based under Table 3-A (22.02.390): $537.05 + $2.934 per $1,000 over $100,000, plus 65% building plan review and 10% zoning plan review - about $1,200 on a $150,000 casita before trade permits; a Special Use Permit costs $500 + $500 mailed notice (Title 30 Fee Schedule eff. July 1, 2026).
| Approval Process | Building permit through Clark County Building & Fire Prevention (electronic submittal via Citizen Access) with zoning plan review - no land-use hearing on a lot of 4,000 sq ft or more. A lot under 4,000 sq ft or in a manufactured/tiny-home park needs a Special Use Permit (UC) through Comprehensive Planning first: mailed and posted notice, Planning Commission public hearing, 2 years to commence (30.06.05D) |
| Review Timeline | the county's published first-review goal of 14 days for 'Residential Minor' projects (a casita is neither a standard plan nor a custom home), then 10 days per correction cycle (Building & Fire Prevention Plan Review Timelines); a Special Use Permit adds hearing scheduling |
| Permit Fees | valuation-based under Table 3-A (22.02.390): $537.05 + $2.934 per $1,000 over $100,000, plus 65% building plan review and 10% zoning plan review - about $1,200 on a $150,000 casita before trade permits; a Special Use Permit costs $500 + $500 mailed notice (Title 30 Fee Schedule eff. July 1, 2026) |
| Impact Fees | Clark County Transportation Tax (Ch. 4.22) is $1,000 per new single-family dwelling unit and exempts expansion of an existing home; the park Residential Construction Tax (Ch. 19.05) is 1% of valuation up to $1,000 per unit but a lot that paid it when the house was built is exempt (19.05.110). Whether a detached casita is billed as a new unit is not stated - ask at fee work-up |
| Plan Check | Building plan review (65% of the permit fee) and zoning plan review (10%) run together; the zoning check enforces the 75% / 100% size cap, the 4,000 sq ft lot floor, the 5 ft accessory setbacks, the 14 ft or 25 ft accessory height and the roof-line, colour and materials match (30.03.03 ii(d)) |
| Pre-Approved Plans | No county pre-approved casita plan program as of September 2026 - the Building Department's 'Standard Plan' queue is for builders' repeat production plans, not a public catalogue |
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Construction Costs [9][10][11]
Building an ADU in unincorporated Clark County typically costs $110,000-$250,000 ($180-$330 per sq ft); a garage conversion runs $50,000-$120,000.
See what this means for your lot — ask Clark County ADU builders for a quote →
Construction costs in unincorporated Clark County track the surrounding metro market. Rural parcels can cost more because of septic, well, access and fire-hazard requirements, so treat these as planning ranges and get local bids.
| Average Build Cost | $110,000-$250,000 |
| Cost per Sq Ft | $180-$330 |
| Garage Conversion | $50,000-$120,000 |
| Prefab ADU (Installed) | $80,000-$180,000 |
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Rental Income Potential [12][13][14][15]
| Avg Rent (1 Bedroom) | $1,300-$1,950/mo |
| Avg Rent (2 Bedroom) | $1,550-$2,300/mo |
| Short-Term Rental | Not as a stand-alone STR: Ch. |
| Est. Annual ROI | 5-7% annual return on cost |
Recent Law Changes
What's Changed Recently
- June 2025: Nevada AB 396 (the 'casita law') signed - covered large cities and counties, Clark County among them, had to authorize ADUs on single-family lots by July 1, 2026, with kitchens allowed, at most 1 required parking space and long-term rental protected
- February 18, 2026: the Board adopted Ordinance 5349 (Bill 2-4-26-3, T30-26-900034), effective March 5, 2026 - rewrote 30.03.03 ii(a) so an Accessory Living Quarters is barred only in a manufactured/tiny-home park or on a lot under 4,000 sq ft, deleted the requirement that the lot meet its district's minimum area, and removed the 'shall not be waived or varied' tag (so a Special Use Permit is now possible); the 75% / 100% size formula, the 1-space parking row and the ALQ definition were left unchanged
- July 1, 2026: the City of Las Vegas adopted Ord. 6963 (its own ADU rules); Henderson and North Las Vegas parcels follow their own Title 19 / Title 17 codes - city parcels never use Title 30
- July 8 and September 2, 2026: further Title 30 amendments (effective July 23 and September 17, 2026) touched other uses only; the county's compiled Title 30 effective September 17, 2026 carries the ALQ text exactly as Ord. 5349 wrote it
Tips for Building an ADU in Unincorporated Clark County
- Enterprise, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Paradise, Whitney and Winchester are unincorporated towns - County Title 30 applies there, not City of Las Vegas rules (the Strip itself is in unincorporated Paradise); check your parcel's jurisdiction before designing
- Watch the 14 ft accessory height cap in RS10, RS5.2, RS3.3 and RS2 - the common valley districts - single-storey designs are the practical default; RS80-RS20 lots get 25 ft
- On a lot under 10,000 sq ft your casita is capped at 75% of the main home's habitable area, and 30.03.03 says that cap cannot be waived or varied; lots of 10,000 sq ft or more, or in the Nonurban Area, get 100%
- Your casita must have a similar roof line and complementary colours and materials to the house - budget for matching finishes - and an RV cannot be the unit
- Lot under 4,000 sq ft? Since March 5, 2026 a Special Use Permit is possible: $500 application + $500 mailed-notice fee, mailed and posted notice, Planning Commission hearing, and 2 years to start once approved
- Fee example: a $150,000 casita pays about $684 permit + $444 building plan review + $68 zoning review (Table 3-A) plus electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits; ask at fee work-up whether the $1,000 Transportation Tax and the park tax are charged on a detached unit
- Cost basis: Las Vegas Valley 2026 guides put a stick-built detached casita at $180-$300 per sq ft ($90,000-$180,000 for 400-700 sq ft), prefab at $140-$250 per sq ft installed and a garage conversion at $100-$180 per sq ft; the 75% / 100% rule lets county lots go larger than the City of Las Vegas's 50% cap, which sets the top of the range
- Rents: HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs for unincorporated ZIPs run from $1,340 (1BR) / $1,570 (2BR) in Paradise, Sunrise Manor and Whitney (89103, 89109, 89110, 89115, 89119-89122) to $1,970 / $2,320 in 89141 (Enterprise / Southern Highlands); Spring Valley 89147 is $1,670 / $1,960
- Cost basis (2026-09-20 re-verification): short term allowed: Not as a stand-alone STR: Ch. 7.100.160(d) counts casitas and guest quarters as bedrooms of the main residence, 7.100.160(c) allows only one booking per property at a time, a county STR licence is required (7.100.230) and the licence application window closed on Aug. 21, 2023 - so a new casita cannot be short-term rented on its own; 30-day-plus tenants are fine
ADU Builders in Clark County
Looking for an ADU builder in Clark County? ADU projects need a contractor experienced with local zoning, the permit process, and utility connections — not every general contractor has built one. We match Clark County 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.
Cities Within Clark County
If your property is inside one of these incorporated cities, follow that city's ADU code — not the County rules above:
Sources & References
All data on this page is sourced from official government records and verified market data. View our full methodology.
- Clark County Title 30 Unified Development Code, compiled through the Sept 2, 2026 amendment (effective Sept 17, 2026) - 30.03.03 Accessory Living Quarters standards and Table 30.03-1; 30.02.02-30.02.08 RS district setback/height tables; Table 30.04-2 parking; 30.07.02 definitions; 30.03.01B.5; 30.06.05D Special Use Permit Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Ordinance 5349 (Bill 2-4-26-3, ORD-26-900034 / T30-26-900034) - Board agenda item and strike-through text, Section 3 (30.03.03 Accessory Living Quarters ii(a)), Section 5 (Table 30.04-2), Section 8 (30.07.02) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Comprehensive Planning - Title 30 library page (current compiled code, effective 9/17/2026) Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Clerk - County Code ordinance list (Ord. 5349 adopted 2/18/2026, effective 3/5/2026; Ord. 5395 adopted 6/17/2026, effective 7/2/2026) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Code Ch. 22.02 Building Administrative Code - 22.02.345 permit and plan review fees (65% / 10%), 22.02.390 Table 3-A permit fees based on valuation (Ord. 4663, 1-22-2019) Municipal Code — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Building & Fire Prevention - Plan Review Timelines (Residential Minor 14 days; corrections 10 days) and Fees/Calculator page (Transportation Tax Ch. 4.22, park fee Ch. 19.05) Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Title 30 Filing Fees effective July 1, 2026 - Table 1 (Special Use Permit $500 application + $500 mailed notice) and public notice fee policy Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Code Ch. 4.22 New Residential Construction (Transportation) Tax - 4.22.020 ($1,000 per single-family dwelling unit since July 1, 2020) and 4.22.030 exceptions; Ch. 19.05.030 / 19.05.110 Local Park Code Municipal Code — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Building an ADU or Casita in Clark County: 2026 Rules - cost table by build path (Las Vegas brokerage, updated July 9, 2026) industry — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Adding a Casita or ADU to a Las Vegas Rental, Costs and Returns - $200-350 per sq ft all-in and return on cost (Las Vegas property manager, 2026) industry — Accessed 2026-09-20
- How Much Does an ADU Cost in Las Vegas in 2026? - budgeting ranges by type and size (ADU Wizard) industry — Accessed 2026-09-20
- HUD FY 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent Schedule - Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA ZIP codes (unincorporated 89103-89179 block) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-20
- HUD FY 2027 Schedule of Metropolitan Fair Market Rents - Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA (0BR $1,310, 1BR $1,435, 2BR $1,686) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Code Ch. 7.100 Short-Term Rental Units - 7.100.160 restrictions on rentals (casitas counted as bedrooms; one booking at a time), 7.100.230 enforcement Municipal Code — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Clark County Business License - Short-Term Rental Units (application period closed; complete applications were due Aug. 21, 2023) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-20
- Nevada AB 396 (2025) enrolled bill - statewide ADU authorization (terms carried from the project's 2026-07-09 reading; statute host blocked 2026-09-20) Government Data — Accessed 2026-07-09
Frequently Asked Questions
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