Goodyear rewrote its entire Zoning Ordinance in 2026 — the update was approved on July 6 and took effect on August 5, 2026 — and the ADU rules now live in Section 3.12.3 of that new ordinance. They track Arizona's casita law closely: one attached plus one detached ADU on any single-family lot, 5-foot side and rear setbacks, the house's own front setback, height and lot coverage, no parking requirement, and a cap of 1,000 sq ft or 75% of the house, whichever is less. Two Goodyear-specific points: the ADU may not have its own address, and lots in the noise territory of Phoenix Goodyear Airport or Luke Air Force Base are excluded. Goodyear also keeps a separate, older 'guest house' category that can never be rented — if you want a tenant, build under the ADU section.
In Goodyear 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][3]
Yes — Goodyear allows ADUs. A detached ADU can typically be up to 1,000 sq ft under current Arizona and Goodyear zoning rules.
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| Allowed Zones | Single-family lots (Goodyear Zoning Ordinance §3.12.3.A.1, effective August 5, 2026). Excluded: lots in the territory in the vicinity of a military airport or ancillary military facility (A.R.S. §28-8461 — Luke Air Force Base) or of an FAA commercially licensed, general aviation or public airport (A.R.S. §28-8486) with a noise level above 65 decibels — Phoenix Goodyear Airport is inside the city (§3.12.3.A.2) |
| Max Size (Detached) | No larger than 75% of the gross floor area of the principal single-family dwelling or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is less (Goodyear Zoning Ordinance §3.12.3.A.8) |
| Max Size (Attached) | Same cap — the lesser of 75% of the house's gross floor area or 1,000 sq ft (§3.12.3.A.8) |
| Max Size (JADU) | Not a category in Arizona — Goodyear's ordinance has no junior ADU designation; its separate 'guest house' category (§3.12.4) is not an ADU and may never be rented |
| Max Height | The same building height as the principal single-family dwelling on the lot (§3.12.3.A.6) — not the 12-foot cap that applies to ordinary accessory buildings (§3.12.2); state law bars a stricter ADU height than the house's (A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(5)) |
| Max Units | 2 per lot — one attached plus one detached ADU (§3.12.3.A.1). On a lot of 1 acre or more: one additional detached ADU if it is a Restricted-Affordable Dwelling Unit under a deed restriction or development agreement recorded with Maricopa County and running with the land for at least 30 years (§3.12.3.A.9) |
Setback Requirements [1][2][3]
Goodyear 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 (§3.12.3.A.5); state law caps what the city may require at 5 feet (A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(6)). Note that the general accessory-building rule sends buildings with sleeping facilities to the principal-building setbacks (§3.12.2) — the ADU-specific 5-foot rule is the more specific provision and matches the state cap; ask the planner to confirm how they reconcile the two |
| Side Setback | 5 feet (§3.12.3.A.5) — the state-law ceiling |
| Front Setback | The same front and street setback as the principal single-family dwelling on the lot (§3.12.3.A.6) — the district standard for your zone |
| Parking Required | None required — the ADU 'may include, but is not required to have, a parking area or attached garage' (§3.12.3.A.7; A.R.S. §9-461.18(B)(3)) |
| Owner Occupancy | Not required — §3.12.3 is silent on occupancy and rental terms, and under state law Goodyear 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)). Short-term rental rules are separate — confirm with the city |
| Min Lot Size | No ADU-specific minimum lot size — the guest-house category's 15,000 sq ft minimum (§3.12.4) does not apply to ADUs. A lot of 1 acre or more unlocks a third unit (§3.12.3.A.9) |
Permit Process & Fees [4][5][6]
An ADU permit in Goodyear goes through a ministerial, by-right review. Confirm with Goodyear Development Services — the city publishes review times on its Development Resources page; minor 'EZ Permits' are approved within 5 business days, but a new ADU is a full residential permit. Permit fees: Building permit and plan review fees per the Development Services Fee Schedule (Development Center → Fees), paid through Accela (2.75% card fee) — confirm current amounts with Goodyear Development Services.
| Approval Process | A residential building permit through Goodyear's Accela Citizen Access portal, reviewed by Development Services under the new Zoning Ordinance and the adopted design guidelines (§3.12.3.A.4). By-right — no hearing or conditional use permit. Applications filed on or after August 5, 2026 are reviewed under the updated ordinance |
| Review Timeline | Confirm with Goodyear Development Services — the city publishes review times on its Development Resources page; minor 'EZ Permits' are approved within 5 business days, but a new ADU is a full residential permit |
| Permit Fees | Building permit and plan review fees per the Development Services Fee Schedule (Development Center → Fees), paid through Accela (2.75% card fee) — confirm current amounts with Goodyear Development Services |
| Impact Fees | Yes — Goodyear's Development Impact Fees have been in effect since April 1, 2024 (schedule and 2024 fee report on the Development Center → Fees page); how they apply to an ADU is not stated there — confirm with Development Services before budgeting |
| Plan Check | Full residential plan review under Goodyear's adopted building and fire codes; the ADU must be self-contained with a bedroom and bathroom and may include a kitchen (§3.12.3.A.7). 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 | Coming: Goodyear's SMART program (Streamlined Municipal Approved Residential Types, under A.R.S. §9-461.20) reserves three pre-approved ADU plan classes at 200, 600 and 1,000 sq ft — all still 'Seeking Submittals' as of September 2026, so no plan is available yet. A pre-approved plan is not a permit; a site-specific application is still required |
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Construction Costs [7]
Building an ADU in Goodyear 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 [8][9]
A 2-bedroom ADU in Goodyear rents for around $1,500-$1,900/mo, an estimated 6-9% annual return.
| Avg Rent (1 Bedroom) | $1,250-$1,600/mo |
| Avg Rent (2 Bedroom) | $1,500-$1,900/mo |
| Short-Term Rental | Confirm with the City of Goodyear — §3.12.3 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: Goodyear 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)). Note the older guest-house category may never be leased or rented (§3.12.4.A.4) — that is a reason to permit your unit as an ADU |
| Est. Annual ROI | 6-9% annual return |
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Recent Law Changes
What's Changed Recently
- Goodyear's comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update was approved by City Council on July 6, 2026 and took effect on August 5, 2026; all planning applications filed on or after that date must comply with it, and the previous ordinance is marked 'no longer in effect' on the city's site. ADU rules are now §3.12.3
- The city first adopted ADU rules in December 2024 to meet the January 1, 2025 deadline in A.R.S. §9-461.18 (reported by The Arizona Republic on December 19, 2024); the 2026 rewrite carries them forward
- 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 — Goodyear's population of about 118,200 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 estimate) puts it squarely 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))
- Goodyear launched SMART, a pre-approved residential plan program under A.R.S. §9-461.20 (SB 1529, 2025), with ADU plan classes at 200, 600 and 1,000 sq ft — the library is open for submissions but held no ADU plan as of September 2026
Tips for Building an ADU in Goodyear
- Check the airport noise territory first: parts of Goodyear near Phoenix Goodyear Airport and Luke Air Force Base are excluded from ADUs where noise exceeds 65 decibels (§3.12.3.A.2) — ask Development Services for a parcel check before paying for drawings
- Permit it as an ADU, not a guest house: the older guest-house category needs a 15,000 sq ft lot, three covered parking spaces on the main house, matching materials, and can never be rented (§3.12.4). The ADU section has none of those conditions
- Measure your house before you design: the cap is the lesser of 1,000 sq ft or 75% of your home's gross floor area, so a 1,200 sq ft house limits the casita to 900 sq ft
- Your casita does not have to match the house — §3.12.3.A.4 lets it deviate from the exterior design, roof pitch and finishing materials, as state law requires
- Ask the planner about setbacks in writing: the ADU rule says 5 feet side and rear (§3.12.3.A.5), while the general accessory-building rule sends anything with sleeping facilities to the house's setbacks (§3.12.2). The state cap is 5 feet
- No separate address: the ADU shares the house's address (§3.12.3.A.3) — plan mail, deliveries and utility accounts around that
- Watch the SMART library: once a 600 or 1,000 sq ft ADU plan is approved there, using it can shorten plan review — but you still need the plan author's permission and a site-specific permit
ADU Builders in Goodyear
Looking for an ADU builder in Goodyear? ADU projects need a contractor experienced with local zoning, the permit process, and utility connections — not every general contractor has built one. We match Goodyear 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.
- City of Goodyear Zoning Ordinance (effective August 5, 2026) — §3.12.3 Accessory Dwelling Unit, §3.12.4 Guest House, §3.12.2 accessory buildings, Article 8 definitions Municipal Code — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Zoning Ordinance — City of Goodyear (July 6, 2026 approval; August 5, 2026 effective date) Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-06
- A.R.S. §9-461.18 — Accessory dwelling units; regulation; applicability; definitions state_statute — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Fees for Development Services — City of Goodyear (fee schedule; Development Impact Fees effective April 1, 2024) Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-06
- SMART: Streamlined Municipal Approved Residential Types — City of Goodyear Planning Department — Accessed 2026-09-06
- Development Resources — City of Goodyear (Accela Citizen Access, review times, submittal guides) 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 Goodyear, AZ (updated August 31, 2026: 1BR $1,440, 2BR $1,696; city average $1,652) Market Data — Accessed 2026-09-06
- U.S. Census Bureau — Vintage 2024 Population Estimates, sub-est2024.csv (Goodyear city, AZ: 118,186) Government Data — Accessed 2026-09-06
- The Arizona Republic (azcentral), December 19, 2024 — Goodyear ordinance allows accessory dwelling units News Source — Accessed 2026-09-06
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