Home Remodeling in
Elma, WA

Washington's 2023 ADU law, HB 1337, requires cities in counties that fully plan under the Growth Management Act to allow two ADUs per lot and forbids owner-occupancy rules. Grays Harbor County plans under only part of that act, so Elma is outside it.

That matters because most ADU advice online is written around HB 1337. In Elma it is not the standard your plans are checked against. The city's own rules are.

Elma reviews ADUs through an Accessory Dwelling Unit Residential Zoning Verification, which comes before the building permit. The form sets a maximum gross floor area of 1,000 square feet for each ADU.

Height follows the zone limit, with one allowance: if the main house is under 24 feet tall, the ADU can still go up to 24 feet. A detached ADU has to stay subordinate to the house and sit to the side or rear, at least 8 feet behind the front face of the main house.

The submittal is the verification application, a detailed site plan and site information. A site plan that shows those setbacks clearly the first time is the easiest way to avoid a second round.

Building and Community Development is at City Hall, 202 W. Main St., open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The building line is (360) 482-4482, and the city also accepts permit applications online.

The department administers the Washington State Building Code together with Elma's Unified Development Code, which is where uses, setbacks and other zoning standards are set.