Home Remodeling in
Puyallup, WA

A lot of cities around here are still working their codes up to the state standard. Puyallup has done it. Each accessory dwelling can be up to 1,000 square feet, and owner occupancy is no longer required, so you do not have to live on the property to add one.

On a lot that meets the minimum area for its zone, you can have two ADUs. On a smaller lot the default is one, though two can still work in specific configurations, such as attached or stacked units, or converting part of the existing house and adding one new unit.

Attached and detached units are both allowed, whether that means a conversion inside the house, an addition, or a separate building in the yard.

This is where Puyallup differs from Tacoma, which does not require extra parking for an ADU at all.

If the property is within half a mile of transit, no parking is required. Otherwise it depends on the lot. On lots under 6,000 square feet, each unit needs one space. On lots over 6,000 square feet, a studio or one bedroom unit needs one space, and a two or three bedroom unit needs two.

That last rule is the one to plan around. Adding a bedroom to an ADU on a larger lot can mean finding room for a second parking space, which affects where the unit can sit and how much yard is left. It is far cheaper to settle that at sketch stage than at plan review.

ADU and zoning questions go to the City of Puyallup Planning Division, on the second floor at 333 S Meridian, or on 253-864-4165, option 3.

Because the rules turn on your lot area, your zone and your distance to transit, the useful first step is confirming those three things for your address. Once they are known, how many units you can build, how large, and how much parking you need all follow from them.