2020 California ADU and JADU Laws

[JT Goodwin]

Hello BP Family,

I am in escrow for a SFR that has a permitted 432 sq ft ADU on it already. The property does need a good amount of work, but 90% of that work is outside cleanup, dump runs, and new fencing to make it look great. The inside of the ADU looks to be pretty new so it looks like it was redone probably 5 years ago or so. It has its own meter for gas and electric which is awesome. The best part is that I have been reading a lot of the new 2020 California ADU law since I am hoping to expand upon that existing ADU. From what I have read there are no impact fees for an ADU if it is under 750 sq ft.

My main question is on the JADU which cannot exceed 500 sq ft. It sounds like, from what I have read, that if the ADU is detached that means you can also build a JADU on the SFR lot, but it has to be within the primary home. Is that correct?

For example, the primary house is 900 sq ft and the detached ADU is 432 sq ft. If I were to expand upon the main house and make it 1400 sq ft, which is definitely doable, would I then be able to turn around and get that section closed off and convert it into a 500 sq ft or less JADU? This would allow me to essentially turn this SFR into a property with 3 legal permitted units. Is this realistic with the new state laws in CA?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!