Corner Lot ADU in San Marcos
Lamplighter Road, San Marcos, CA 92069
Homeowner Story: Bring aging family closer
Maximizing a Corner Lot: How One San Marcos Family Built the Perfect Backyard ADU
A mother in San Marcos set out to build an ADU in her daughter’s backyard. What made this project especially successful was how the corner lot created opportunities for both design flexibility and privacy. This unique property layout allowed us to orient the new 870sqft, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom ADU to maximize the available space while maintaining separation between the main home and the new unit.
In this case, we took one of our standard ADU plans and customized it to suit the homeowner’s vision. She wanted a comfortable, accessible space for herself that would also accommodate visits from her son, who uses a wheelchair. We enlarged the guest bathroom and widened doorways throughout to ensure smooth navigation. These thoughtful design changes were made to ensure her son could visit and navigate the space with ease and independence. Read more about custom ADUs.
Another key benefit of the corner lot? It allowed for a thoughtfully designed outdoor space. The ADU overlooks a newly created shared courtyard between the two homes, while preserving individual privacy. The layout encourages connection between generations, yet still provides a sense of independence for each household.
Whether for multigenerational living or rental income, corner lots offer standout potential for building ADUs. This San Marcos project is a perfect example of how strategic design can make the most of that opportunity.
Community:
The San Marcos ADU Guide
SnapADU is proud to have been selected by the City of San Marcos to design their pre-approved ADU plans through a competitive bid process with over two dozen applicants. This recognition highlights our expertise in delivering high-quality, efficient, and fully compliant ADU designs as well as our experience in the city. Read more about pre-approved ADU plans.
One unusual requirement in San Marcos is that ADUs generally cannot be in the front yard (though SB-897 passed Aug 2022 will limit city’s ability to enforce this). They also require a soils report for ADUs >500 sqft. San Marcos allows for digital submissions. Turnaround times at the city are moderate.
Additionally, we have seen San Marcos projects require interaction with the Community Facilities Districts (CFD), which are commonly referred to as Mello-Roos Districts, to finance local public facilities and services. This can add months to the processing time.
What is the CFD process in San Marcos for ADUs?
A CFD is a “community facility district” that residents of the city previously voted on to create the ability for the City to collect “developer impact fees” to cover the cost associated with providing services to the residents. These fees go towards building roads, fire stations, and other public services. Every new development project in San Marcos is subject to the CFD Charge, including ADUs. California state ADU laws do not prohibit the City from assessing CFD charges.
Owners can satisfy the CFD requirement in one of two ways:
1) Vote to annex into the district, which creates a annual assessment with your property taxes (usually $1K-$2K); or
2) Pay a one -time In-Lieu Fee (typically $100K-$200K)
Only the property owners of a property/development vote on this annexation – no neighbors or 3rd parties. The City Council certifies CFD votes 4 times per year. This means that typically 3-4 months will be added to the permitting process.
