Can I Build an ADU in Tampa?
Only in four parts of the city: Seminole Heights, the area around Lowry Park, the East Tampa Overlay and the Tampa Heights Overlay, where Tampa allows an ADU of up to 950 square feet (1,100 in Tampa Heights) through a special use permit, as long as the owner lives on the property. Everywhere else in Tampa, the city allows only an Extended Family Residence, which is capped at 600 square feet, limited to relatives who pay no rent and allowed only on a homesteaded property.
Start with the City’s ADU Map
The City of Tampa’s ADU page, last updated in July 2026, names four areas where ADUs are allowed, and its ADU GIS Map Viewer lets you enter an address and see whether it falls inside the ADU-eligible boundary. That lookup comes before any design, and state law doesn’t override it.
The Rules Inside the ADU Areas
In the eligible areas, Tampa allows an ADU through a special use permit, with specific size, parking, and setback requirements. The owner must live on the property, and the unit can be inside the house or in an accessory building.
Maximum size
950 sq. ft.
of living space
Tampa Heights
1,100 sq. ft.
Up to
Owner occupancy
Required
Owner must live on the property.
Parking
1
space per unit
Utility meter
Separate
meter allowed
Tampa Heights
Up to 1,100 sq. ft., a parking space is required only for units over 600 sq. ft., and height can reach 35 feet inside the Tampa Heights Historic District.
Seminole Heights
An ADU can be 22.5 feet and two stories, but only 15 feet and one story when it sits within 20 feet of a one-story main house on another lot. An attached ADU in the SH-RS-A district can sit on the interior side line.
East Tampa
Every wall visible from the street or a neighboring lot must be finished in materials like brick, stucco or textured block, with a look similar to the main house.
Other eligible areas
The city’s general ADU standards apply outside the overlays and historic districts.
Outside the ADU Areas: Extended Family Residence
Everywhere else in Tampa, the city allows an Extended Family Residence instead. It’s limited to 600 square feet, allowed only on a homesteaded property and for relatives who pay no rent, with no separate electric or water meter.
Maximum size
600 sq. ft.
of living area
Who can live there
Family only
Related by marriage, blood, adoption or legal guardianship.
No rent
Residents cannot pay rent.
No separate meter
Cannot have its own electric or water meter.
Homesteaded property
Only allowed on a homesteaded property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The city code only allows an ADU when the property owner lives on the property, and the city's ADU standards repeat that the owner must reside there.
Up to 950 square feet of living space in the eligible areas, and up to 1,100 square feet in the Tampa Heights overlay. An Extended Family Residence outside those areas is capped at 600 square feet.
An ADU can, since the city's standards permit a separate utility meter. An Extended Family Residence can't be separately metered for electricity or water.
Check your Tampa address
Request a free estimate through the form on the Tampa Bay ADU homepage and include your address. The first thing to settle, before any floor plan, is whether your lot sits inside the ADU boundary or an overlay, or only qualifies for an Extended Family Residence.