Detached ADU
A detached ADU is a standalone backyard home built separate from the main house, with its own foundation, walls, and roof. In Sacramento it can reach up to 1,200 square feet and commands the highest rent and resale value of any ADU type, at roughly $250–$360 per square foot turnkey.
Detached units are the most flexible but most expensive type because they require a full new structure and utility connections. They suit deep or large lots common in Land Park, Elk Grove, and the foothill submarkets. On those larger Sacramento lots the 4-foot side and rear setback usually leaves plenty of room to site a unit behind the main house with its own private entrance and yard. Many owners deliberately hold a detached build to just under 750 square feet to stay impact-fee exempt; going above that threshold means fees are charged proportionally to the main house, so the jump from 749 to 800 square feet can cost far more than the extra framing alone.
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