Residential drafting in Chandler, Arizona
Chandler is a newer city than most of its neighbors. The bulk of its detached housing went up from the 1980s onward, and the pattern is consistent: stucco over wood frame, slab on grade, engineered roof trusses, tile roofs, block walls, attached garages, and recorded utility easements along the rear or side lot line. Alleys are rare outside the older fabric near downtown.
That consistency helps and it constrains. An addition may be simple in plan and awkward in structure, because the trusses run a fixed direction and the roof has to tie into them. The rear yard usually looks bigger on a map than it is once the pool, the equipment pad, the covered patio, and the easement are drawn in. The subdivision may already have a soils report on file, which is worth finding before paying for a new one.
Older properties near downtown are a different job. Original masonry, additions built in stages, and incomplete permit records all mean the drawings start with field measurement rather than with the county record.
ADU standards
Setback, size, and parking rules for an accessory dwelling unit in Chandler.
| Maximum size | 75 percent of the house or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is less (35-2202.2(A)) |
|---|---|
| Side and rear setback | 5 ft minimum (35-2202.2(C)) |
| Front setback | The zoning district standard (35-2202.2(C)) |
| Height | The zoning district limit (35-2202.2(C)) |
| How many | One attached and one detached. One more detached on a lot of an acre or more if one is restricted affordable (35-2202.2(A), (B)) |
| Utilities | Same water, sewer, and electric providers and meters as the house (35-2202.2(E)) |
| Entrance | Separate and independent from the house (35-2202.2(G)) |
Chandler has real exterior design standards for the unit. The default is stucco or an exterior insulation and finish system with a concrete tile roof at a 4:12 slope, or a design that matches the materials, colors, and architectural style of the house (35-2202.2(F)). Plan for that at the start rather than treating it as a finish decision.
Utilities are shared. Chandler requires the unit to run off the same water, sewer, and electric meters as the house (35-2202.2(E)), which is the opposite of what Glendale requires a few miles away.
A garage or other uninhabitable space attached to the unit does not get the five foot setback. It has to meet the ordinary district setbacks (35-2202.2(D)).
Planning office: Chandler Development Services
Sources: Chandler Code 35-2202.2. Ordinance 5113, adopted December 2024. A.R.S. 9-461.18. Last checked August 2026.
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