Residential drafting in Goodyear, Arizona
Goodyear's housing spans several distinct production periods. PebbleCreek began in the 1990s, Palm Valley grew heavily in the 2000s, and Estrella includes both earlier neighborhoods and much newer construction. Across those areas, stucco walls and tile roofs are common, but the houses should not be treated as one construction generation. Even within PebbleCreek, building systems have changed over the decades.
Lot sizes also vary considerably. Palm Valley includes many larger suburban lots and three car garage plans. PebbleCreek ranges from older homes on more generous sites to later, tighter product, often with two car, three car, or golf cart garage configurations. Estrella adds another mix of conventional production lots and larger custom or estate properties. A Goodyear address alone says very little about how much side or rear yard will actually be available.
Much of this stock is now reaching its first substantial round of remodeling. Contractors working in Palm Valley, Estrella, Canyon Trails, and PebbleCreek report open plan changes that reach structural walls, along with tile roof work, stucco repairs, and slab related concerns. Post-tension construction is also common enough to verify before cutting a slab. When we draw an addition or major remodel here, the first task is establishing which generation of house is actually on the lot and how its existing structure was put together.
ADU standards
Setback, size, and parking rules for an accessory dwelling unit in Goodyear.
| Governing ordinance | A comprehensive new zoning ordinance took effect August 5, 2026. All planning applications submitted on or after that date are governed by the updated ordinance |
|---|---|
| Prior standards | Under the prior ordinance, the unit was capped at the lesser of 75% of the house or 1,000 sq ft, with 5 ft side and rear setbacks and no separate address permitted. That citation describes the superseded code, not the current one (Article 8-2.C, Ordinance 2024-1616, adopted December 2024) |
Goodyear adopted a comprehensive rewrite of its entire zoning ordinance, approved July 6, 2026 and effective August 5, 2026. It replaces a code dating to 1999 and addresses housing options among its subjects. We are verifying the new ordinance's ADU standards and will publish them with their code sections once confirmed.
Goodyear is above the population threshold, so the state ADU mandate (A.R.S. 9-461.18) applies regardless of the local rewrite: the city must allow at least one attached and one detached unit as a permitted use, sized at least 75 percent of the house or 1,000 square feet, with side and rear setbacks capped at 5 ft and no added parking requirement. What the new ordinance does above that floor is what we are confirming.
The city's preapproved plan program lists three ADU plan classes at 200, 600, and 1,000 square feet, all currently seeking submittals, so none is usable yet.
For a project starting now, confirm current standards with the city directly. The planning office link below is the place to start.
Planning office: Goodyear Planning and Zoning
Sources: Goodyear Zoning Ordinance comprehensive update, effective August 5, 2026. Article 8-2.C, Ordinance 2024-1616, adopted December 2024, superseded. A.R.S. 9-461.18. Last checked August 2026.
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