Residential drafting in Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is two cities in one. Around Old Town, the housing is older, the lots are smaller, and redevelopment has happened piece by piece. North Peoria is later master planned communities, foothill edge subdivisions, and continuing growth toward Lake Pleasant.
In the older core, drawings start with measurement and permit research. Masonry, carports, staged additions, and uncertain utility routing are all common. In the north, houses are slab on grade with engineered trusses, stucco and tile assemblies, block walls, rear easements, and HOA architectural rules. Foothill edge lots add grade, drainage, retaining, and wash constraints the older grid does not have.
Washes and area drainage studies matter more here than in the flat valley cities. A site plan should show drainage easements, finished floor relationships, retaining walls, natural washes, and access grades rather than treating the yard as flat ground.
Peoria also has an unusual number of RV garages, and casita projects here are often drawn alongside one rather than on their own.
ADU standards
Setback, size, and parking rules for an accessory dwelling unit in Peoria.
| Maximum size | 75 percent of the house or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is less (21-316(C)(2)) |
|---|---|
| Side and rear setback | 5 ft minimum (21-316(D)(2)(a)) |
| Front setback | The zoning district standard (21-316(D)(2)(b)) |
| Height | The same limit that applies to a house in that district (21-316(D)(4)) |
| Lot coverage | The same rules that apply to a house (21-316(D)(3)) |
| How many | One attached and one detached. One attached and two detached on a lot of an acre or more if one is restricted affordable (21-316(C)(1)) |
| Parking | No additional space or fee required (21-316(D)(6)) |
| Exterior | Should complement the house but is not required to match (21-316(D)(5)) |
You cannot build over a utility easement without written consent from every utility that uses or may use it (21-316(D)(7)). The five foot setback and the easement are two different questions, and clearing one does not clear the other.
An RV, mobile home, or other movable structure does not count as the unit (21-316(E)(4)).
If there is already a casita behind the house that nobody ever permitted, Peoria's ordinance includes a path to legalize a unit that existed before September 2024, subject to current health and safety requirements. Not every city has that.
Planning office: Peoria Planning
Sources: Peoria Zoning Code 21-316. Ordinance 2024-20, adopted December 2024. A.R.S. 9-461.18. Last checked August 2026.
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