Published: 14 Oct 2026 · Last verified: 9 Oct 2026 · Next review: Jan 2027 Cost figures are re-checked against permit records quarterly. Changes are logged in Corrections.
The most misunderstood line on an ADU fee invoice is not charged by the city at all. It is charged by the school district — a separate government you did not choose, at a rate your city council did not set, under a statute most homeowners have never heard of. On the same 800 sq ft ADU, that line ranges from $1,792 to $4,304 across the thirteen cities in our series. Here is why.
Who charges it, and under what law
School developer fees come from Ed. Code §17620, not the city code. The sequence runs like this:
- The State Allocation Board (SAB) sets the statewide maximum — currently $5.38 per square foot for residential construction (adjusted January 2026; previously $5.17).
- Each school district adopts the rate by board resolution, after a fee justification study (nexus study) showing the fee matches the facility cost its new students create.
- The district levies the fee on your ADU at permit issuance. The city collects it on the district’s behalf in most jurisdictions.
Your city has no vote. Moving the ADU across a district boundary — sometimes across the street — can change the fee by thousands.
The 500 sq ft exemption
State law exempts ADUs under 500 square feet from school developer fees entirely. At 500 and above, the district may charge its adopted rate on the full unit — there is no pro-rata, no marginal math, just rate × square feet.
This is a different ruler from the 750 sq ft city impact-fee cliff, and the two combine into three zones:
| ADU size | School fee | City impact fees |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500 sq ft | $0 (exempt) | $0 (exempt) |
| 500–749 sq ft | Charged (district rate × sq ft) | $0 (exempt) |
| 750+ sq ft | Charged | Charged (pro-rata) |
A 499 sq ft ADU is the cheapest fee profile in California: both lines read zero. A 501 sq ft ADU adds roughly $2,700–$4,300 in school fees while impact fees stay at zero. Garden Grove is the rare city where both cliffs are visible in a single fee schedule.
Level 1 vs Level 2
Level 1 is the statutory maximum any district may charge: $5.38/sq ft residential as of the January 2026 SAB adjustment. A district adopts it by resolution after its justification study. Most districts in our series sit here.
Level 2 is available only to districts meeting stricter state criteria (primarily around state funding eligibility and demonstrated need). It can exceed Level 1 — in Santa Maria, the Level 2 scenario reaches $7,984 on 800 sq ft versus $4,304 at Level 1. Level 2 requires its own study and findings; we treat any Level 2 claim as conditional until we see the district’s adopted resolution.
Level 3 exists in statute but is effectively dormant — it requires the state to stop funding school facilities, which has not happened.
The 13-city data
Every figure below is district rate × 800 sq ft, sourced from district documents in each city’s post:
| City | District | Rate | 800 sq ft fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | Pasadena USD | $2.24 | $1,792 (series low) |
| Lakewood (Paramount USD portion) | Paramount USD | $2.97 | $2,376 |
| San Francisco | SFUSD | $3.79 | $3,032 |
| Palo Alto | Palo Alto USD | $4.79 | $3,832 |
| Sacramento | SCUSD | $5.13 | $4,104 |
| Garden Grove | GGUSD | $5.17 | $4,136 |
| Oakland | OUSD | $5.17 | $4,136 |
| Riverside | RUSD | $5.17 | $4,136 |
| Salinas | Salinas UHSD | $5.17 | $4,136 |
| Long Beach | LBUSD | $5.38 | $4,304 |
| Glendale | GUSD | $5.38 | $4,304 |
| Anaheim | AUHSD | $5.38 | $4,304 |
| Fullerton | FJUHSD | $5.38 | $4,304 |
| Burbank | BUSD | $5.38* | $4,304 (assumed) |
| Torrance | TUSD | $5.38 | $4,304 |
| Fontana | FUSD | $5.38* | $4,304 (vote unconfirmed) |
| Campbell | CUHSD | $5.40 | $4,320 (series high) |
The spread is $2,528 — from Pasadena’s $1,792 to Campbell’s $4,320 — on an identical 800 sq ft box. Six districts cluster at the $5.38 statutory maximum; the variance lives entirely in which districts have not yet adopted the latest SAB increase.
Why Lakewood is the interesting case
Lakewood sits in four school districts. Depending on the parcel, the same 800 sq ft ADU owes $2,376 (Paramount USD), $3,832 (Bellflower USD, 2022 rate), or $4,304 (Long Beach USD) — a 2x spread inside one 9.5-square-mile city. It is the first multi-district case in the series, and the practical advice is blunt: check your parcel’s district before you budget, because the city’s fee schedule cannot tell you.
What SB 1117 does not do
SB 1117 (effective Jan 1, 2027) rewrites city impact-fee math. It does not touch school fees — they were never impact fees under Gov. Code §66311.5. A $4,304 school fee stays $4,304 after January 1. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Disclaimer
Fee summary, not legal or tax advice. District rates change by board action; always verify the current adopted rate with your school district — not your city — before budgeting.
Related reading
School fees and city impact fees use different thresholds. Compare the gap between two districts, then the cliff that uses the 750 line.