Look up the lot
Campbell’s zoning page links to its parcel viewer. Locate the house, then mark the side of the lot with the clearest route from the street.
Home
/ Santa Clara County
/ Campbell
Santa Clara County / City guide
Campbell ADU Services
A garage facing the driveway and a cottage at the back fence offer two very different front doors. In Campbell, parcel maps and the permit history of an existing structure are useful starting points for choosing between them.
Plan for your property ↓
Planning an ADU in Campbell
Find the last approved drawing
Use the city’s records-by-address link to look for garage or addition permits. Compare the footprint on the drawing with a current photograph.
Read the ADU bulletin
Campbell lists its current ADU bulletin and a separate archive. Use the current version when you ask Planning about your proposed conversion or new building.
02 / On the property
Can the garage become a good front door?
Stand at the driveway with groceries in hand. Trace the route to a possible entrance, then do the same with a bike, a trash cart and a visitor. A side entry may solve a privacy problem that the existing garage opening creates.
Garage conversions ↗Official resources
City zoning maps and property records Campbell ADU bulletinCampbell ADU questions
Where do I find my Campbell parcel?
Start with the interactive GIS viewer linked on the city’s zoning page. Take the parcel number and a marked-up printout into your planning conversation.
How can I check when the garage was built?
Search the city’s address records for permits and drawings. If the documents and the building differ, flag the difference for Planning.
Which Campbell ADU bulletin should I use?
Follow the current bulletin link on the city page. The archive is useful for understanding an older drawing, but the current project needs a current review.
What should I measure at the driveway?
Record the narrowest width past the parked car, the swing of the gate and the distance to the proposed entry.
What if the garage still stores everything?
Inventory bicycles, tools and seasonal boxes before allocating the whole garage to living space. Draw the replacement storage on the same plan.
Can the city map establish my exact boundary?
Use it for early orientation. If a wall location depends on a small boundary difference, discuss a survey with your designer.
How do I compare a cottage with a conversion?
Put both footprints on one sketch. Compare the yard left over, the walking route, new utility runs and what happens to parking or storage.
Could a creek affect the layout?
Campbell links to guidance for work near streams. Point out the creek on your parcel sketch and ask which agency should review the location.
Where can I check an older home’s historic status?
Campbell’s zoning resources link to its historic inventory. Identify existing features before proposing exterior changes.
What goes in my first property brief?
Include the parcel number, permit records you found, driveway photos and one sentence about who will live in the ADU.