(818) 793-5058

sales@jdj-consulting.com

Sherman Oaks, CA · Austin, TX · Miami, FL

California — State Capital

ADU and infill permitting in one of
the state’s most streamlined markets

From 21-day ADU plan check to the Capitol Mall redevelopment entering CEQA review,
JDJ extends our LA-based ADU expertise into Sacramento.

Governing Code

Sacramento City Code Ch. 17.228

Department

Community Development Dept.

Review Layer

CEQA

Have a site in Sacramento?

Tell us what you’re trying to build, and we’ll map the fastest path
through Sacramento’s process.

Start a Project
Talk to Our Sacramento Team
CA & FL markets Los Angeles Altadena / Palisades Orange County San Diego Sacramento Miami-Dade Tampa Broward Orlando Orlando
How Sacramento Regulates Development

The framework, in JDJ’s words

Each market on this site runs its own code, department names, and review process. Here’s Sacramento’s.

Governing Code
Sacramento City Code Ch. 17.228
Department

Community Development Dept.

Review Layer
CEQA
San Diego Service Offerings

What JDJ handles in San Diego

A lower-friction extension of the same ADU and infill work JDJ already runs in LA County.

01. Entitlements & Land Use
\
ADU/JADU Entitlement Screening
Custom and pre-approved plan pathway eligibility.
\
Infill Site Feasibility
Downtown and corridor infill screening.
\
CEQA Coordination
Capitol Mall-adjacent and Excess Sites parcels.
02. Permit Expediting
\
Pre-Approved Plan Navigation
Cuts 30+ days off standard ADU review.
\
Plan Check Coordination
Submittal management and tracking.
\
Corrections Response Management
Resubmittal coordination.
U
03. Due Diligence & Feasibility
\
Sacramento County vs. City Jurisdiction Screening
For unincorporated parcels.
\
Excess Sites Parcel Research
State-owned site redevelopment screening.
\
Pre-Development Feasibility
Site screening before you buy.
Local Relevance

What actually shapes a project here

The issues, timelines, and project types that come up most often when we work in Sacramento.

Common Land Use Issues

The most common issue is City vs. County jurisdiction confusion — Sacramento city and county are separate processes with separate portals, and unincorporated parcels nearby follow county rules entirely.

Downtown infill near Capitol Mall is entering a period of active CEQA review tied to the Sacramento State redevelopment, which adds environmental review steps that smaller projects elsewhere in the city don't face.

Timelines & Hurdles

Standard ADU plan check runs about 30 days; pre-approved plans can cut that further. Custom multifamily or infill projects take meaningfully longer.

The Capitol Mall mixed-use redevelopment is still in master planning and CEQA review as of 2026 — a multi-year project, not a near-term permit.

Notable Project Types

ADU and garage conversions are the highest-volume project type, helped by a genuinely fast pre-approved plan library.

Downtown mixed-use and infill near the Capitol Mall corridor is the largest emerging project type, anchored by the Sacramento State redevelopment and the state's Excess Sites Program.

Local Terminology

San Diego’s terms, decoded

The vocabulary you’ll hear from city or county staff, in plain English.

Excess Sites Program
State initiative converting underused state-owned land into housing.
Capitol Mall
Downtown Sacramento corridor undergoing major mixed-use redevelopment.
CEQA

California Environmental Quality Act — state environmental
review.

Pre-Approved Plan

A city-vetted ADU design that skips part of standard plan
check.

From the Blog

Sacramento reading, written for your project

A few pieces our team is referencing right now for clients in this market.

ADU

Sacramento's 21-Day ADU Path, Explained

How the pre-approved plan library actually speeds things up.

Market

What's Happening at Capitol
Mall

A plain-language look at the Sacramento State redevelopment.

Entitlements

City vs. County: Where Do You Actually File?

Avoiding the most common jurisdiction mistake in the region.

FAQ

Questions we hear most in Sacramento

Q. Is Sacramento ADU permitting really faster than LA’s?
For pre-approved plans, yes — often 21–30 days vs. LA’s comparable window, mainly due to lower overall volume relative to LA’s permitting system.

 

Q. What is the Capitol Mall redevelopment?

A 2–5 million square foot mixed-use project planned around three former state office buildings near the Capitol, currently in CEQA review — not yet permit-ready.

Q. How do I know if my parcel is City or County jurisdiction?

We confirm this for you early — it determines which portal, code, and department you’re working with, and the two are entirely separate systems.