ADUs & backyard cottages in Kirkland
What HB 1337 actually allows in Kirkland — how many ADUs you can build, how big, how tall, the permit timeline, the fees, and the local quirks that decide whether your backyard cottage pencils out.
What HB 1337 lets you build in Kirkland
Washington's HB 1337 took effect June 30, 2025 and overrode local zoning across King County. In Kirkland that means up to 2 ADUs on a single lot, no owner-occupancy requirement, and parking handled as 1 space (waived near transit). Detached units (DADUs) can run to 1200 sf of heated space; attached units follow a different rule — up to 1,200sf (most permissive size in the county).
| Rule | Kirkland |
|---|---|
| ADUs per lot | 2 |
| Owner occupancy | Not required (abolished by HB 1337) |
| Parking | 1 space (waived near transit) |
| Max DADU size | 1200 sf heated |
| Max AADU size | Up to 1,200sf (most permissive size in the county) |
| Max height | 25ft |
Pre-approved plans in Kirkland
Pre-approved plan program is live and carries a plan-license fee. Picking a pre-reviewed plan instead of a custom design is the single biggest lever on your permit timeline in Kirkland. The plans are already vetted against city code, so review collapses to weeks instead of months.
Permit timeline
Kirkland permit timeline: Expedited. A pre-approved plan is the fastest route — custom designs add review cycles. Run the numbers for your own lot in the feasibility tool before you commit.
Fees & what you'll pay
Pre-approved plan license ~$1,000.
Statewide, HB 1337 caps ADU impact fees at 50% of what a full house would pay — but Kirkland layers its own fees and exemptions on top. The line item that surprises people most here is in the fee note above; price it before you fall in love with a floor plan.
Sewer & septic
Standard utility connection.
If your property is on septic (an on-site system, or OSS), that's the single biggest hidden risk in an ADU budget — many older septic systems are at or past their design life. The feasibility tool asks about your utilities so the estimate reflects connection or drainfield costs.
Kirkland quirks worth knowing
Every city has local rules that don't show up in the headline numbers. In Kirkland:
- Largest allowed ADU size in King County (1,200sf)
- Reduced alley setbacks
- Pre-approved plans live (~$1,000 license)
Up to 2 ADUs on a single residential lot — that can be an attached unit (AADU/MIL) plus a detached backyard cottage (DADU). HB 1337 (effective June 30, 2025) preempted Kirkland's old one-ADU limits and removed owner-occupancy.
