Service areas · Orlando, FL

Where we build ADUs: Orlando and four nearby cities.

Florida leaves ADU rules to local governments, so a lot in Winter Park and a lot in Orlando can have very different options. Here is how each city we serve handles them.

Winter ParkGuest houses and garage apartments carry a recorded restriction against renting. R-2 lots can add a cottage dwelling.ADUs in Winter Park KissimmeeThe Osceola County seat, which has looked at garage conversions as affordable housing.ADUs in Kissimmee Winter GardenSince 2026, one ADU on homesteaded single-family lots in listed districts. No short-term rentals.ADUs in Winter Garden Altamonte SpringsA Seminole County city where accessory buildings stay in the rear yard, 7 feet from side and rear lines.ADUs in Altamonte Springs

How do ADU rules work in the City of Orlando?

As of October 2026, the City of Orlando allows ADUs in zoning districts that begin with R-1, R-2, R-3, MXD, O-1, O-2 and PD, depending on lot size. The ADU must be smaller than the house, share a 0.50 floor area ratio with it, have its own electric and water meters, and stay under the same ownership. The city changed its code to encourage ADUs in 2018.

Which Orlando areas have special rules?

  • Historic districts. ADUs are capped at 700 sq ft and need a Major Review Certificate of Appropriateness.
  • Lake Nona. In the Lake Nona Planned Development, every residential property may have one ADU of up to 1,000 sq ft regardless of lot size, without the floor area ratio limit.
  • Lakefront lots. Detached ADUs sit at least 15 feet from the normal high-water line, with a 12-foot height cap within 15 feet of the water.

Does Orlando help pay for ADUs?

The city runs an ADU incentive program with a build-out rebate of up to $10,000 and rebates of permit and impact fees, in exchange for a period of income-qualified rental. Read does Orlando pay homeowners to build an ADU.

Is every Orlando address in the City of Orlando?

No. Many homes with an Orlando mailing address are in unincorporated Orange County or another city, where different ADU rules and a different permit office apply. We check which government issues the permit as the first step of every lot check.

Which nearby cities do you serve?

Winter Park, Kissimmee, Winter Garden and Altamonte Springs. Florida does not set statewide ADU standards, so each city writes its own. The differences are large, as the city pages show.

Updated October 2026. Summarized from the City of Orlando ADU and ADU incentive pages and WKMG News 6.

Will an ADU fit on your lot?

Give us the property address and we will look up its zoning, lot size and flood status before anyone draws a plan. The lot check is free. We work in Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, Winter Garden and Altamonte Springs.