Marana's casita rules are different from Tucson's
If you've read that Arizona now lets every homeowner build a casita, that is only partly true in Marana. The state's 2024 ADU law, HB 2720, applies to cities with more than 75,000 people. Marana adopted its own ADU section, Ordinance 2024.028, on December 17, 2024, but the ADU rights in that section only switch on once the town's population reaches 75,000. Until then, a casita in Marana is mainly a question of what the town's zoning code calls guest quarters.
Guest quarters in Marana today
Marana's code defines guest quarters as living quarters for guests, relatives or servants, either in an accessory building or inside the main home, and limits them to non-income-producing use. In plain terms, a guest casita for family is the target. Renting it out is not what this use allows.
The town's use table adds conditions by zone:
- In the GR and MR zones, guest quarters must be inside the main residence.
- In the NR zone, they must be inside the main residence on lots smaller than 16,000 sq ft. On larger NR lots a detached casita can be possible.
- Accessory structures are capped at 1,500 sq ft in total per parcel in NR and 2,500 sq ft in ER.
That means the zone on your parcel, and its size, decide whether you are looking at a detached casita or an attached suite. We check the zoning before anyone draws a plan. If an attached suite is the answer, our casita vs home addition guide explains the trade-offs.
When an attached suite is the better answer
Where guest quarters have to be inside the main home, the usual solution is a suite built onto the house: a bedroom, a bathroom and often a sitting area with its own outside door. Built well, it gives a parent or adult child real privacy without a separate building. It ties into the home's roof, stucco and utilities, so the quality of that tie-in matters. Joining a new roof to the old one without leaks, and blending the stucco so the line disappears, is work our own crew does every week. Our home addition cost guide explains what drives the price of that kind of project.
What changes when the ADU section takes effect
Once Marana passes 75,000 people, Section 17-6-14 allows one attached and one detached ADU on a single-family lot, up to the lesser of 75% of the home's floor area or 1,000 sq ft, with side and rear setbacks as small as 5 feet. Short-term rental use is only allowed while the owner lives on the property. The town has kept updating that section to track state law, including a 2026 public hearing. We keep an eye on it so your plans follow the version in force when you apply.
Lot details we check in Marana
- HOA design review. Much of Marana is master-planned. If you live in a community like Dove Mountain, read the CC&Rs and design guidelines before you plan. We prepare the HOA submittal. See our Dove Mountain page.
- Grading and floodplain. The town's custom home checklist lists a grading permit before the building permit, and a Floodplain Use Permit from Marana Engineering where a lot is in a floodplain. Washes cross a lot of Marana, so we check early.
- Soils. A soils report is on the town's checklist for new homes. Caliche is common and affects footings.
- Water and sewer. Depending on where you are, water comes from Marana Water, Tucson Water or Metro Water. Septic lots need Pima County sign-off.
How we build a casita in Marana
- Site walk. Lot size, zone, utilities, slope and where a casita could sit.
- Zoning and HOA check. Detached or attached, how big, and what the HOA wants to see.
- Plans. Drawings and a site plan that fit the zone's conditions.
- Permits. HOA approval, then the town permit and any grading or floodplain items.
- Build. Our own crew handles framing, structural work, stucco and roofing, so the casita matches your house.
- Inspections and final. We schedule inspections and walk the finished space with you.
For budgets, see the casita cost guide. For more Marana work, visit our Marana contractor page.