# Permitting an attached or converted ADU in Moreno Valley > In Moreno Valley the drawings are only half the job. The city's checklist ends with a page of acknowledgements, and most of them describe something another office has to sign off before your permit can be issued. Source: https://www.lotlinepermits.com/california/moreno-valley/ Publisher: Lotline Last reviewed: 2026-11-10 ## Key points - Get the ADU's new city address before you submit; the approval letter is part of the upload. [1] - All plan sheets go into SimpliCITY as one merged PDF. [1] - A covenant with the city must be completed before the permit is issued. [1] - A panel or meter upgrade is a separate permit under the house address. [1] ## Which checklist this is Moreno Valley's "Minimum Plan Submittal Requirements" checklist covers ADUs that are attached to the house or garage, or made by remodeling the inside of the house or garage. [1] It carries a revision date of June 5, 2025. [1] SB 9 projects are sent to a different checklist run by the Planning Division. [1] If you are building a separate detached unit, confirm with Building and Safety which checklist applies before relying on this page. ## Before you upload anything The first box on the list isn't a drawing. You need a valid new city address for the ADU, and the city-approved address letter is one of the required attachments. [1] Request the address early, because the title sheet has to show it too. ## How the upload works Submittal is through the city's SimpliCITY portal, and the checklist is particular about it: - All plan sheets are merged into one PDF file. [1] - Each upload has to be given the correct document type. [1] - Sheets should follow the city's standard order and numbering. If they don't, SimpliCITY sorts them automatically, and your approved set will come back in a different order from the one you drew. [1] - The completed checklist and its acknowledgement pages are uploaded with the application. [1] > **Note:** The sheet order point sounds minor. It matters on site, where a contractor flipping through approved plans expects the index on the cover to match. ## Drawing details that are easy to miss - Title 24 energy calculations need the required signed sheets printed onto the plan sheets, not attached loose. [1] - Truss calculations can't be deferred when the roof isn't conventionally framed. [1] - Exterior elevations show where the illuminated address numbers will go. [1] - The site plan shows drainage with arrows running away from the foundation. [1] - If solar is required, it is a separate plan and permit, yet the proposed panel layout must still be drawn on the building plans. [1] ## The five things due before issuance Plan approval and permit issuance are different moments in Moreno Valley. The acknowledgement page lists what stands between them: 1. **Covenant.** A covenant agreement between the owner and the city must be completed. [1] 2. **Special Financing Districts.** Separate fees are required for any new dwelling unit. [1] 3. **School district.** Fees and certification from the applicable school district. [1] 4. **Water and sewer.** The owner contacts the purveyor and completes its requirements. [1] 5. **Septic, where it applies.** Approved health plans from Riverside County Environmental Health are forwarded to the city. [1] State law bars impact fees on ADUs of 750 square feet of interior livable space or less. [2] Whether a particular district charge falls within that rule is a question to put to the district in writing; this page doesn't answer it. ## Work that needs its own permit Two items are routinely folded into ADU drawings and bounced back: - A dual meter or main panel upgrade replacing the house's meter needs a separate electrical-only permit, filed under the house address. [1] - Exterior work on the existing house, such as walls, patio covers or decks, needs a separate plan and permit. [1] ## Our read Start the outside clearances the week you submit, not the week your plans are approved. The covenant, the school district certification and the water and sewer release each run on someone else's timetable, and any one of them can hold a permit that is otherwise ready. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need an address for the ADU before I apply in Moreno Valley? Yes. A valid new city address is on the checklist, and the city-approved address letter is one of the required uploads. [1] ### Can a panel upgrade go on the same permit as the ADU? No. A dual meter or main panel upgrade that replaces the house's meter needs a separate electrical-only permit under the house address. [1] ### Does Moreno Valley charge fees on a small ADU? State law bars impact fees on ADUs of 750 square feet or less. [2] The city's checklist separately lists Special Financing District fees for any new dwelling unit. [1] Which charges count as impact fees is covered under [what isn't an impact fee](https://www.lotlinepermits.com/california/laws/adu-impact-fees/#what-isnt-an-impact-fee). ## References 1. Attached / Converted Space Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Minimum Plan Submittal Requirements. City of Moreno Valley, Building and Safety. https://moval.gov/adu/adu-attached.html (read 2026-11-10) 2. California Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 13, Article 1 (Sections 66310 to 66313.5). California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=7.&part=&chapter=13.&article=1. (read 2026-11-10) General information only, not legal advice. See https://www.lotlinepermits.com/disclaimer/