Yes, on most Paradise Valley lots. The Town allows a guest house as an accessory building in its residential districts, but it has to be one story, sit well back from the property lines and stay within size limits tied to your main home. It can’t be rented on its own, and a full kitchen needs the Town’s sign-off before you design one in.
Why Paradise Valley Plays by Its Own Rules
You may have heard that Arizona now requires cities to allow casitas. That 2024 state law applies to cities and towns with more than 75,000 residents, which covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Paradise Valley is a much smaller town, so it keeps its own guest house rules, written to protect the open, low-density feel people move here for.
The good news is that those rules are clear. Once you know them, a guest house becomes a design question instead of a guessing game.
The Rules at a Glance
These come from the Town’s Zoning Ordinance. Your lot’s zoning district sets the exact numbers, and most Paradise Valley homes sit in R-43 (one-acre) zoning.
| Rule | What it means for your guest house |
|---|---|
| Height | One story. 16 feet in R-43 and R-175, 15 feet in the smaller-lot districts, measured from the lowest natural grade. |
| Setbacks | 60 feet from the front in most districts. 20 feet from the rear and sides in R-43, 10 feet in R-35 and R-18, and more where that side faces a street. |
| Size | All accessory buildings together can cover no more than half of your main home’s first-floor area, and they count toward the Town’s 25 percent floor area limit. |
| Rental | A guest house can’t be leased separately from the main home. |
| Kitchen | The Town’s definition covers a bathroom, not a kitchen. Get written approval from the Town before adding cooking facilities. |
Attached or Detached?
A detached guest house gives visitors real privacy and can be placed to frame a view or anchor the backyard. It also has to meet every accessory building rule above.
An attached casita is built as an addition to the main home, with its own entry and a door or hallway connecting it to the house. It’s generally reviewed as part of the main house rather than as a separate building, which can open up options on a tighter lot. It also suits family members who want their own space but still want to be close. Ask the Town early which way your design will be read, because it changes the numbers you design to.
Plan the Whole Site, Not Just the Building
A guest house touches everything around it, so plan these at the same time as the floor plan:
- Hillside status. Hillside lots add a staging plan, financial assurance and sometimes committee review.
- Drainage. Adding 999 square feet or more of hard surface calls for a sealed grading and drainage plan.
- Utilities. Water, sewer or septic, power and cooling all need a path from the main house.
- Your HOA. Paradise Valley building permits include an HOA acknowledgment, so bring them in early.
At one Paradise Valley home, we renovated the backyard and built an attached casita onto the house, giving the family a private place for guests without anyone leaving home. You can see it on our Projects page.
The best guest house is designed around the Town’s rules from the very first sketch.
THE WISE TEAMHow We Work
We’re a design-build team, so the same people who draw your guest house also build it, and the Town’s requirements are part of the design from day one. Our owner, an Air Force veteran, is personally on site, and we’re licensed, bonded and insured. Learn more about our Custom Casitas, Guest Houses and ADUs, our work in Paradise Valley and our luxury remodels and custom homes across the Phoenix Valley.
Quick Questions
Can I rent out my Paradise Valley guest house?
Not on its own. The Town doesn’t allow an accessory building to be leased separately from the main home, so the property would have to be rented as a whole.
Can a casita in Paradise Valley be two stories?
No. Accessory buildings are limited to one story, and 15 or 16 feet tall depending on your zoning district.
Is there a maximum size?
There’s no set square footage, but all accessory buildings together can’t exceed half of your main home’s first-floor area, and they count toward the Town’s floor area limit.
Keep Reading
Sources: Town of Paradise Valley Zoning Ordinance (Sections 201, 1001, 1004 and 1005) and Permits and Handouts. Rules can change, so confirm current requirements with the Town at 480-348-3692.