Yes, very. As of October 2026, none of the four follows Austin's HOME rules. Cedar Park caps detached ADUs at 650 gross sq ft and bars separate rental; Pflugerville requires the owner to live in the main house; Round Rock lists a connected ADU in only one district; and Georgetown has been adopting a new development code.
How do the four compare?
| City | Key ADU limits, as published | Rental |
|---|---|---|
| Round Rock | Connected ADU listed as permitted only in SF-3; garage conversions allowed in other districts under separate rules, with no added utility meters | Not addressed in the sections reviewed |
| Cedar Park | One per lot; detached 400 sq ft minimum, 600 sq ft first floor, 650 gross sq ft total; no separate utilities; no prefab or metal buildings | Not allowed separately from the main home |
| Pflugerville | Up to half of the main home's first-floor living area; owner lives in main house; no separate water or wastewater meter for detached units | Owner occupancy required |
| Georgetown | New code scheduled for November 1, 2026; city describes one ADU per residence with setback, parking and utility rules | Under the 2016 rules, only on owner-occupied properties |
Why are they so different from Austin?
Texas has no statewide ADU law, so each city decides for itself. Austin rewrote its residential rules with HOME in 2023 and 2024; the suburbs largely kept older accessory-unit rules written around family use. See Texas ADU law.
It depends: what should I check for my suburban lot?
- The zoning district on your lot, which decides whether an ADU is a listed use.
- The current code text, since several of these cities have rewrites underway.
- Your HOA's declaration, which in many suburban subdivisions adds its own limits.
- Whether a family suite, not a rental, meets your goal; that is what most suburban codes are built around.
Can I just build a guest room instead?
Sometimes. Space without a full kitchen is often treated as part of the main home rather than a separate dwelling. Whether that works depends on each city's definitions, so we check them before design.
Sources, as of October 2026:
- Cedar Park Code section 11.04.032, as reproduced by Zoneomics.
- Pflugerville Unified Development Code section 4.6.3, as reproduced by Zoneomics.
- Round Rock zoning code use table (Sec. 2-25), as reproduced by Zoneomics; Community Impact (2016) on garage conversions.
- Community Impact, Georgetown ADU amendments (2016) and Unified Development Code update (April 2026).