ADUs & Accessory Dwelling Units in Camas, WA

For adus & accessory dwelling units in Camas, the right approach starts with the local housing. Camas is one of the Vancouver-metro communities in Clark County that we serve across Southwest Washington.

Camas sits at roughly 82 feet, low on the valley floor, where a high water table and slow-draining ground keep crawlspaces, foundations, and the bottom courses of siding damp well after the rain stops. PRISM's 1991-2020 climate normals put it at about 49.2 inches of precipitation a year. For adus & accessory dwelling units, that matters most in the parts you never see: indoor humidity has few chances to dry out, so exhaust ventilation sized to the room, a continuous vapor and air-control layer, and properly detailed wet-area waterproofing do more for the life of the work than any finish selection. Camas also sits at the western gate of the Columbia River Gorge, where east wind drives rain horizontally into walls that would stay dry elsewhere in the county — so adus & accessory dwelling units here is detailed for wind-driven water, and any James Hardie cladding follows the HZ5 guidance for this zone, all under the Washington State Energy Code.

This page covers adus & accessory dwelling units specifically for Camas. For the full service details, see our ADUs & Accessory Dwelling Units page, or explore all the remodeling work we do in Camas.

Camas's housing stock tells the story of a former paper-mill town turned fast-growing suburb. Downtown Camas and the streets closest to the old mill hold smaller early-to-mid-1900s homes with real character and, often, original single-pane windows and dated wiring. Up the hill, Prune Hill and Dawson's Landing are dominated by 1990s-onward and newer custom and semi-custom construction with open layouts and larger lots. Because Camas sits at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, homes here see stronger, more consistent wind than communities further from the river, which we factor into siding fastening schedules, flashing details, and exterior trim as much as the region's rain and moisture.

From Downtown Camas, Prune Hill, and Dawson's Landing to the rest of Camas, we match every adus & accessory dwelling units project to the age, construction, and condition of your specific home rather than a one-size-fits-all spec.

County

Clark County

Permitting authority

City of Camas — Community Development

Elevation

82 ftCopernicus DEM GLO-90 at the city center

Annual precipitation

49.2 inPRISM 1991-2020 normals, 800 m grid at the city center

Climate zone

Marine 4CWashington State Energy Code climate zone

• Detached, attached, and garage-conversion ADUs
• Feasibility review against your lot, setbacks, and utilities
• Full architectural plans and Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) compliance
• Permitting under Washington's statewide ADU law (HB 1337) and local city or county standards
• New electrical, water, sewer, and gas connections or sub-panels
• Kitchens, bathrooms, and complete interior finishing
• Rental, home-office, and multigenerational layouts
• Foundation and framing suited to your site's drainage and soil
• Rain-screen siding and moisture-managed building envelope
• Coordination of the whole project under one contract

1. 01

   Feasibility & Site Review

   We look at your lot size, setbacks, existing structures, and where utilities run, then confirm what type and size of ADU your property and jurisdiction allow under Washington's statewide ADU law and any applicable local ordinance.

2. 02

   Design & Plans

   We develop the floor plan, elevations, and WSEC energy documentation, tailoring the unit to how you'll use it — rental, family suite, or flex space — and to how it sits alongside the main home.

3. 03

   Permitting

   We submit the plans, respond to plan-check comments, and pull the permit for your city or county — City of Vancouver, Clark County, Camas, Washougal, and the other jurisdictions we work in each have their own review process.

4. 04

   Construction & Utilities

   We build the foundation, framing, and shell, run the electrical, plumbing, and any gas or HVAC, and complete the interior — kitchen, bath, flooring, and finishes — coordinating each inspection along the way.

5. 05

   Final Inspection & Handoff

   We complete the final building inspection, walk the finished unit with you, and hand off the space ready to occupy or rent.

Typical timeline: Typically 4 – 9 months. We provide a written schedule after assessing your Camas home.

Permit requirements for adus & accessory dwelling units in Camas are handled through City of Camas — Community Development. Because Washington building rules — including the Washington State Energy Code and local amendments — vary from one jurisdiction to the next, we confirm what your specific address requires and pull the permits and schedule the inspections the scope calls for.

• Building permits are required for structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work
• Exterior work such as siding, window, and roofing replacement typically requires a permit and inspection
• New construction and most remodels must meet the Washington State Energy Code (WSEC)
• Accessory dwelling units are governed by Washington's statewide ADU law (HB 1337) and city standards — we prepare and submit all applications