Woodbury's city code explicitly prohibits using accessory structures as independent dwellings. Here's what that means and what your options are.
Woodbury's City Code directly and explicitly prohibits accessory dwelling units on typical residential lots. City Code §24-233, "Certain dwelling units prohibited," states: "No garage, tent, trailer, basement, recreational vehicle or accessory building shall be used as an independent dwelling." This directly blocks both basement apartments and detached-structure conversions - a confirmed prohibition, not just an absence of a permitting pathway.
One narrow exception exists: manufactured homes may be used as a farm-worker "accessory dwelling unit," but only on farms of 75 acres or more, via an annual special use permit reviewed by City Council (City Code Chapter 12, Manufactured Homes). This is not a general-purpose ADU allowance - it applies only to large working farms with farm-worker housing needs, and is not a realistic option for most homeowners.
This prohibition text was directly quoted from the code and was consistent across two independent searches, so confidence in this finding is medium-high. If you have direct knowledge of an additional ADU pathway in Woodbury, we'd like to hear about it - see the contact link below.
| Build a shed or detached garage | Standard accessory structures are allowed, but City Code §24-233 bars using them as an independent dwelling. |
| Finish your basement for your own use | You can renovate a basement for your own household, just not as a legally separate, independently-occupied unit. |
| The farm-worker exception | A narrow allowance exists for manufactured-home farm-worker housing on farms of 75+ acres via annual special use permit - not applicable to typical residential lots. |
| Consider a nearby city | St. Paul, bordering Woodbury, is one of the most ADU-friendly cities in the metro (9/10) - though of course it's a different city and property. See the full city comparison. |