South Bay · LA County

ADU permits in Long Beach

Zip codes:9080290803908049080590806908079080890810908139081490815

Long Beach is the second-largest city in Los Angeles County (after Los Angeles itself), with about 466,000 people. It runs its own building, planning, and development-services departments — Long Beach Development Services is one of the larger non-LADBS permit agencies in California. The city's Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance is detailed and proactive; Long Beach has been one of the more ADU-friendly cities in Los Angeles County since the 2020 state preemption.

Independent city — not LADBS

Long Beach runs its own building department. Permits go through Long Beach Development Services Department ↗, not the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Our address checker pulls real zoning + overlay data for any Los Angeles County address. The Long Beach ordinance breakdown below covers the city-specific permit path.

Check your specific lot →Cost estimator

Long Beach by the numbers

Rounded figures from the 2020 US Census, LA County Assessor parcel data, and the city's own published reports. Estimates only — your specific lot can vary widely.

Population

466,000

2020 Census

Single-family homes

~102,000

LA County Assessor

Median lot size

4,800 sqft

Approximate

Median home value

$0.8M

Zillow / Redfin

What makes Long Beach different

Long Beach's ADU ordinance lives in Long Beach Municipal Code Title 21. The city aligns with the California state baseline plus several local streamlining provisions. Coastal Development Permit (CDP) requirements only apply to the harbor + shore-adjacent parcels (Belmont Shore, Naples Island, downtown harbor). Most of the city is Coastal-Zone-free. The Long Beach Airport (LGB) Airport-Influence Area covers a significant central + east-side swath.

Long Beach ADU ordinance — the rules that apply

Last verified: 2026-05-12

The current ADU rules in Long Beach, sourced from the city's published ordinance and verified against CA Government Code §65852.2 (which preempts local rules stricter than state baselines). When you see "state default," that means the city can't reduce below this number under state law.

Max detached ADU size	1,200 sqft (state default)
Max ADU height	16 ft / 18 ft with second-story setbacks
Setbacks	4 ft side / 4 ft rear (state minimum)
Coastal Development Permit (CDP)	Required only for harbor + shore-adjacent parcels Belmont Shore, Naples Island, downtown harbor + Bluff Park area. Most of the city is exempt.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) Airport-Influence Area construction	Sound-attenuation rules in the central + east-side swath under the LGB flight path Affects substantial portions of the city.
Oil-derrick + petroleum-zone proximity review	Required for parcels adjacent to active oil operations Affects pockets in north Long Beach + Signal Hill-adjacent areas. Rare for residential ADU sites but flagged on submittal.
Local processing time	45-60 days for standard ADUs
Pre-approved standard plans	Long Beach maintains a Pre-Approved Plan Library (PAPL) with several free city-vetted ADU designs Similar to LADBS YOU-ADU model — fastest path to a permit.

Source: Long Beach Development Services Department ↗

Active overlays + extra rules in Long Beach

City overlays + state-level designations that hit a meaningful share of Long Beach parcels. Each affects what you can build, how long it takes, or how much it costs.

California Coastal Zone (harbor + Belmont Shore + Naples)

~10% of parcels

CDP required. Affects 8-12% of city parcels.

Long Beach Airport (LGB) Airport-Influence Area

~45% of parcels

Central + east-side parcels under LGB flight paths require sound-attenuation construction.

Tsunami Inundation Zone (Peninsula + Naples Island)

~4% of parcels

Foundation + utility-placement implications for low-lying ocean-adjacent parcels.

Watch-outs specific to Long Beach

Patterns we see across Long BeachADU permits. None are dealbreakers — they're just the things people get wrong most often.

01
Use the city's Pre-Approved Plan Library if you can
Long Beach maintains a free Pre-Approved Plan Library (PAPL) with several city-vetted ADU designs. Same-day or near-same-day permit issuance on these — significantly faster than custom plans. Worth checking before commissioning a custom designer.
02
Belmont Shore + Naples lots are tight and Coastal Zone
Long Beach's shore-adjacent parcels are smaller than the inland blocks and require a Coastal Development Permit (CDP). Plan timelines + budget accordingly.
03
LBUSD school fees apply over 500 sqft
Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) — one of California's largest districts — charges school facility fees on ADUs over 500 sqft.
04
Most of Long Beach is great Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) territory
Inland Long Beach has reasonable lot sizes, fast plan check, free pre-approved plans, no Coastal Zone hassle, and rental demand from the port + downtown employment base. The dollar-for-dollar Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) economics are some of the strongest in LA County.

Need a person, not a wizard?

Routes that fit Long Beach

Based on what we know about Long Beach, these are the lead types that usually make sense here. Pick whichever fits your situation. All free, no obligation.

Complex permit context

Request a Long Beach permit referral

Coastal, hillside, historic, fire-zone, or multi-overlay parcels in Long Beach usually mean a permit expediter pays for itself in saved months. We work with vetted Los Angeles permit expediters and expeditors (both spellings) who've handled Long Beach projects.

Plans that fit Long Beach lots

Long Beachdoesn't maintain a city-specific pre-approved plan library the way the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) does. California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)-approved prefab (which bypasses local plan check) and custom designer plans are the main paths:

City of Los Angeles

YOU-ADU

Custom designer plan.

View City of Los Angeles →

Connect Homes

ADU14 · ADU15

HCD-certified — skips local plan check.

View Connect Homes →

Amenities + civic services in Long Beach

Parks, libraries, and the school district that serve the area. Context that matters for renter appeal, family relocation, and long-term resale.

Parks + sports

El Dorado Regional Park

Spring Street + Studebaker Road, east Long Beach

800-acre regional park with a nature center, golf course, archery range, and lake. One of the largest parks in southern LA County.

Trails
Fishing
Playground
Picnic
Amphitheater

Recreation Park

7th Street + Federation Drive, central Long Beach

Sprawling park with golf course, baseball, soccer, and the Long Beach Tennis Center.

Tennis
Baseball
Soccer
Playground
Picnic

Bixby Park

1st Street + Cherry Avenue, downtown

Long Beach's oldest park (1903). Hosts the long-running summer concert + movie series.

Playground
Picnic
Amphitheater

Heartwell Park

Carson Street, central Long Beach

Long linear park along Carson Street with disc golf, soccer, baseball, and walking paths.

Disc golf course

Disc Golf
Soccer
Baseball
Playground
Trails
Picnic

Marine Stadium + Mother's Beach

Marine Stadium Park, southeast Long Beach

Olympic rowing venue (1932 Games) + protected swim beach.

Fishing
Playground
Picnic

Libraries

Long Beach Main Library
Long Beach Public Library
Civic Center, Pacific Avenue
Recently rebuilt (2019) main branch of the Long Beach Public Library system — 11 branches citywide.
Bay Shore Neighborhood Library
Long Beach Public Library
Belmont Shore, 2nd Street
Bret Harte Neighborhood Library
Long Beach Public Library
North Long Beach, Atlantic Avenue

Public schools

School assignments vary by exact address. The district + notable schools below cover most of the area.

District

Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)

Notable schools in the area

Long Beach Polytechnic High School (LBHS)
Wilson Classical High School
Lakewood High School
California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) — magnet at CSU Dominguez Hills

Long Beach Unified is one of California's largest school districts. Long Beach Polytechnic is one of the most academically + athletically renowned public high schools in the state.

Getting around Long Beach

Strong rail + bus access citywide. Long Beach is one of the most transit-served cities in LA County.

Transit + walkability

Metro Rail

A Line (Blue) — Downtown Long Beach to Downtown LA

Bus lines

Long Beach Transit Routes 1-46
Metro 60 (LB to DTLA)
Metro 232 (LB to LAX)

Walkability

Downtown, Belmont Shore, and the East Village are highly walkable. North Long Beach + the industrial west are car-dependent.

Transit parking exemption applies. Lots within ½ mile of a major transit corridor skip the off-street parking requirement for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) under California state rules. Confirm with the city or county that your specific parcel qualifies.

Nearby airports

Distance + type for each major Los Angeles-area airport reachable from Long Beach. Useful for travel, commute, and any flight-path noise concerns on specific parcels.

Long Beach Daugherty Field (LGB)
~1 mi
Regional / domestic
Inside city limits. Domestic-only commercial flights + general aviation. See the Airport-Influence Area overlay above.
Los Angeles International (LAX)
~20 mi
International
John Wayne Airport (SNA)
~16 mi
International

Community + landmarks in Long Beach

Annual events, landmarks, and the places that anchor the area's identity. Context for renter appeal and long-term resale.

Annual events

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Mid-April (3 days) · since 1975
Long Beach's signature event. IndyCar street race through downtown streets. One of the largest street races in North America.
Source ↗
Long Beach Pride Festival + Parade
Mid-July · since 1984
One of the largest Pride events in California.
Source ↗
Long Beach Jazz Festival
Mid-August (3 days)
Outdoor jazz festival at Rainbow Lagoon Park.
Source ↗
Long Beach Marathon
Mid-October · since 1982
Annual marathon + half-marathon along the coast.
Source ↗

What makes Long Beach Long Beach

Historic landmark

Queen Mary

1936 ocean liner permanently moored as a hotel + museum in the Port of Long Beach.

Museum

Aquarium of the Pacific

One of California's largest aquariums. Downtown waterfront.

Walkable districts

Belmont Shore + Naples Island

Belmont Shore's 2nd Street is the city's best walkable retail strip. Naples Island has Venice-style canals.

University

California State University Long Beach (CSULB)

Largest CSU campus by enrollment. Significant employer + renter base.

Nearby areas to Long Beach

Other Los Angeles-area pages worth a look. Each one runs different Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) rules depending on jurisdiction — we show you what changes when you cross a city or county line.

LA City

San Pedro →

Harbor Area anchor. Cheaper than central LA + family-use ADU patterns + partial Coastal Zone. Distinct culture from anywhere else in the city.

LA City

Wilmington →

Affordable Harbor-area home values, Port of Los Angeles employment access, and strong long-term rental demand drive solid Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) economics. Heavy industrial overlays (port, oil refining) add construction considerations.

Frequently asked questions about Long Beach ADUs

›Can I build an ADU in Long Beach?

Yes. Long Beach allows ADUs under its local ordinance, aligned with California Government Code §65852.2 (the state baseline that preempts overly-strict local rules). Most single-family lots can host one ADU plus one JADU. Permits go through Long Beach Development Services Department, not LADBS — see the ordinance table above for the specific rules.

›How does Long Beach differ from LA City for ADU permits?

Three main differences: the permit agency (Long Beach Development Services Department vs. LADBS), the local ordinance details (each city has some flexibility above the state baseline), and the timeline (some cities are faster, some slower than LA's 60-day plan check). See the ordinance breakdown above for the specifics on each.

›How much does it cost to build an ADU in Long Beach?

Median home value in Long Beach is around $0.8M, which usually means lot economics support a quality ADU build of $200K–$400K all-in. Hillside, coastal, or VHFHSZ lots add 7–25% on top. HCD-prefab units (Connect Homes, Cover, Plant Prefab) bypass local plan check entirely and typically run $190K–$350K turnkey.

›Does Long Beach have pre-approved standard plans like LA's YOU-ADU?

No. Unlike LADBS, Long Beach does not maintain a city-specific pre-approved plan library. The two faster paths are an HCD-approved prefab (factory-certified, skips local plan check) or a custom designer drawing for your lot. The slower path is a fully custom architect-led design.

›Will the PermitPathLA wizard work for my Long Beach address?

Yes. The wizard pulls real zoning, overlay, and parcel data for any Los Angeles County address, including Long Beach. What you'll see today: feasibility for your specific lot, the overlays that apply, and a routing summary pointing at Long Beach Development Services Department for the permit submittal. Deeper Long Beach-specific permit walkthroughs are next on the roadmap as we expand from LADBS into the independent-city ordinances.

Ready to see what your Long Beach lot can do?

Our free address checker pulls real zoning, overlay, and parcel data for any Los Angeles County address — including Long Beach. Start there and we'll surface what applies to your specific lot.

Check your address →

Reviewed by Yair Harpaz, Founder, PermitPathLA. California DRE-licensed broker with 30+ years of Los Angeles real estate and mortgage industry experience.

Long Beach ordinance data last reviewed May 12, 2026.

See an error or stale rule? corrections@permitpath.la

Primary sources: Long Beach planning · Long Beach Development Services Department permits