Westside · LA County
ADU permits in Santa Monica
Zip codes:9040190402904039040490405
Santa Monica is an independent coastal city of about 93,000 people, west of West Los Angeles between the Pacific Ocean and the 405 freeway. It runs its own building and planning departments, with an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance shaped heavily by California Coastal Act jurisdiction for ocean-adjacent parcels. The city has been one of the more proactive LA-area cities on ADU streamlining — published its own checklist and runs a dedicated ADU-permit-counter.
Independent city — not LADBS
Santa Monica runs its own building department. Permits go through Santa Monica Community Development 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 Santa Monica ordinance breakdown below covers the city-specific permit path.
Santa Monica 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
93,000
2020 Census
Single-family homes
~14,500
LA County Assessor
Median lot size
5,600 sqft
Approximate
Median home value
$2.2M
Zillow / Redfin
What makes Santa Monica different
Santa Monica's ADU ordinance lives in Santa Monica Municipal Code Title 9. The city is split for permitting purposes by Coastal Zone status: anything between the ocean and roughly Ocean Avenue / Neilson Way is in the Coastal Zone and needs a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) on top of the building permit; everything inland is standard. Plan check is typically 45-60 days for non-Coastal ADUs.
Santa Monica ADU ordinance — the rules that apply
Last verified: 2026-05-12
The current ADU rules in Santa Monica, 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 for any parcel in the Coastal Zone Adds 3-9 months and $1K-$3K. Sand-adjacent + parts of Ocean Park affected. |
| Design review | Required for ADUs over 800 sqft visible from public right-of-way Triggered for the larger ADU builds. Adds 30-60 days. |
| Local processing time | 45-60 days for non-Coastal ADUs (state-mandated 60-day clock) |
| Pre-approved standard plans | Santa Monica maintains an internal standard-ADU-plan-check checklist (not a free standard plan, but a streamlined-review path) |
Active overlays + extra rules in Santa Monica
City overlays + state-level designations that hit a meaningful share of Santa Monica parcels. Each affects what you can build, how long it takes, or how much it costs.
California Coastal Zone
~25% of parcelsCoastal-side parcels (west of Ocean Avenue + parts of Ocean Park) require a Coastal Development Permit. Adds 3-9 months and $1K-$3K.
Ocean Park Historic Resources
~10% of parcelsMid-1900s bungalow blocks in Ocean Park face design-review compatibility rules for exterior-visible ADUs.
Wilshire/4th-Street Tsunami-Inundation Zone
~15% of parcelsBuilding codes for ocean-proximate ground-floor spaces. Doesn't typically block ADU permits but does affect foundation + utility placement.
Watch-outs specific to Santa Monica
Patterns we see across Santa MonicaADU permits. None are dealbreakers — they're just the things people get wrong most often.
- 01
Coastal Development Permit timing dominates the schedule, not plan check
Santa Monica's 45-day plan check is usually fast. The schedule risk is the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) — 3-6 months on its own, plus a 49-day appeal window where the California Coastal Commission can pull jurisdiction. Plan your construction start around the CDP, not the building permit.
- 02
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified school fees apply
SMMUSD charges school facility fees on ADUs over 500 sqft. Around $4.79/sqft on the residential rate.
- 03
Lot widths in Ocean Park are tight
Ocean Park bungalow blocks have lots that are often 35-40 ft wide. After 4 ft side setbacks and the primary house, ADU placement gets creative. Attached or above-garage Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) are usually the only feasible option.
- 04
Santa Monica's standard-ADU-plan-check path is faster than full design review
If your ADU is under 800 sqft, single-story, and meets standard setbacks, Santa Monica has a streamlined plan-check path that skips full architectural review. Worth asking the permit counter about — many homeowners design just outside the threshold by accident.
Need a person, not a wizard?
Routes that fit Santa Monica
Based on what we know about Santa Monica, these are the lead types that usually make sense here. Pick whichever fits your situation. All free, no obligation.
Complex permit context
Request a Santa Monica permit referral
Coastal, hillside, historic, fire-zone, or multi-overlay parcels in Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica projects.
Complex permit context
Request a Santa Monica permit referral
Coastal, hillside, historic, fire-zone, or multi-overlay parcels in Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica projects.
Talk to our financing broker
Want someone to walk you through your options?
Our in-house broker has 30+ years in LA mortgage and ADU financing. He'll lay out HELOC, construction-to-perm, and ADU-specific products like Renofi against your situation — free, no obligation.
Talk to our financing broker
Want someone to walk you through your options?
Our in-house broker has 30+ years in LA mortgage and ADU financing. He'll lay out HELOC, construction-to-perm, and ADU-specific products like Renofi against your situation — free, no obligation.
Plans that fit Santa Monica lots
Santa Monicadoesn'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:
Amenities + civic services in Santa Monica
Parks, libraries, and the school district that serve the area. Context that matters for renter appeal, family relocation, and long-term resale.
Parks + sports
Palisades Park
Ocean Avenue, along the cliff
Iconic linear cliff-top park overlooking the Pacific. Original 1892 park with mature palm trees. The defining Santa Monica image.
Cliff-top park with ocean views
- Picnic
- Trails
Tongva Park
Ocean Avenue + Main Street (Civic Center)
2013-opened modern public park designed by James Corner Field Operations (also designed the High Line in NYC). Sculpted topography, water features, and a kids' garden.
- Playground
- Picnic
- Amphitheater
Memorial Park
Olympic Boulevard + 14th Street
Recreation-heavy park near the Memorial Park Metro Expo station. Pool, gym, fields.
Public swimming pool
- Pool
- Baseball
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Tennis
- Community Center
- Picnic
Reed Park
Wilshire Blvd + Lincoln, downtown
Compact downtown park with tennis + basketball. Adjacent to the Pico Branch Library.
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Playground
- Picnic
Santa Monica State Beach + Pier
Ocean Avenue at Colorado
Three miles of public beach + the iconic 1909 Santa Monica Pier. AVP volleyball, the historic carousel, Pacific Park amusements.
- Volleyball
- Trails
Libraries
Santa Monica Main Library
Santa Monica Public Library
Santa Monica Blvd + 6th Street
LEED Gold-certified main library, rebuilt 2005. Independent of LA County Library.
Ocean Park Branch Library
Santa Monica Public Library
Main Street, Ocean Park
1918-built Carnegie library, renovated 2022. Historic neighborhood landmark.
Montana Avenue Branch Library
Santa Monica Public Library
Montana Avenue + 17th Street
Pico Branch Library
Santa Monica Public Library
Pico Boulevard + 17th Street (Virginia Avenue Park)
Public schools
School assignments vary by exact address. The district + notable schools below cover most of the area.
District
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD)
Notable schools in the area
- Santa Monica High School
- John Adams Middle School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Roosevelt Elementary
- Crossroads School (private)
- New Roads School (private)
SMMUSD covers both Santa Monica and Malibu (a 35-mile geographic split). Generally well-regarded — drives Santa Monica home premiums.
Getting around Santa Monica
Highly walkable + bike-friendly throughout. Metro E Line (Expo) terminus at downtown Santa Monica is the second-most-used station in the entire LA Metro system.
Transit + walkability
Metro Rail
- E Line (Expo) — Downtown Santa Monica, 17th/SMC, 26th/Bergamot
Bus lines
- Metro Rapid 720 (Wilshire to DTLA)
- Big Blue Bus Rapid 7, 10, 12 + 14 local routes
- Metro 4 (Santa Monica to DTLA)
Walkability
Among the most-walkable cities in LA County. Downtown, Ocean Park, Main Street, and Montana Avenue are exceptionally pedestrian-friendly.
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 Santa Monica. Useful for travel, commute, and any flight-path noise concerns on specific parcels.
Los Angeles International (LAX)
~8 miInternational
Santa Monica Airport (SMO)
~2 miGeneral aviation
Scheduled to close in 2028 per the 2017 FAA-City of Santa Monica consent decree. The future of the land is contested — some plans call for a park, some for housing.
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
~18 miRegional / domestic
Community + landmarks in Santa Monica
Annual events, landmarks, and the places that anchor the area's identity. Context for renter appeal and long-term resale.
Annual events
Twilight Concerts on the Pier
Thursday evenings, July through August · since 1985
Free outdoor concert series on the Santa Monica Pier. Anchored Santa Monica's summer evenings for decades.
Source ↗Santa Monica Festival
Spring (one Saturday)
Free day-long arts + culture festival at Clover Park. Music, food, kids' activities.
Source ↗Pier 360 Festival
Summer (one weekend)
Beach sports + fitness festival on Santa Monica State Beach. Volleyball, surfing, paddle boarding, yoga.
Source ↗
What makes Santa Monica Santa Monica
Landmark
Santa Monica Pier
1909-built pier with Pacific Park amusement rides, the historic 1922 carousel, and Pier-end fishing. One of LA County's most-visited landmarks.
Pedestrian shopping
Third Street Promenade
Three-block pedestrian-only street between Wilshire and Broadway. Open-air shopping, dining, street performers.
Public beachfront facility
Annenberg Community Beach House
Public beach club on the original Marion Davies estate. Pool, beach access, art exhibits, summer programming.
Nearby areas to Santa Monica
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
Venice →
Most complicated permit terrain in LA. 6-12 month timelines vs. 3-5 months elsewhere. Highest rental yields once you're done.
LA City
Mar Vista →
Westside permit middle-ground — east of Lincoln is fast, west of Lincoln needs Coastal Zone approval.
LA City
Pacific Palisades →
Post-fire rebuild zone. Most regulated permit terrain in LA (coastal + hillside + fire). Higher per-project spend than anywhere except Hollywood Hills.
Independent city
Malibu →
Premium lot values and large parcels give Malibu exceptional Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) economics in theory. In practice, near-universal Coastal Development Permit (CDP) requirements plus active post-fire rebuilds make Malibu the most procedurally complex city on this list.
Frequently asked questions about Santa Monica ADUs
›Can I build an ADU in Santa Monica?
Yes. Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica Community Development Department, not LADBS — see the ordinance table above for the specific rules.
›How does Santa Monica differ from LA City for ADU permits?
Three main differences: the permit agency (Santa Monica Community Development 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 Santa Monica?
Median home value in Santa Monica is around $2.2M, 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 Santa Monica have pre-approved standard plans like LA's YOU-ADU?
No. Unlike LADBS, Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica address?
Yes. The wizard pulls real zoning, overlay, and parcel data for any Los Angeles County address, including Santa Monica. What you'll see today: feasibility for your specific lot, the overlays that apply, and a routing summary pointing at Santa Monica Community Development Department for the permit submittal. Deeper Santa Monica-specific permit walkthroughs are next on the roadmap as we expand from LADBS into the independent-city ordinances.
Ready to see what your Santa Monica lot can do?
Our free address checker pulls real zoning, overlay, and parcel data for any Los Angeles County address — including Santa Monica. Start there and we'll surface what applies to your specific lot.
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