Los Angeles permit
Build an ADU in Los Angeles
Type your address. See if you can build an ADU, what kind, and exactly how to permit it.
Check your address first
Get the verdict + zoning + overlays + LADBS forms specific to your lot. Free, no signup.
Run feasibility check →Drawings we generate for you
Auto-drawn from your address using LARIAC orthoimagery, parcel polygons, and Microsoft Building Footprints.
- Site plan
- Proposed floor plan
- Elevations
- Title 24 CF1R
The permit pathway
Phase 01
Confirm feasibility
Verify your lot can take a detached ADU
California state law (Gov Code §65852.2) lets virtually every single-family lot in LA add at least one ADU. But you need to know your zone, lot size, and any overlays (hillside, HPOZ, fault zone) before committing to a plan.
Phase 02
Confirm your plan
YOU-ADU (free) is selected by default
We've selected YOU-ADU — the City of LA's own 455 sqft / 1-bed / 1-story plan. It's the only fully-free option, comes in 3 façade styles, and skips the architect entirely. Want different? Switch to one of the 80+ designer plans (paid, $2K–$8K license).
Phase 03
Prepare submittal package
Build the plot plan + title sheet
LADBS requires the YOU-ADU drawings PLUS a property-specific title sheet and plot plan. This is the only design work you need to do. Many homeowners hire a draftsperson ($500–$2,000) instead of doing it themselves.
Phase 04
Submit for plan check
Upload to ePlanLA, pay plan check fee, address corrections
Submit electronically through ePlanLA — LADBS engineers review for code compliance. They issue a corrections list; you revise and resubmit. Usually 1–2 rounds for a clean YOU-ADU submittal.
Phase 05
Issue permits
Pay remaining fees, pull all trade permits
Once plans are approved, you pay the balance of the building permit fee plus state/green/records surcharges and pull the trade-specific permits.
Phase 06
Construction & inspections
Build it, inspect at each stage
Now that all permits (building + electrical + plumbing + mechanical + solar) are issued, construction can legally start. Your contractor builds in stages, and each stage stops for an LADBS inspection BEFORE the next can begin. Inspectors verify the work matches the approved plans — they're the verification step. Don't bury anything you haven't passed inspection on (foundation rebar, plumbing rough, electrical rough): you'll have to dig it up.
Phase 07
Certificate of Occupancy
Get the keys
Once all final inspections pass, LADBS issues the Certificate of Occupancy — the legal document that says the ADU can be lived in. Bureau of Engineering assigns the official ADU address. Utility connections (LADWP) finalized.
What the code requires
Typical baseline for an R1 lot with no overlays. The wizard adjusts these for your specific zone + overlays (Hillside, HPOZ, VHFHSZ, Coastal, etc.). Every value cites its source code section.
| Rule | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Side setback | 4 ft | CA Government Code 65852.2(a)(1)(D) |
| Rear setback | 4 ft | CA Government Code 65852.2(a)(1)(D) |
| Front setback | 0 ft | CA Government Code 65852.2(a)(1)(D) |
| Max height | 16 ft | CA Government Code 65852.2(c)(2)(A) |
| Max size | 1200 sqft | CA Government Code 65852.2(c)(2)(B) |
| Separation from primary | 10 ft | LAMC 12.21C5(d) |
| Clear access path | 30 ft | LAMC 12.22C20(l) |
Additional requirements
- ADU is allowed by-right on virtually all single-family + multi-family residential lots per CA state law. Local zoning cannot prohibit ADUs that meet state criteria.CA Government Code 65852.2, CA Government Code 65852.22
- No replacement parking required for the primary dwelling within 1/2 mile of major transit, in HPOZ, on a one-way street, or where on-street parking is permitted at night.CA Government Code 65852.2(d)(1)