South Whittier · ADU permits
ADU permits in South Whittier
How to build a ADU in South Whittier: permit pathway through LA County Public Works (Building & Safety), drawings required, local watch-outs, and a free address-level wizard for your South Whittier lot.
South Whittier context
South Whittier is functionally distinct from the City of Whittier despite sharing the name. Permits run through LA County DPW Building & Safety at the Alhambra office via EPIC-LA. Mid-tier home values + dense single-family stock support steady long-term rental ADU economics.
- Permit agency
- LA County Public Works (Building & Safety)
- Median lot size
- 6,000 sqft
- ADU permits issued (2025)
- 112Source: HCD 2025 total (1,278) distributed proportionally across 2024 per-area shares. 2024: 130.
South Whittier ADU ordinance
Verified against LA County Public Works (Building & Safety)'s published ordinance on 2026-04-15. State law (CA Government Code §65852.2) overrides any locally-stricter rule.
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)
Permitting agency
LA County Public Works (Building & Safety), Alhambra office
NOT Whittier city. EPIC-LA portal for online submission.
Local processing time
60 days from complete submittal (state-mandated)
Drawings you'll need to submit
Type your address. See if you can build an ADU, what kind, and exactly how to permit it.
- Site plan (parcel layout + setbacks)
- Proposed floor plan
- Elevations (each side)
- Title 24 CF1R energy compliance
PermitPathLA generates the site plan free from your South Whittier address. The other drawings come from your architect or plan firm — we list pre-approved options in the wizard.
South Whittier watch-outs for ADU
Local quirks
Don't file with Whittier — file with LA County DPW
South Whittier residents frequently start permits with the City of Whittier's building department, then have to restart with LA County DPW. Verify your parcel's jurisdiction (LA County Assessor parcel lookup) before submitting.
Run your South Whittier address through the wizard
We pull your parcel polygon from county GIS, apply South Whittier ordinance + state baseline rules, generate the site plan, and walk you through the LA County Public Works (Building & Safety) submittal. Free, no signup.