The short answer
An ADU permit in Los Angeles is where most projects lose three to six months. LADBS has to approve the drawings, Building and Safety has to clear structural and energy, and depending on your parcel you may also need Planning, Fire, Public Works or the Bureau of Sanitation.
Typical cost in Los Angeles
$14,000 to $26,000
Design, engineering and city fees for a typical detached unit
An ADU permit in Los Angeles is where most projects lose three to six months. LADBS has to approve the drawings, Building and Safety has to clear structural and energy, and depending on your parcel you may also need Planning, Fire, Public Works or the Bureau of Sanitation. We produce the drawing set, file it, and clear every correction cycle so you are never the one chasing a plan checker.
What the drawing set contains
- Site plan with setbacks, existing structures, easements and utility runs
- Floor plans, elevations, sections and a roof plan
- Structural drawings with calculations stamped by a licensed engineer
- Title 24 energy compliance report and a HERS testing plan
- Green code, stormwater and, on some parcels, a landscape and tree protection sheet
Departments that may need to sign off
- LADBS Building and Safety, always
- Planning, if the parcel has a specific plan, HPOZ or coastal overlay
- Fire, when access distance or hydrant flow triggers review
- Public Works, for sewer capacity or a driveway apron change
- Bureau of Sanitation, for a new sewer lateral connection
Realistic permit timeline
- Two to four weeks to survey the lot and produce the drawing set
- Four to eight weeks for the first LADBS plan check response
- Two to four weeks per correction cycle, with one or two cycles typical
- One to two weeks for clearances and fee payment after approval
- Total: 3 to 5 months for a standard detached ADU with no overlay complications
Get a straight answer on your lot in 48 hours
Send the property address. We pull the parcel data, zoning, setbacks and any overlay, then tell you whether a design & permits works on it, what size fits and roughly what it costs. No site visit needed and no obligation.
Free 48-hour lot check
One field that matters: the address.
Common questions
How much do ADU permits cost in Los Angeles?
Plan on $14,000 to $26,000 for design, structural engineering, Title 24 and city fees on a typical detached unit. School fees and utility connection fees are separate and depend on square footage.
How long does LADBS plan check take?
Four to eight weeks for the first response, then two to four weeks per correction cycle. Two cycles is normal. A complete first submittal is the single biggest thing that shortens it.
Can I pull the permit myself as an owner-builder?
Legally yes. In practice, owner-builder permits on ADUs go badly more often than not, because the corrections come back in code language and every reply cycle costs weeks. It also shifts liability to you.
What is a ministerial ADU approval?
State law makes most ADU approvals ministerial, meaning the city must approve a compliant application without discretionary review, hearings or neighbor notification, within 60 days of a complete submittal.
Does an HPOZ block an ADU?
No, but it adds a design review layer. Historic Preservation Overlay Zones in areas like Angelino Heights or Windsor Square constrain materials, window type and visibility from the street. We design to those rules up front.
Related ADU types
Comparing options? A garage conversion is the cheapest path to a legal unit, a detached ADU earns the most, and the JADU stack can put both on one lot. Cost figures for every type are in the LA cost breakdown.
Areas we build in
Sherman Oaks / Van Nuys / Pasadena / Glendale / Burbank / Santa Monica / Long Beach / Torrance / North Hollywood / Studio City / Woodland Hills / Encino / Northridge / Culver City / Inglewood / Silver Lake and across Los Angeles County.