Service areas · Los Angeles, CA

Where we build ADUs: Los Angeles and nearby cities.

State ADU law is the same everywhere in California. The permit office, local overlays and pre-approved plan options are not. Here is how it works in each city we serve.

PasadenaOlder housing stock, historic districts and foothill lots. A city standard plan program.ADUs in Pasadena GlendaleFlat neighborhoods in the south, hillside lots in the north. Planning clearance comes first.ADUs in Glendale BurbankA grid of flatland lots below the foothills. A city pre-approved ADU program.ADUs in Burbank Culver CityA compact city with its own ADU handbook and pre-approved plans.ADUs in Culver City

How do ADU permits work in the City of Los Angeles?

In the City of Los Angeles, ADU building permits are issued by the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), and the zoning rules come from Los Angeles City Planning. A qualifying ADU is approved ministerially, with no public hearing. The city's size, height and parking rules sit on top of state ADU law.

Does Los Angeles have pre-approved ADU plans?

Yes. As of October 2026, LADBS runs an ADU Standard Plan Program. Private architects and engineers submit designs that LADBS reviews in advance for building, residential and green code compliance, which reduces plan-check time. One plan is city-owned and free to use; the rest are bought from the firms that own them. LADBS still reviews site-specific items such as zoning and the foundation, and a plan may not suit every lot.

What changes on a hillside lot in Los Angeles?

Hillside lots are where Los Angeles ADU projects differ most. City Planning's ADU guidance notes that the city's hillside floor-area rules can further limit ADU size, and steep or unstable lots can need soils reports, retaining walls and more foundation work. Street access and fire safety rules can also apply in hillside and high fire hazard areas. We check these first, because they can change both what you can build and what it costs.

Is permitting slower near the coast?

It has been. A UC Berkeley Terner Center analysis of state data from 2018 to 2022 found that ADU applications in Los Angeles County took an average of 260 days from application to permit inside the Coastal Zone, versus 147 days outside it. Since 2025, state law sets a 60-day review period for ADUs in the coastal zone as well. Coastal lots may still need extra steps, so plan for them.

Which part of Los Angeles do you serve?

We work across the City of Los Angeles and in Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank and Culver City. If your property is in another nearby city or in unincorporated Los Angeles County, send your address anyway and we will tell you whether we can take it on. Unincorporated areas are permitted by Los Angeles County, not the city.

Updated October 2026. Summarized from LADBS, Los Angeles City Planning, the California HCD ADU Handbook and the UC Berkeley Terner Center.

Is your lot ready for an ADU?

Send your address and we'll check what you can build. The consultation is free. We serve Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank and Culver City.