CALI ADU designs, permits, and builds accessory dwelling units across Los Angeles County — 87 neighborhoods and counting, across 7 regions. 126 ADU projects since 2017. We've worked with LADBS, Culver City Planning, Pasadena Planning, Santa Monica, Glendale, Burbank, and every major utility in between.
LA County is the City of Los Angeles plus 87 independent cities, each with its own planning department and its own ADU ordinance. The cities below have dedicated guides written from primary sources — their actual municipal code, their published handouts, and our work on the ground. If your jurisdiction isn’t listed, scroll down to the regional sections — we almost certainly serve it too.
One of the few LA County cities where an ADU can be sold separately, as a condominium (CCMC § 17.400.096, effective February 2026). No parking required at all, a 27–30 ft detached envelope that supports genuine two-story designs, and up to eight detached ADUs on apartment lots.
See the city guide →Independent city with SMMC § 9.31.025 ordinance. Coastal Zone CDP required west of Lincoln. Zero city development fees for ADUs.
See the city guide →More permissive than its reputation: ADUs up to 1,400 sqft and detached heights to 25 ft, with the rules changing between Trousdale, the Hillside Area and the Central Area. Lots of 13,000 sqft or more get a bonus incentive ADU.
See the city guide →Brand-new rulebook: Ordinance No. 535 (June 2026) rewrote MMC Chapter 17.44 to match current state law. The entire city sits in the Coastal Zone and a citywide Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone — coastal permits now run on a concurrent 60-day clock (AB 462), septic capacity drives feasibility, and fire-rebuild ADUs get real accommodations, including occupancy before the main house is rebuilt. Detached ADUs cap at 16 ft and 1,000 sqft — a single-story Signature Home market.
See the city guide →The City ordinance says one ADU per lot and has not been amended since 2019. State law requires three, and HCD issued 17 findings against the City in November 2024. The rules plan check actually applies live in a Zoning Administrator memo.
See the city guide →Rewrote its ADU ordinance in 2026 (PMC § 17.50.275 as amended by Ord. No. 7464, effective April 18, 2026), resolving six state findings — three units per lot, and an 800 sqft ADU may now sit in the front setback. Landmark and Historic Districts require visibility-from-street review. City also runs a $225K rent-voucher ADU construction loan program.
See the city guide →Glendale signed an agreement with the State in October 2025 promising not to enforce parts of its own ADU ordinance — including the ban on ADUs above a detached garage. Those rules are still printed in the code. We explain what the City has actually agreed to allow.
See the city guide →The rare California city with no ADU ordinance it will apply. Long Beach administers state law directly, which means the full state entitlement with nothing local cutting it down — and an impact fee schedule worth checking before you pay it.
See the city guide →Altadena, East Los Angeles, Hacienda Heights, Topanga and dozens of other communities are not cities — County Code Title 22 § 22.140.640 governs them, not any city code. Taller ADUs at 25 ft, no parking requirement outside a fire zone, and an apartment cap that state law overrides.
See the city guide →Compact lots, premium rents, and the strongest case for a two-story ADU. Our Signature Homes were designed for exactly these neighborhoods.
One of the few LA County cities where an ADU can be sold separately, as a condominium (CCMC § 17.400.096, effective February 2026). No parking required at all, a 27–30 ft detached envelope that supports genuine two-story designs, and up to eight detached ADUs on apartment lots.
Independent city with SMMC § 9.31.025 ordinance. Coastal Zone CDP required west of Lincoln. Zero city development fees for ADUs.
More permissive than its reputation: ADUs up to 1,400 sqft and detached heights to 25 ft, with the rules changing between Trousdale, the Hillside Area and the Central Area. Lots of 13,000 sqft or more get a bonus incentive ADU.
Brand-new rulebook: Ordinance No. 535 (June 2026) rewrote MMC Chapter 17.44 to match current state law. The entire city sits in the Coastal Zone and a citywide Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone — coastal permits now run on a concurrent 60-day clock (AB 462), septic capacity drives feasibility, and fire-rebuild ADUs get real accommodations, including occupancy before the main house is rebuilt. Detached ADUs cap at 16 ft and 1,000 sqft — a single-story Signature Home market.
Coastal Zone + tight lots — a premier two-story ADU market.
Standard LA city rules. Large lots east of the 405.
Strong ADU demand, mostly single-family lots in the 5,000–7,500 sqft range.
Dense, walkable, and short-commute — high rental demand.
Coastal Zone rules and some Airport Influence Area considerations.
Large single-family lots south of Wilshire.
Large lots, family-oriented. Strong property-value ADU case.
City of LA rules apply — permits through LADBS. Density, transit, and rental demand are all high.
The City ordinance says one ADU per lot and has not been amended since 2019. State law requires three, and HCD issued 17 findings against the City in November 2024. The rules plan check actually applies live in a Zoning Administrator memo.
City of LA neighborhood — LAMC § 12.22.A.33 applies; Historic Preservation Overlay Zones on some streets trigger design review.
City of LA neighborhood — hillside lots are common; check for HPOZ and hillside regulations.
Large lots and strong rental market.
Mixed zoning and strong transit proximity. ADU parking exemptions often apply.
Completed project on file. Historic district overlays on certain blocks.
Completed garage conversion on file. Excellent ADU fundamentals.
Completed shed-roof ADU on file. Deep lots, strong community demand.
HPOZ applies in much of the neighborhood — design review required.
Standard LA city rules. Good rental demand near Metro stations.
Primarily multifamily — converted-unit ADU rules in play.
Larger lots, lower construction costs per square foot, and excellent ADU economics across the board.
City of LA neighborhood — LAMC § 12.22.A.33 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342, permits through LADBS. Some of the south Valley’s largest flats lots (no RFA district, no HPOZ), with Hillside/VHFHSZ rules south of Ventura Blvd. Premium rental demand at the 405/101 crossroads; two-story friendly on the flats.
City of LA neighborhood — LAMC § 12.22.A.33 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342, permits through LADBS. Two local layers: the Studio City RFA District (base 0.33 FAR on R1/RE flats, Ord. No. 182,048) and Hillside/VHFHSZ rules south of Ventura Blvd. High land values, premium rental demand from the studios, two-story friendly on the flats.
City of LA neighborhood — LAMC § 12.22.A.33 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342, permits through LADBS. The corridor’s rare combination: estate-scale lots on largely flat ground (Amestoy Estates, Royal Oaks) with a decades-old guest-house tradition; no RFA district, no HPOZ; Hillside/VHFHSZ rules toward Mulholland.
City of LA neighborhood — LAMC § 12.22.A.33 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342, permits through LADBS. Deep ranch-era parcels south of Ventura Blvd take a full-size detached ADU without losing usable yard; no RFA district, no HPOZ; Hillside/VHFHSZ rules in the canyons. Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana anchors rental demand.
City of LA neighborhood — LAMC § 12.22.A.33 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342, permits through LADBS. The Valley’s biggest backyards: quarter-acre ranch lots, no RFA district, no HPOZ, with Hillside/VHFHSZ rules in the canyons south of Ventura Blvd. Completed CALI ADU project in the neighborhood; Warner Center rental demand.
Completed modern guest-house project on file.
Completed 1,200-sqft craftsman ADU on file.
Standard LA city rules. Strong multifamily ADU opportunity.
Transit proximity (Metro B Line) unlocks parking waivers.
Premium SFV neighborhood with large lots.
A master-planned Valley market with large single-family lots that comfortably accommodate the 1,000 sqft ADU envelope. One independent city (Santa Clarita) governs ADUs across Valencia, Saugus, Newhall, Canyon Country, and adjacent unincorporated SCV under SCMC § 17.57.040.
Independent city governing Valencia, Saugus, Newhall, and Canyon Country under SCMC § 17.57.040 plus Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342. 1-story detached ADU market by default (16-ft cap), with a 25-ft / 2-story envelope available for attached ADUs. Two SCV-specific layers: High Fire Hazard Severity Zone fire-apparatus access rule (must front a highway or have two non-overlapping access ways) and the heritage oak ordinance (Urban Forestry clearance for parcels with mature oaks).
Master-planned community within Santa Clarita — large lots (6,000–9,000+ sqft), Mediterranean Revival and California Ranch architecture, strong rental demand from Princess Cruises HQ and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.
Established Santa Clarita neighborhood with mature streets and deeper lots — clean fit for the Lincoln (1,000 sqft, 3 BR) at the city cap.
Older SCV neighborhood centered on Old Town Newhall historic district — Bungalow and Spanish Revival housing stock, generally smaller lots than Valencia and Saugus.
Eastern Santa Clarita with foothill and canyon parcels — High Fire Hazard Severity Zone overlay common, fire-apparatus access requirement applies.
Unincorporated LA County adjacent to Santa Clarita — falls under LA County (not the City) ADU rules. Premium master-planned homes with strong rental fundamentals.
The 101 corridor west of the Valley — independent hillside cities with large lots, high property values, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone rules that shape where an ADU can sit as much as how big it can be.
Up to 1,200 sqft, with 800 of it protected by state law regardless of what local coverage rules say. Worth knowing before you start: HCD found the city’s 2020 ordinance noncompliant in a December 2025 letter, so where the local text and state law disagree, state law is what governs your project.
One of the newest ordinances in the county — Ordinance 25-481 (December 2025), adopted in response to HCD, codifies the full Gov. Code § 66323 unit stack in the city’s own words. The local layers that matter are wildfire-zone separation requirements and the Old Agoura equestrian overlay.
Premium master-planned market under WLVMC §§ 9.14.070–9.14.080. Two things to sort out early: the City’s own instructions ask for HOA approval, which Gov. Code §§ 66315 and 66317(c) say cannot gate an ADU permit — and the permit path runs through two agencies, City zoning clearance plus an LA County building permit. Many Westlake Village mailing addresses are outside the city limits, so confirm yours first.
Each city has its own planning department and ordinance. Fees, review timelines, and style guidelines vary — we work with all of them.
Rewrote its ADU ordinance in 2026 (PMC § 17.50.275 as amended by Ord. No. 7464, effective April 18, 2026), resolving six state findings — three units per lot, and an 800 sqft ADU may now sit in the front setback. Landmark and Historic Districts require visibility-from-street review. City also runs a $225K rent-voucher ADU construction loan program.
Independent city with SPMC § 36.350.200 ordinance. Strong historic-property limits (1-story, 16 ft on landmarks) and a High Risk Fire Area south of Monterey Road. ADU Amnesty Program available for legalizing existing unpermitted units.
Glendale signed an agreement with the State in October 2025 promising not to enforce parts of its own ADU ordinance — including the ban on ADUs above a detached garage. Those rules are still printed in the code. We explain what the City has actually agreed to allow.
Independent San Gabriel Valley city with its own ADU ordinance (AMC § 23.22) plus Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342. Dense, established single-family “City of Homes” with strong SFR values under the San Gabriel Mountains.
Independent city whose current ADU ordinance (WMC § 18.10.020) already mirrors the Gov. Code § 66323 unit stack. Established single-family neighborhoods plus four historic districts where a Certificate of Appropriateness runs alongside the ministerial ADU permit.
Independent west–San Gabriel Valley city (Monterey Park Municipal Code § 21.50 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Dense, established single-family neighborhoods; a single-story detached market where state law fills the gaps the local ordinance leaves.
Independent San Gabriel Valley city (Covina Municipal Code § 17.69.040, Ord. 22-06 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Generous 1,000 sqft detached size for a single-story market (16-ft cap), with a transit-based parking exemption.
Independent foothill San Gabriel Valley city (Glendora Municipal Code § 21.04.040 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Established single-family neighborhoods below the San Gabriel Mountains — a single-story detached Signature Home market.
Independent east–San Gabriel Valley city (Diamond Bar Municipal Code § 22.42.120 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Premium rolling-hillside SFR; a single-story detached Signature Home market.
Independent southeast-county city (La Mirada Municipal Code § 21.54 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). The City’s 2018 ADU ordinance predates the state overhaul, so state law governs — JADUs, multi-bedroom units, and no owner-occupancy where the old code still restricts.
Independent San Gabriel Valley foothill city (Arcadia Development Code § 9102.01.080 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Premium SFR under the San Gabriel Mountains with very strong property values.
The foothill city where a second storey is genuinely on the table. DDC § 19.60.160.F.4 allows a two-story ADU above a detached garage — "existing or proposed", so a newly built garage counts — and names no height ceiling for it. HCD went further in March 2026, finding the ordinance noncompliant in fifteen respects, including its "one story" cap: state law sets no story limit and a city must allow at least two. We set out what the code still says, what HCD found, and what you can actually build.
Rewrote MMC § 17.44.005 end to end in 2025 (Ord. 2025-01 § 8). Its streamlined track now grants the full Gov. Code § 66323 stack in the City’s own code — a converted ADU, a new detached ADU up to 800 sqft, and a JADU — so you no longer have to argue preemption to get there, and streamlined-track ADUs skip the § 17.40.090 Certificate of Appropriateness. Detached caps at 16 ft (18 ft near major transit); an attached ADU may reach 25 ft and two stories. A single-story detached Signature Home market.
Independent San Gabriel Valley city governed by SGMC § 153.047 plus Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342. The local layer that catches people is the historic-district visibility rule, which governs where an ADU can sit on a designated property rather than whether you can build one at all.
Independent SGV city (TCMC § 9-1T-13 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). A 16-ft detached cap makes this a single-storey Signature Home market, with design standards on the local track and transit-based parking exemptions across much of the city.
Ordinance 1494 (May 2026) already codifies SB 1211, AB 1154 and SB 543 — ahead of most cities its size — and grants a categorical parking exemption in the R-1 and R-H zones. The number to plan around is money, not zoning: the Public Facilities Fee adopted by Resolution 26-50 makes 750 sqft a hard financial line.
Premium college-town market rewritten by Ordinance 2026-02. Mature tree-lined blocks and several historic districts, where design standards run alongside the ministerial ADU permit rather than replacing it.
The city that told the State it would rather apply state law than rewrite its own chapter. SDMC Chapter 18.38 was never cleared by HCD, so State ADU Law is what actually governs a San Dimas project — 1,000 sqft, no parking requirement, and a 16-ft detached cap. Equestrian-zoned parcels add their own siting questions.
Ordinance 26-1142 (April 2026) restated LVMC Chapter 18.120 and moved the standards, so every citation you will find elsewhere points at the wrong section. Two things are genuinely local: the A Line station that opened in September 2025 puts much of the city inside the 18-ft transit tier, and § 18.120.050.B.4 allows a single level above a detached garage at 25 ft.
Ordinance 26-05 (March 2026) rewrote WMC § 6.08.210 end to end — but the City’s own ADU page still posts the superseded 2025 ordinance and handout, and three of that handout’s headline rules are no longer law. The rewrite also moved the attached-ADU height limiter from your house’s actual height to the zone’s, so 25 ft and two stories is real beside a single-story home. Detached stays at 16 ft.
Rural-residential city of one-acre lots, rewritten by Ordinance 2026-01 in June 2026 — still uncodified, so the published code pages show superseded 2023 text. Two things decide a project here: septic capacity, because there is no city sewer, and the R-A height limit, which caps the by-right envelope at 16 ft.
Ordinance 519 already writes the full Gov. Code § 66323 unit stack into LCFMC Chapter 11.33, so the combination is granted in the city’s own words. A 16-ft detached cap makes it a single-storey market, and the 800 sqft design-standard exemption is the provision worth knowing — as is wildfire construction, which applies across most of the city.
Independent city with its own ADU ordinance (BMC § 10-1-620, Ord. No. 23-4,002) on top of Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342. 1-story detached ADU market by default (17-ft height cap), with an above-garage path to two-story for deep lots. Strong long-term rental demand from Disney, Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, and Providence Saint Joseph.
Homeowner testimonial on file. City of LA rules.
Standard LA city rules; HPOZ applies in parts of the neighborhood.
Standard LA city rules. Compact lots, two-story ADU friendly.
Diverse housing stock — older bungalow neighborhoods, post-war single-family tracts, and tight coastal lots — paired with some of the most ADU-friendly regulatory environments in the LA market.
The rare California city with no ADU ordinance it will apply. Long Beach administers state law directly, which means the full state entitlement with nothing local cutting it down — and an impact fee schedule worth checking before you pay it.
Premium coastal market governed by MBMC Chapter 10.74 (codified through Ord. 25-0004, May 2025) layered with California Coastal Zone rules. Most of the city (Sand Section, Hill Section, El Porto, most of Tree Section) is in the Coastal Zone, where state ADU law applies directly under a Coastal Development Permit. Detached ADUs capped at 16 ft — single-story Signature Home market with attached-ADU options at 25 ft.
Compact coastal market governed by HBMC Chapter 17.21 (codified through Ord. 26-1498, April 2026). One of the most current ADU ordinances in the South Bay — AB 1154 already codified, clean Class 1 vs Class 2 split. Detached ADUs capped at 16 ft with no above-garage exception. Strict architectural conformance for Class 2 ADUs. Most of city is in Coastal Zone (CDP required).
Independent South Bay coastal city governed by RBMC § 10-2.1506 (Ord. 3264-23) on top of Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342. Larger lots than the other Beach Cities make for a strong family-ADU market; California Coastal Zone permits apply to waterfront and South Redondo properties. Detached ADUs capped at 16 ft — a single-story Signature Home market.
Large independent South Bay city with its own ADU ordinance on top of Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342. Diverse housing stock — Old Torrance bungalows and mid-century tracts — with family-friendly ADU economics.
Rising market beside SoFi Stadium, the Intuit Dome, and the Metro K Line (IMC § 12-149 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Many lots sit within ½ mile of transit, unlocking the 18-ft height bonus and parking exemptions; where the 2023 ordinance lags, state law controls.
Premium coastal-hillside city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula (RPVMC Chapter 17.10 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone areas where fire-code access and sprinkler rules survive ADU-statute preemption; ocean-view lots and strong values.
Rewrote and renumbered PVEMC Chapter 18.45 in full by Ordinance 770 (January 2026), closing the preemption gaps its earlier chapter carried — ADU owner-occupancy is repealed outright and the unit stack now combines in the ordinance’s own words. The trade-off: new § 18.45.070(J) caps every ADU on the local track at one story, so this is a single-story detached market, with a genuine 25-ft two-storey path only where an attached unit suits the house. Every parcel is in the Coastal Zone, on a concurrent 60-day permit clock.
Repealed and reenacted its entire ADU article in June 2026 (Ordinance 891, LMC § 11-1.30.07) — a chain of nine ordinances in under three years, so most published guidance about Lomita is out of date. The current text combines the state unit stack expressly and drops owner-occupancy. Detached is capped at one story, and the extra-height allowance that looks like a two-storey path is a parking-podium rule, not a floor of living space.
Gateway Cities market with flat, regular single-family lots and accessible price points (Downey Municipal Code + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Strong family-ADU and rental economics in the I-5 / I-605 corridor.
The South Bay outlier on height. ESMC Title 15, Chapter 4E gives a detached ADU the full R-1 two-storey envelope rather than the 16-ft cap its neighbours enforce, and the city requires no parking for an ADU anywhere in its limits. Mature single-family blocks minutes from LAX and the tech corridor, with rental demand to match. Verify the ESMC 15-4A-6 height figures for your zone before you design to them.
Rewrote Chapter 17.56 in full by Ordinance 752 (August 2025), after HCD returned a fifteen-finding letter on the old chapter. Ultra-premium Palos Verdes Peninsula lots, and the local wrinkle worth planning around is the equestrian H District — where corral, trail and setback rules interact with where an ADU can physically sit.
No local ADU ordinance at all — Title 20 has no ADU chapter, so state law governs directly and the city has nothing to cut the state entitlement down with. The city-specific layer is geological, not zoning: the Long Beach Oil Field means a methane test on every permit (SHMC § 16.24.080) and a 600-ft oil-well noise rule (§ 9.16.085). The city’s own 2021 ADU handout is out of date on unit counts and AB 1154.
A two-track Class 1 / Class 2 code (AMC Article 45), current through Ordinance 25-978 in January 2026 — which makes it one of the more up-to-date small-city ordinances in the southeast county. Compact, regular lots and a 16-ft detached cap: a single-storey Signature Home market.
Post-war planned community next to Long Beach (LMC § 9302.21a + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). A rare 35-ft / two-story ADU height allowance makes detached two-story Signature Homes buildable where neighboring Gateway Cities cap at 16 ft.
Gateway-area planned community that administers ADUs directly under California state law (Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342) — no local ADU ordinance on top of the state floor. Large, regular single-family lots and strong SFR values.
Transit-rich South Bay aerospace hub by the Metro K Line and SpaceX (HMC § 17.21 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). HCD flagged the city’s 2020 ordinance as outdated in Dec. 2025, so state law controls where the local text lags; many lots sit within ½ mile of transit, unlocking the 18-ft height bonus and a parking exemption. One-story detached market with a city-run pre-approved ADU plans program.
Independent South Bay city (Gardena Municipal Code § 18.13 + Gov. Code §§ 66310–66342). Established single-family neighborhoods with family-ADU economics and steady rental demand.
Ordinance 1208-25 (March 2025) re-lettered LMC § 17.48.056 without changing the section number, so every pre-2025 citation to it is off by a letter — and the City’s own homeowner handout is now materially out of date on units per lot and multifamily counts. On 5,000 sqft lots the binding constraint is the 50% R-1 lot-coverage rule, not the 1,000 sqft size cap.
The list above reflects where we've built or are actively permitting. Our service area is a 50-mile radius of West Los Angeles. If your property is inside that radius, we almost certainly build there — we just may not have a named project on this page yet.
The fastest way to confirm is our 15-minute Backyard Review. We'll pull up your lot, confirm your jurisdiction and zoning, and tell you what you can build before we quote anything.
"Los Angeles" is not one place. It's the City of LA plus 87 independent cities, each with its own planning department and its own ADU ordinance. Here is what typically varies between them.
This is why a single "ADU guide" isn't enough. We build neighborhood-specific guides as we build neighborhood-specific projects. See the Culver City guide — the others are on the way.
One call, 15 minutes, no obligation. We'll look at your lot, confirm your jurisdiction, and show you which Signature Home fits — or tell you honestly if a Custom project is the better path.
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