Add an ADU to your El Monte home

LotUpside is a one-stop ADU company for homes in the City of El Monte: we check your lot free against the city's rules, then match you with licensed designers and builders and coordinate the project with them.

Check your lot · free

What the El Monte rules allow on your lot: setbacks, the biggest unit that fits, fees.

Design your ADU · free

Shape it in live 3D: size, rooms, roof and finishes, with an estimate priced for El Monte.

Start designing

ADU rules at a glance

Largest detached ADU with 2+ bedrooms (850 sq ft for a studio or 1 bedroom)Local rule: 1,000 sq ftEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(E)(3)
State law allows a detached ADU of at least this size, with 4 ft side and rear setbacksState law: 800 sq ftGov. Code 66321(b)(3)
Detached ADU height (18 ft near major transit or to match the roof pitch)Local rule: 16 ftEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(F)(1)
Side and rear setback for a new detached ADU (none for a conversion)Local rule: 4 ftEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(G)
Front setback in residential zones (state law: it can't block an 800 sq ft ADU)Local rule: 20 ftEl Monte Municipal Code Table 17.20-2 (R-1 zones) and Table 17.24-2 (R-2 to R-4)
ADUs per single-family lot under the City codeLocal rule: 1 ADU + 1 junior ADUEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030, Table 17.110-1
Per single-family lot: a converted ADU, a new detached ADU and a junior ADUState law: 2 ADUs + 1 junior ADUGov. Code 66323(a), in effect since January 2026
Parking for an ADU (one space per bedroom or per unit, whichever is less)Local rule: 1 space, or none near transit; no replacement parkingEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(H)
Owner must live on the property (not required for an ADU)State law: City code asks every junior ADU owner to live on site; state law (since Jan. 1, 2026) requires it only when the unit shares a bathroom with the house. The City's 2026 addressing policy follows the state rule; ask the CityGov. Code 66315 (ADU) and 66333(b) (junior ADU)
No City impact fees (parks, traffic, water, sewer) on the ADULocal rule: Under 750 sq ftEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(S)(1)
School district fees (the rate varies by district)Local rule: $3.36-$3.43 per sq ft on ADUs over 500 sq ftCity of El Monte Building Permit Fee Schedule FY 2026/2027, school fees
City building permit fee above $100,000 of valuation (plan check adds 85%)Local rule: $2,413.35 + $12.49 per $1,000 over $100,000City of El Monte Building Permit Fee Schedule FY 2026/2027, effective July 1, 2026
City decision on a complete ADU application, without a hearingLocal rule: 60 daysEl Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(B)(1)
City of El Monte Building & Safety Division, City Hall West, 11333 Valley BlvdLocal rule: (626) 580-2050City of El Monte staff directory, Building & Safety

Last verified 2026-10-15. Rules change; the City of El Monte Building & Safety Division has the final word ((626) 580-2050).

What's different in El Monte

One ADU plus a junior ADU in the City code

El Monte's zoning code allows one ADU, detached or attached, plus one junior ADU on a single-family lot, and no new detached ADU where the lot already has an attached one. LotUpside's free check follows the City code here, so it doesn't offer a garage conversion plus a new detached ADU. State law in effect since January 2026 (Gov. Code 66323(a)) lets a converted ADU, a new detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft and a junior ADU be combined on one lot, so ask the Building & Safety Division before you plan two ADUs.

El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030, Table 17.110-1

Two ways to size a detached ADU

Under the City's standards a detached ADU can be up to 850 sq ft as a studio or one bedroom, or 1,000 sq ft with more bedrooms, and its roofed area and floor area count toward the zone's lot coverage and floor area limits. The exempt-unit path in 17.110.030(U) lets one new detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft with 4 ft side and rear setbacks go ahead notwithstanding the section's other standards, such as lot coverage, parking and design (the height limit still applies), which can help on a small or crowded lot.

El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(E)(3), (J) and (U)(1)(b)

Parking: one space, often none

A City-standards ADU needs one parking space per bedroom or per unit, whichever is less, and it can be tandem on the existing driveway. No space is needed within a half-mile walk of public transit such as a bus stop or train station, for an ADU inside the house or an accessory building, or with a car-share vehicle within a block, and a junior ADU never needs one. A garage, carport or parking space removed for the ADU doesn't have to be replaced.

El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(H)

Design: keep the entrance away from the street

A detached ADU's entrance may not face or be visible from the street, an attached ADU or junior ADU gets its entrance on the side or rear with no outside staircase, and no ADU may have an upper-story balcony or deck. A garage conversion replaces the garage door with doors, windows or other design features and adds a 3 ft planter between the ADU and the driveway. The City can waive a rule that proves infeasible, and the 800 sq ft exempt unit is approved notwithstanding these rules.

El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(M)

Estimated costs and rents in El Monte

Type	Est. all-in cost	Est. rent
Garage conversion	$220-$371 per sq ft of garage (about $88,000-$149,000 for a 400 sq ft garage)	$1,400-$2,075/mo
Junior ADU (inside the house)	$60,000-$110,000	$1,225-$1,575/mo
Detached studio	$217,000-$319,000	$1,400-$1,800/mo
Detached 1 bedroom	$228,000-$335,000	$1,750-$2,250/mo
Detached 2 bedroom	$241,000-$405,000	$2,075-$2,750/mo
Detached 3 bedroom	$284,000-$468,000	$2,600-$3,300/mo

Estimates for a first conversation, not bids or appraisals. Source: LotUpside price book em-2026-10. Provisional estimate: build costs are Los Angeles builder price lists and rents are scaled from HUD's El Monte rent benchmarks; neither has been checked against an El Monte builder's quote or listing. They are not quotes, bids or appraisals.

How we work in El Monte

1
Free lot check
A 12-check property screening from public records: what fits on your lot and what it adds.
2
Get matched with a licensed designer
Ask for a free consult and we look for a licensed designer for your plans and permit.
3
Get matched with a licensed builder
The builder holds the construction contract; we coordinate the project with them.

Licensed partners design and build, and the builder holds the construction contract. Partners are signed in some areas so far. All figures are estimates, not bids.

What our check reads in El Monte

Rules from El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030 (ADU rules, as amended May 2025) and the City's building fee schedule; zoning from the City of El Monte zoning map, El Monte Municipal Code Title 17, CA Gov. Code 66314. Plus county parcel and assessor maps, CAL FIRE fire zones, FEMA flood maps, the California Geological Survey, the USDA soil survey, USGS elevation and Microsoft building outlines.

Rents and build costs for El Monte are provisional: Los Angeles builder prices and HUD rent benchmarks scaled to El Monte, not yet checked against a local quote.

El Monte ADU questions answered

Floor plans to start from

Measured ADU layouts you can edit and download as CAD files, then check against the El Monte rules above.

Ready to build in El Monte?

We'll match you with a licensed designer and builder in your area and coordinate the project. Free consult, no obligation.

Want to build it?

We'll match you with a licensed designer and builder in your area and coordinate the project. Free consult, no obligation.

Licensed partner designers and builders do the design and construction, and the builder holds the construction contract. Partners are signed in some areas so far; elsewhere we'll tell you plainly what we can do.

El Monte ADU questions

Can I build two ADUs on my El Monte lot?

El Monte's zoning code (Table 17.110-1) allows one ADU, detached or attached, plus one junior ADU on a single-family lot. State law in effect since January 2026 (Government Code section 66323) lets a converted ADU, a new detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft and a junior ADU be combined on one lot, and Government Code section 66325 says that part of state law supersedes a conflicting local ordinance. Ask the City's Building & Safety Division how it applies this before you plan a second ADU.

Can I use my El Monte ADU as a short-term rental?

No. El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(L)(3) requires ADU and junior ADU rentals to last longer than 30 consecutive days and prohibits short-term rentals.

Does El Monte have pre-approved ADU plans?

The City's building handouts and standard plans pages list none for ADUs. The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments runs a regional Pre-Approved ADU Plans Program of vendor designs from studio to two bedrooms, and its guide names El Monte among the cities that set the design principles for choosing those vendors. You buy a plan from the vendor, and it still has to fit your lot and go through the City's permit review.

SGVCOG ADU plans program guide (PDF)

What if my El Monte home already has an unpermitted ADU?

For an ADU built before 2020, El Monte Municipal Code 17.110.030(Q)(2) says the City won't deny a permit over building-code or zoning violations unless it finds that correcting them is needed for health and safety. The City's ADU Code Enforcement Delay Request form, under Health and Safety Code section 17980.12, lets the owner ask for a five-year delay in enforcing violations that aren't health and safety issues.

ADU Code Enforcement Delay Request form (PDF)

Does the Rurban Homestead Overlay change anything for an ADU?

El Monte Municipal Code 17.22.030(C) says an ADU or junior ADU in the Rurban Homestead Overlay District must match the main house's architectural style and materials. The overlay is marked on the City's zoning map and LotUpside's free check doesn't read it yet, so confirm with the City's Planning Division.

What's free, and what's in the $49 full report?

The free check gives the verdict from a 12-check property screening, your best move with the value it adds, the monthly rent and the cash you put in. The full report adds every option ranked, cost vs value ranges, concept floor layouts and site plan drafts, and every check with its sources. It is a one-time payment per property.

Is this a permit, or a plan I can build from?

Neither. It is a screening from public records, not professional advice, and not a survey, soils report, appraisal, loan offer or permit; every number is an estimate. A licensed designer confirms the final plan, and your city or county gives final approval.

Other areas we cover

Los Angeles