Add an ADU to your Los Angeles home

LotUpside is a one-stop ADU company for homes in the City of Los Angeles: 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles.

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ADU rules at a glance

Largest detached ADU (City rules)Local rule: 1,200 sq ftLAMC 12.22 A.33(d)(1); ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Table 1
Largest detached ADU under state rulesState law: 800 sq ftGov. Code 66323(a)(2)
Height, detached ADU under state rulesState law: 16 ft (18 ft near major transit)Gov. Code 66321(b)(4), via 66323(a)(2)(B)
Side and rear setback, new detached ADULocal rule: 4 ftLAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(8); ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Table 1
Front of the lot, detached ADULocal rule: Behind the house under City rules (with exceptions); no front setback under state rulesLAMC 12.22 A.33(d)(3); ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Q.37
ADUs per single-family lotLocal rule: 2 ADUs (1 detached, 1 attached) + 1 junior ADUZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Table 1
City impact feesState law: None at 750 sq ft or lessGov. Code 66311.5(c)(1)
School fees (LAUSD)Local rule: Due on ADUs over 500 sq ftZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Section III.D
LAUSD school fee rate, from Aug. 11, 2026Local rule: $5.38 per sq ftLAUSD Impact Fee Program, rates effective Aug. 11, 2026
Parking for a new detached ADULocal rule: None under state rules; 1 space under City rules, unless an exception applies (such as transit within a half-mile walk)LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(12); ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Table 1
Replacing garage parking lost to an ADULocal rule: Not requiredLAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(12)(iii); ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Table 1, note 8
Owner must live on the propertyState law: No for an ADU. For a junior ADU, state law (since Jan. 1, 2026) requires it only if the unit shares a bathroom with the house; the City's Aug. 2025 memo predates that and still lists owner occupancy for any junior ADU, so confirm with LADBSGov. Code 66315 (ADU) and 66333(b) (junior ADU)
Deadline for the City to approve or denyState law: 60 days from a complete applicationGov. Code 66317(a)(3)
ADU plans reviewed in advance by LADBSLocal rule: LADBS Standard Plan Program, including a free City-owned plan (YOU-ADU)LADBS, ADU Standard Plan Program
LADBS call center (zoning and building questions)Local rule: 311 or (213) 473-3231LADBS, Contact Us

Last verified 2026-10-15. Rules change; the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) has the final word (311 or (213) 473-3231).

What's different in City of Los Angeles

Two ADU paths: City rules or state rules

Los Angeles enforces two separate sets of rules for a detached ADU (ZA Memo 143, Section I and Table 1). An Ordinance ADU under LAMC 12.22 A.33 can reach 1,200 sq ft and two stories, must sit behind the house rather than between it and the street, needs a parking space unless an exception applies, and follows the lot's other zoning rules, such as floor-area limits. A State ADU under Gov. Code 66323 is capped at 800 sq ft and 16 ft (18 ft near major transit) with 4 ft side and rear setbacks, needs no parking and isn't subject to local zoning standards.

ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Section I and Table 1

Fire zone plus Hillside Area: the state path stays open

On a lot in both a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (on the LAFD's map) and the Hillside Area, the City's ordinance bars an Ordinance ADU (LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(4)) unless the lot is in the Northeast Los Angeles or Silver Lake - Echo Park - Elysian Valley Community Plan Area, or the unit has fire sprinklers, one off-street parking space and a roadway at least 20 ft wide along the lot's frontage. City Planning's ZA Memo 143 (Q.42) says this restriction can't be enforced on a State ADU, so a unit of up to 800 sq ft under state rules is still possible there.

LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(4); ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Q.42

LAUSD school fees start above 500 sq ft

City Planning's ADU memo says LAUSD school fees are required for ADUs larger than 500 sq ft (ZA Memo 143, Section III.D), and LADBS bulletin P/BC 2026-150 (Section X) says the same. LAUSD's residential rate is $5.38 per sq ft from Aug. 11, 2026 (LAUSD Impact Fee Program). The City's Park Fee and Affordable Housing Linkage Fee don't apply to ADUs or junior ADUs.

ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Section III.D

Coastal Zone lots need a coastal permit too

In the Coastal Zone an ADU also needs a Coastal Development Permit, and extra parking to protect public access can be required case by case (ZA Memo 143, Q.23). Since October 2025, state law requires a decision on an ADU's coastal permit within 60 days of a complete application, at the same time as the ADU permit (Gov. Code 66329, AB 462). City Planning's coastal staff take questions at venicelcp@lacity.org.

ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1, Q.23; Gov. Code 66329

Estimated costs and rents in City of Los Angeles

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)	$1,725-$2,525/mo
Junior ADU (inside the house)	$60,000-$110,000	$1,500-$1,900/mo
Detached studio	$217,000-$319,000	$1,725-$2,175/mo
Detached 1 bedroom	$228,000-$335,000	$2,150-$2,750/mo
Detached 2 bedroom	$241,000-$405,000	$2,500-$3,350/mo
Detached 3 bedroom	$284,000-$468,000	$3,200-$4,100/mo

Estimates for a first conversation, not bids or appraisals. Source: LotUpside price book la-2026-10.

How we work in City of Los Angeles

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 City of Los Angeles

Rules from City of Los Angeles ZA Memo 143 (ADU rules) and LADBS bulletin P/BC 2026-150; zoning from the City of Los Angeles zoning map (ZIMAS), 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.

City of Los Angeles ADU questions answered

Floor plans to start from

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

Ready to build in Los Angeles?

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.

City of Los Angeles ADU questions

Can an ADU in Los Angeles be two stories?

Yes, under the City's rules: an Ordinance ADU can have up to two stories within the zone's height limit (LAMC 12.22 A.33(d)(2); ZA Memo 143, Table 1). A State ADU is limited to 16 ft; within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor it can reach 18 ft, or 20 ft when its roof pitch matches the house (Gov. Code 66321(b)(4)).

What fees does an ADU pay in Los Angeles?

ADUs and junior ADUs are exempt from the City's Park Fee and Affordable Housing Linkage Fee, and the City's impact fees (the Residential Development Fee and the Dwelling Unit Construction Tax) apply only above 750 sq ft, scaled to the size of the house (ZA Memo 143, Section III.D; Gov. Code 66311.5). LAUSD school fees apply to ADUs over 500 sq ft, at $5.38 per sq ft from Aug. 11, 2026 (LAUSD Impact Fee Program).

How long does Los Angeles have to approve an ADU permit?

State law gives the City 15 business days to say whether an ADU application is complete, then 60 days from a complete application to approve or deny it, and an application it hasn't acted on by then is deemed approved (Gov. Code 66317). City Planning's ZA Memo 143 (Q.24) applies the 60 days to every department involved, including LADBS, City Planning and LADWP.

Can I rent out or sell my ADU in Los Angeles?

You can rent an ADU or junior ADU, but you can't sell it separately from the house (LAMC 12.22 A.33(h)(3)), apart from a narrow state exception for qualified nonprofit projects (ZA Memo 143, Q.36). A State ADU or junior ADU must be rented for terms longer than 30 days (Gov. Code 66323(e) and 66333(g)).

Does Los Angeles have ready-made ADU plans?

Yes. Under the LADBS Standard Plan Program, private licensed architects and engineers design ADU plans that LADBS reviews in advance against the Building, Residential and Green Codes; when you pick one, LADBS reviews your site, including zoning and foundation requirements, which it says shortens plan check. The City's own YOU-ADU plan, a one-bedroom design, is free to use, though LADBS notes it may not suit every site (LADBS Standard Plan Program page).

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

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