Permits / Service
Permits for a detached ADU
A detached ADU is a new building on your lot. Its permit path is set by state ADU law and each city's local standards, then checked against your specific site: access, utilities, setbacks and any overlays.
What decides the path
State framework, local standards
California requires cities to review qualifying ADUs ministerially against objective standards; each city publishes its own local rules. Read the city's current page, not an older summary.
Pre-approved plans are not site approval
Several cities offer pre-approved or standard plans. They simplify the building design; the site is still reviewed.
Utilities decide feasibility
Electrical capacity, sewer route and water service often decide where — and whether — a unit fits.
How to prepare this submittal
1. Confirm the parcel and its overlays
Zoning, fire, coastal, hillside or historic overlays decide which local standards apply before a footprint is drawn.
Find the parcel's reviewing authority →2. Get a survey and locate utilities
A detached unit needs a site plan with property lines, structures, trees and the sewer, water and electrical routes to the new building.
ADU planning guide →3. Decide custom or pre-approved plan
Where a city offers pre-approved or standard plans, choosing one changes the building drawings; the site plan, foundation and utilities stay parcel-specific.
Compare ADU types →4. Ask the provider about service capacity
Electrical service size, a possible new meter and the sewer connection are confirmed with the provider, often in parallel with plan review.
See where utilities sit in the sequence →5. Submit a complete set
State law sets a completeness notice and a decision window for ADU applications; both run from a complete submittal, so a missing item restarts the clock.
What agency fees sit outside a quote →
What is specific to this service
The shared stages (authority, planning check, plan check and inspections) are explained once on the permits index; this page records only what differs. See how review usually proceeds
Overlays before design
Coastal, historic or fire-zone status is checked for the parcel first; some cities require a separate approval before the building permit.
Foundation and utility inspections
Inspections typically follow foundation, framing, utilities and final; the city schedules them, not the contractor.
Checklist to bring
- Property address
- Site sketch with structures, trees and slopes
- Electrical panel photo
- Where the sewer leaves the house, if known
- Intended use of the unit
Questions
- Is an ADU permit automatic under state law?
- No. State law limits what cities may require, but the application still has to meet objective standards for your site.
- Should I use a pre-approved plan?
- It can save design effort if it fits your lot. We compare it with site conditions before you commit.
Related services
Authority pages
- City of Los Angeles permits
- Beverly Hills permits
- Santa Monica permits
- Culver City permits
- Pasadena permits
- Burbank permits
- Long Beach permits
- West Hollywood permits
- Calabasas permits
- Glendale permits
- Malibu permits
- Inglewood permits
- Manhattan Beach permits
- Hermosa Beach permits
- Redondo Beach permits
- Palos Verdes Estates permits
- Torrance permits
- Detached ADU cost factors
- Detached ADU timeline
- Glossary of terms
- All permit pages
KB Remodeling · Greater Los Angeles
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