Permits in LA
How City of Los Angeles ADU plan check works — authority, submission, written corrections, clearances, and what the Standard Plan track does not replace.
- Authority
- Confirm first postal city is not enough
- Standard Plan
- Design review not a site-specific permit
- Corrections
- Written record track comment, sheet, response
- Statutory decision
- Conditional completed applications only
Permitting is the most opaque stage of an LA ADU. State law (Government Code §§ 66310–66342) makes ADU approvals ministerial — meaning no discretionary review — but local execution at LADBS still moves at LADBS pace. Here's how to read the system.
02.01The submission path
Plans are filed digitally through LADBS ePlanLA under the correct ADU pathway: new detached, attached, conversion, or Junior ADU. Each pathway has different setback, parking, and owner-occupancy rules under LAMC §12.22 A.33.
02.02Track property-specific clearances
Use the active agency record to identify assigned utility, fire, grading, planning or public-works review. Do not assume every property receives the same referrals or add a fixed duration without a written project record.
02.03When the Standard Plan track applies
A current LADBS Standard Plan can reduce repeat design review when the application and property qualify. It does not waive the building permit, zoning, foundation or site-adaptation review. Check catalog status and site conditions before selecting a plan.
From the desk
- 5 min
Reading an LADBS correction sheet without panicking
Most corrections are clarifications. Here's how to triage them.
- 10 min
Should I use a preapproved ADU plan?
Compare plan rights, site work and current local programs without assuming a permit guarantee.
- 4 min
Why the 60-day statutory clock rarely holds
What the law says vs. what LADBS actually delivers.