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Choosing an ADU Builder in Los Angeles County

How to Choose an ADU Builder in Los Angeles County

The City of Los Angeles building department issued 5,873 permits that add at least one ADU in the last 12 months; the median wait was 131 days.

Updated Sources: California HCD, LA Building & Safety

Concept of a detached backyard ADU with white stucco, cedar siding and a small garden patio
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Los Angeles County at a glance

ADU units completed in 2025 as reported so far, Los Angeles County (all jurisdictions)
10,291
Building permits issued that add at least one ADU, last 12 months, City of Los Angeles
5,873 permits
Median days from permit submission to issue, ADU permits, last 12 months, City of Los Angeles
131 days

California HCD, Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR), Table A2 · LA Department of Building and Safety, Building Permits Issued 2020 to Present (data.lacity.org) · data as of

  • Numbers from HCD and LADBS public records
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What do permits say an ADU costs?

From City of LA building permits, last 12 months. Not a contract price. How we calculate this

Declared values on City of Los Angeles building permits, last 12 months. The dataset covers the City of Los Angeles only, so treat it as a regional reference for Los Angeles County. A declared value is what the permit states, not your contract price. How we calculate this.

$140,544median declared value, new ADU

Middle half of 2,004 permits Median

Every lot is different. A local contractor can price your project.

Source: LA Department of Building and Safety, Building Permits Issued 2020 to Present (data.lacity.org), permits on one- and two-family homes issued to ; fire rebuilds excluded. ZIP medians need 20+ permits.

How to compare ADU builders, step by step

How to compare ADU builders, step by step

  1. Check the license with the CSLB

    Look up the contractor's license status on the CSLB website before you compare prices or plans.

  2. Ask about plans and permits

    Ask who prepares the plans, who submits them to your city, and who pulls the permits. Get the answers in writing.

  3. Check references and past ADU work

    Ask for the addresses of past ADU projects you can visit, and ask how those owners were kept informed during the work.

  4. Get a written contract

    Make sure the contract lists the scope, the schedule, the materials, and how change orders are priced and approved.

  5. Agree a payment schedule tied to progress

    Tie each payment to completed work and avoid paying far ahead of the work. Keep receipts and a record of each payment.

  6. Keep records of changes

    Write down every change to the plans, the cost, or the schedule, and have both sides approve it before the work changes.

ADU figures for Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles
Explore ADU activity across LA County

Where LA County is building ADUs

ADU units permitted in 2025, city by city. Select a city to open its guide.

Map of LA County cities shaded by ADU units permitted in 2025Agoura Hills: 17 ADU units permitted in 2025Alhambra: 102 ADU units permitted in 2025Arcadia: 98 ADU units permitted in 2025Artesia: 39 ADU units permitted in 2025Azusa: no HCD reportBaldwin Park: 119 ADU units permitted in 2025Bell: 25 ADU units permitted in 2025Bell Gardens: 26 ADU units permitted in 2025Bellflower: 18 ADU units permitted in 2025Beverly Hills: 31 ADU units permitted in 2025Bradbury: no HCD reportBurbank: 241 ADU units permitted in 2025Calabasas: 15 ADU units permitted in 2025Carson: 41 ADU units permitted in 2025Cerritos: 12 ADU units permitted in 2025Claremont: 23 ADU units permitted in 2025Commerce: no HCD reportCompton: no HCD reportCovina: 34 ADU units permitted in 2025Cudahy: 24 ADU units permitted in 2025Culver City: 83 ADU units permitted in 2025Diamond Bar: 50 ADU units permitted in 2025Downey: 146 ADU units permitted in 2025Duarte: 23 ADU units permitted in 2025El Monte: 107 ADU units permitted in 2025El Segundo: 25 ADU units permitted in 2025Gardena: 52 ADU units permitted in 2025Glendale: 371 ADU units permitted in 2025Glendora: 57 ADU units permitted in 2025Hawaiian Gardens: 11 ADU units permitted in 2025Hawthorne: 76 ADU units permitted in 2025Hermosa Beach: 11 ADU units permitted in 2025Hidden Hills: no HCD reportHuntington Park: 45 ADU units permitted in 2025Industry: no HCD reportInglewood: 147 ADU units permitted in 2025Irwindale: no HCD reportLa Canada Flintridge: 30 ADU units permitted in 2025La Habra Heights: no HCD reportLa Mirada: 23 ADU units permitted in 2025La Puente: 28 ADU units permitted in 2025La Verne: 22 ADU units permitted in 2025Lakewood: 99 ADU units permitted in 2025Lancaster: 209 ADU units permitted in 2025Lawndale: no HCD reportLomita: 7 ADU units permitted in 2025Long Beach: 644 ADU units permitted in 2025Los Angeles: 7,446 ADU units permitted in 2025Lynwood: no HCD reportMalibu: 5 ADU units permitted in 2025Manhattan Beach: 24 ADU units permitted in 2025Maywood: no HCD reportMonrovia: 58 ADU units permitted in 2025Montebello: 61 ADU units permitted in 2025Monterey Park: 78 ADU units permitted in 2025Norwalk: 119 ADU units permitted in 2025Palmdale: 68 ADU units permitted in 2025Palos Verdes Estates: 20 ADU units permitted in 2025Paramount: 57 ADU units permitted in 2025Pasadena: 222 ADU units permitted in 2025Pico Rivera: 96 ADU units permitted in 2025Pomona: no HCD reportRancho Palos Verdes: 16 ADU units permitted in 2025Redondo Beach: 25 ADU units permitted in 2025Rolling Hills: no HCD reportRolling Hills Estates: 5 ADU units permitted in 2025Rosemead: 136 ADU units permitted in 2025San Dimas: 30 ADU units permitted in 2025San Fernando: 40 ADU units permitted in 2025San Gabriel: 54 ADU units permitted in 2025San Marino: 14 ADU units permitted in 2025Santa Clarita: 29 ADU units permitted in 2025Santa Fe Springs: 15 ADU units permitted in 2025Santa Monica: 143 ADU units permitted in 2025Sierra Madre: 26 ADU units permitted in 2025Signal Hill: 8 ADU units permitted in 2025South El Monte: 22 ADU units permitted in 2025South Gate: 154 ADU units permitted in 2025South Pasadena: 26 ADU units permitted in 2025Temple City: 69 ADU units permitted in 2025Torrance: 89 ADU units permitted in 2025Vernon: no HCD reportWalnut: 36 ADU units permitted in 2025West Covina: no HCD reportWest Hollywood: 36 ADU units permitted in 2025Westlake Village: no HCD reportWhittier: 86 ADU units permitted in 2025
ADU units permitted, 2025
  • 0–21
  • 22–28
  • 29–56
  • 57–99
  • 100+
  • No report
  • Unincorporated

Most ADU permits in 2025

  1. 1Los Angeles7,446
  2. 2Long Beach644
  3. 3Glendale371
  4. 4Burbank241
  5. 5Pasadena222
  6. 6Lancaster209
  7. 7South Gate154
  8. 8Inglewood147
  9. 9Downey146
  10. 10Santa Monica143

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Permits: California HCD, Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR), Table A2, data as of ; 2025 counts can still rise. Boundaries: Los Angeles County, City and Unincorporated Boundaries (Legal) (mainland only (islands omitted). simplified to about 300 m.)

Common questions about choosing an ADU builder

How do I check a contractor's license?

Ask the CSLB (Contractors State License Board) to confirm the license status of any contractor you are considering. You can check the status online before you sign anything.

What should an ADU contract include?

Ask for a written contract that describes the full scope of work, the schedule, the materials, the process for change orders, and who handles plans and permits. Read it before you sign.

How should ADU payments work?

Agree a payment schedule tied to completed work. Avoid paying far ahead of the work, and keep records of every payment and every change you approve.

Who pulls the permit for an ADU?

Ask the builder to confirm in writing who prepares the plans and who submits and pulls the permits with your city. Clear answers here prevent delays later.

How long do ADU permits take in the City of Los Angeles?

For ADU permits in the City of Los Angeles over the last 12 months, the median time from submission to issue was 131 days, based on LADBS data valid to 2026-10-03. Your own project may take longer or shorter, so plan with your builder.

Recent work by a contractor in our network

Photos from the contractor's own projects, used with permission. Captions name the type of work.

  • Dark-tiled bathroom with a floating vanity and frameless glass
    Bathroom in an ADU
  • Living area in a new unit with a sofa and dining table
    Addition / ADU interior
  • Living room of a new unit with neutral furniture
    Addition / ADU interior
  • Bathroom vanity with a backlit mirror in a new unit
    Addition / ADU bathroom

Request a free, no-obligation estimate from a local builder for your ADU project

Tell us about the project. It takes about 30 seconds.

  1. You send a short request. Project type, ZIP code, timing and how to reach you.
  2. We match it. A local contractor for your project gets your request. Up to three may contact you, and we email you each one's name.
  3. You talk about your project. The estimate is free, with no obligation to hire.
What do you need?

* Add your email and we'll send you your contractor's name and phone number, so you know who's calling, plus updates as your project moves forward. We only use it for this request.

We match your request to a local contractor. Up to three in our network may contact you, and we email you each one's name. Read the consent above before sending.

Who gets your request

Your local match

Your project · works in Los Angeles County

Matched to your project. We check the project type and ZIP first. Up to three local contractors may contact you, and we email you each one's name.

  • Dark-tiled bathroom with a floating vanity and frameless glass
  • Living area in a new unit with a sofa and dining table
  • Living room of a new unit with neutral furniture

Service areas

  • Los Angeles
  • Bel Air
  • Brentwood
  • Hollywood
  • +36 more

Service areas as listed by the contractor ()

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