Start with the right permit authority.
Los Angeles County includes many permitting jurisdictions. An ADU in an incorporated city may follow that city’s process, while an unincorporated property follows the relevant County process. Establishing the authority for the parcel comes before building a permit checklist.
In this conversation
- Confirm the parcel and jurisdiction.
- Describe what is being created.
- Assemble the evidence behind the plans.
- Expect review to produce coordinated responses.
- Distinguish permission to start from completion.
Confirm the parcel and jurisdiction.
Collect the street address, parcel information and available property records. Ask the design professional to confirm which planning and building departments govern the proposed work. Do not assume that a County assessor record identifies the building-permit authority.
The state ADU framework informs local review, but a general handbook cannot resolve every condition on a particular site. Keep property-specific questions and authority responses in the project record.
Describe what is being created.
Show whether the proposal is detached, attached or within existing space. Identify the proposed independent living accommodation and any work affecting the main residence. An office or guest room should not be labelled an ADU simply because it sits away from the house.
The design team should confirm how the proposal is classified for the applicable reviews. Zoning terminology and Energy Code treatment may answer different questions; avoid transferring a label from one document to every other application.
Assemble the evidence behind the plans.
The application should connect the proposed design to reliable site and existing-building information. Ask which survey, structural, energy and other documents are required, and who is preparing them. Record any existing work whose permit history needs investigation.
Have one person maintain the current drawing index. A package assembled from different design stages can leave reviewers, estimators and owners discussing different buildings.
Expect review to produce coordinated responses.
A correction is a request for a clear answer, not a reason to improvise a technical solution. Route it to the appointed architect, engineer or consultant, and identify all affected sheets before resubmission.
Track planning and other required clearances alongside building review. Use current authority guidance for fees, eligibility and process steps. Earlier projects and online anecdotes are not reliable estimates of this application’s completion date.
Distinguish permission to start from completion.
Confirm issuance before arranging work that requires the permit. During construction, retain the approved documents and record approved revisions and required inspections. A changed layout should not silently replace the issued set.
At handover, collect the applicable final inspection and completion records. The owner should be able to distinguish submitted drawings, issued documents and the evidence that the permitted work was completed.
Questions for the first meeting
- Correct planning and building authority
- Clear project classification
- Current submission and response log
- Issued permit and approved revisions
- Required inspections and final records
Further information
Review the references below with your project team. Confirm local requirements with the responsible authority and product-specific requirements with the manufacturer.
Planning a custom home or major renovation with an architect or interior designer?
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