In short
- 384 ADU permits on record, nearly all since 2019.
- 102 in 2025, up 21% from 2024.
- Typical permit time: 415 days from application to permit (median of 151 permits with both dates recorded).
About this data
- Source: California HCD Housing Element Annual Progress Reports. The state data does not say whether an ADU is detached, attached, a garage conversion or a JADU, so most records show as 'unknown'. Permit valuations are not published in this source. Timelines use the application date the city reported to the state, matched to the permit where possible; some cities report their planning application date, so timelines can include planning review. Each project is counted once, in its building-permit year (or completion year when no permit date was reported).
Permits by year
Permits by year and type (table)
| Year | All ADU permits | Garage conversions | Detached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6 | — | — |
| 2019 | 11 | — | — |
| 2020 | 16 | — | — |
| 2021 | 37 | — | — |
| 2022 | 52 | — | — |
| 2023 | 76 | 13 | 5 |
| 2024 | 84 | 9 | 16 |
| 2025 | 102 | 34 | 25 |
“—” means the source for that year does not report ADU type.
Read more: ADU types explained
Not counted above: 2 approved projects with no building permit reported yet.
ADU rules in El Monte
State law check: HCD found the city's May 2025 ordinance noncompliant (June 24, 2026), with 19 findings, including the 1½-story cap on attached ADUs, the ban on ADUs with SB 9 homes and the limits on combining units; state law governs where they differ.
| Rule | El Monte's code | State law guarantees |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum size | 850 sq ft (studio or 1 bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (2+ bedrooms); an attached ADU is also capped at 50% of the house. No cap when converting an existing accessory building. Junior ADU 500 sq ft. | At least 850 sq ft (1,000 sq ft with 2+ bedrooms) must be allowed; an 800 sq ft detached ADU always is. Conversions of existing space have no size cap. Junior ADU: up to 500 sq ft. |
| Height | Detached: 16 ft; 18 ft near transit, to match the house's roof pitch, or beside a multistory apartment building. Attached: 25 ft (1½ stories) in the R-1C zone, 30 ft (2 stories) elsewhere. | Detached: at least 16 ft (18 ft within ½ mile of transit, plus 2 ft for a matching roof). Attached: 25 ft or the zone's limit, whichever is lower. |
| Setbacks | 4 ft side and rear for a detached ADU; none for conversions or rebuilds on the same footprint. | No more than 4 ft side and rear; none for conversions of existing space. |
| Parking | 1 space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less (tandem on the driveway is fine), unless exempt (transit, inside existing space, car share); none for junior ADUs; no replacement parking. | At most 1 space; none within ½ mile of transit and in several other cases. No replacement parking when a garage is converted. |
| Owner living on site | None stated for ADUs. Junior ADU: the owner lives in the house or the junior ADU, with a recorded covenant. | None for ADUs. A junior ADU that shares a bathroom with the house requires the owner to live in one of them. |
| How many on a single-family lot | One detached or one attached ADU plus one junior ADU; under the state-law path, a converted ADU or junior ADU plus an 800 sq ft detached ADU. No ADUs on a lot with an SB 9 urban dwelling. | One ADU converted from existing space, one junior ADU and one new detached ADU (up to 800 sq ft). From January 1, 2027: two new detached ADUs (a city then needn't allow a junior ADU on that lot). |
| Short-term rentals | Longer than 30 consecutive days, for ADUs and junior ADUs. | No guarantee: cities may require rentals of more than 30 days, and junior ADUs can't be short-term rentals. |
- Design rules: no upper-story balconies or decks, and a detached ADU's entrance can't face the street; a converted garage loses its garage door and gets a 3 ft planter along the driveway.
- Impact fees (parks, traffic, water, sewer) apply to ADUs of 750 sq ft or more.
- The city offers ADU loans of up to $75,000 ($50,000 for a junior ADU) to income-eligible owners.
Where local rules conflict with state law, state law controls. Sources: El Monte Municipal Code § 17.110.030 (Ord. 3053, May 14, 2025) · HCD findings (Jun 24, 2026) · HCD findings (Jun 17, 2022); HCD's list of review letters; California ADU rules. Verified Sep 30, 2026. Rules change and every lot is different: confirm with the city before you design.
How long permits take
| Type | Median days, application to permit | Middle half | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached ADU | 454 | 316 – 540 | 24 |
| Attached ADU | too few to say | 2 | |
| Garage conversion | 359 | 308 – 568 | 35 |
| Junior ADU (JADU) | too few to say | 1 | |
| Unclassified | 414 | 267 – 593 | 89 |
Middle half: the range covering the middle 50% of permits (a quarter were lower, a quarter higher).
Read more: How long ADU permits take in Los Angeles (and other cities) · How long ADUs take to build
From permit to completion
Of the 175 ADU permits El Monte reported issuing from 2020 through 2023, 63 (36%) have a completion reported to the state. For those, the median time from permit to completion was 14 months.
The state reports don't record expired or cancelled permits, and a completion the city hasn't reported looks the same as an unfinished project, so the share is a floor. Years with incomplete reports are left out.
What neighbors declared as cost
Cost data (declared permit valuations) is not published for this area in these sources.
Read more: How to choose an ADU builder
An ADU builder serving El Monte? Feature your business on this page.
Questions about ADUs in El Monte
How many ADUs have been permitted in El Monte?
Public records show 384 ADU permits in El Monte through 2025, nearly all since 2019. 102 in 2025, up 21% from 2024. These counts come from the city's reports to the state, which place a project in its completion year when no permit date was reported.
How long does an ADU permit take in El Monte?
Among the 151 ADU permits in El Monte with both dates recorded, half were issued within 415 days of the application; the middle half took 297 to 572 days. That includes plan-check corrections and resubmittals, not just the review itself.
Can I build an ADU on my property in El Monte?
California law allows ADUs on most lots with a house, including in El Monte, but what you can build depends on your lot, local rules and utilities. This site shows permits, not eligibility. See California ADU rules.
Where do I apply for an ADU permit in El Monte?
Apply with the City of El Monte's Community & Economic Development Department (a staff-level zoning clearance, then a building permit); the city also offers ADU loans of up to $75,000 to income-eligible owners. Official ADU page.
How current is this?
- State annual progress reports: through 2025 (published once a year)
How our data works · Download the data · Free to reuse with credit to SoCal ADU Tracker (socaladutracker.com), under CC BY 4.0.