In short
- 426 ADU permits on record, nearly all since 2019.
- 67 in 2025, down 23% from 2024.
- Typical permit time: 150 days from application to permit (median of 80 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).
- Laguna Beach reported the building-permit date as the application date for most of its ADUs in 2023 and 2024, so approval times for those years can't be measured from the state reports and are left out.
Permits by year
Permits by year and type (table)
| Year | All ADU permits | Garage conversions | Detached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 9 | — | — |
| 2019 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 29 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022 | 92 | 0 | 15 |
| 2023 | 113 | — | — |
| 2024 | 87 | — | — |
| 2025 | 67 | — | — |
“—” means the source for that year does not report ADU type.
Read more: ADU types explained
Not counted above: 73 approved projects with no building permit reported yet.
ADU rules in Laguna Beach
State law check: No HCD review letter on file (that isn't a finding either way). Interim rules (Ord. 1713) apply until December 9, 2026; the permanent ordinance awaits Coastal Commission certification. Its junior-ADU owner rule has no exception for a junior ADU with its own bathroom, stricter than current state law.
| Rule | Laguna Beach's code | State law guarantees |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum size | Locally regulated ADU: 850 sq ft (studio or 1 bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (2+ bedrooms); attached ADUs 50% of the house, but at least 800 sq ft. State-law detached ADU: 800 sq ft. 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, plus 2 ft for roof pitch; 18 ft with a multistory apartment building). Attached: 25 ft or the zone limit, 2 stories. Other locally regulated ADUs: 1 story. | 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; 10 ft front for locally regulated ADUs (can't block an 800 sq ft ADU). Coastal Zone: the zone's front setback, and 25 ft from an oceanfront bluff top or a watercourse. | No more than 4 ft side and rear; none for conversions of existing space. |
| Parking | 1 space per locally regulated ADU, unless exempt; none for state-law ADUs. Coastal Zone: garage or carport spaces removed for an ADU must be replaced one for one. | 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 for ADUs. Junior ADU: the owner lives in the house or the junior ADU, with a deed restriction. | 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 converted ADU and one junior ADU, plus one new detached ADU up to 800 sq ft. | 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 | 30 days or more, 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. |
- Coastal Zone: most of the city is in it. Every ADU or junior ADU needs a coastal development permit (Chapter 25.07), except one converted from existing living space in the house.
- Locally regulated ADUs must match the house's materials, colors and roof slope, and screen windows that look onto a neighbor's lot.
- Owners who plan to rent must give the city an estimate of the rent with the building permit application.
Where local rules conflict with state law, state law controls. Sources: Laguna Beach interim Ordinance 1713, Chapter 25.17 (March 11, 2025) · City of Laguna Beach ADU page (2026); HCD's list of review letters; California ADU rules. Verified Oct 5, 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 | too few to say | 7 | |
| Attached ADU | 222 | 152 – 342 | 14 |
| Unclassified | 138 | 59 – 216 | 59 |
Middle half: the range covering the middle 50% of permits (a quarter were lower, a quarter higher).
Read more: How long ADUs take to build
From permit to completion
Of the 237 ADU permits Laguna Beach reported issuing from 2020 through 2023, 136 (57%) have a completion reported to the state. For those, the median time from permit to completion was 11 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
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Questions about ADUs in Laguna Beach
How many ADUs have been permitted in Laguna Beach?
Public records show 426 ADU permits in Laguna Beach through 2025, nearly all since 2019. 67 in 2025, down 23% 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 Laguna Beach?
Among the 80 ADU permits in Laguna Beach with both dates recorded, half were issued within 150 days of the application; the middle half took 88 to 226 days. That includes plan-check corrections and resubmittals, not just the review itself.
Can I build an ADU on my property in Laguna Beach?
California law allows ADUs on most lots with a house, including in Laguna Beach, 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 Laguna Beach?
Apply with the City of Laguna Beach's Community Development Department, filing a planning application and plans through the city's Public Permit Portal. 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.