About this data
- Neighborhood pages cover 2020 onward: City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety permits in this neighborhood's Neighborhood Council area, which may not match every local definition of the neighborhood. Build type is classified automatically from permit descriptions.
- Costs are declared permit valuations (single-ADU permits only), not final construction costs.
Permits by year
Permits by year and type (table)
| Year | All ADU permits | Garage conversions | Detached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 15 | 7 | 2 |
| 2021 | 22 | 8 | 8 |
| 2022 | 37 | 17 | 12 |
| 2023 | 36 | 19 | 9 |
| 2024 | 43 | 13 | 24 |
| 2025 | 41 | 15 | 11 |
| 2026 so far | 36 | 9 | 9 |
“—” means the source for that year does not report ADU type.
Read more: ADU types explained
Not counted: 5 expired or cancelled permits.
How Watts compares
- Watts has the 13th-most ADU permits (230) among South Los Angeles neighborhoods (15 on this site).
- Garage conversions are 38% of Watts' ADU permits, lower than across South Los Angeles neighborhoods (48%).
- The median time from application to permit here is 207 days, longer than the median across South Los Angeles neighborhoods (190 days).
- The median declared value of a detached ADU here is $100,000, about the same as the median across South Los Angeles neighborhoods ($100,000).
ADU rules
Los Angeles' ADU rules apply citywide, with extra rules for hillside, fire-zone and coastal lots: see the rules table.
How long permits take
| Type | Median days, application to permit | Middle half | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached ADU | 284 | 146 – 523 | 72 |
| Attached ADU | 202 | 141 – 326 | 48 |
| Garage conversion | 142 | 63 – 301 | 87 |
| Junior ADU (JADU) | 149 | 128 – 276 | 10 |
| Unclassified | too few to say | 8 |
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
What happened to these permits
Of the 115 ADU permits issued in Watts from 2020 through 2023, including ones that later expired or were cancelled, 76% have been signed off by the city as finished. Where the certificate of occupancy date is recorded, it came a median of 16 months after the permit.
| What became of the permit | Share |
|---|---|
| Finished (signed off by the city) | 76% |
| Still open | 19% |
| Expired or cancelled | 4% |
| Closed or other status | 1% |
Expired and cancelled permits aren't in this page's totals; they're included here so the table covers every permit issued. A still-open permit may be under construction or stalled.
What neighbors declared as cost
| Type | Median declared value | Middle half | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached ADU | $100,000 | $62,876 – $130,000 | 67 |
| Attached ADU | $50,000 | $15,000 – $85,000 | 29 |
| Garage conversion | $50,000 | $38,382 – $73,750 | 82 |
| Junior ADU (JADU) | $30,000 | $25,750 – $35,000 | 10 |
| Unclassified | too few to say | 5 |
Declared permit valuations often understate real construction cost.
Read more: What ADUs cost in Los Angeles
Read more: How to choose an ADU builder
An ADU builder serving Los Angeles? Feature your business on this page.
Recent ADU permits in Watts
- Attached ADU on 92nd St 1-19 (Oct 2026)
- Attached ADU on 105th St (Sep 2026)
- Attached ADU on Maie Ave (Sep 2026)
- Detached ADU on Compton Ave (Sep 2026)
- ADU on Weigand Ave (Sep 2026)
- Garage conversion on Anzac Ave (Sep 2026)
Street names only. See each permit on the map.
Questions about ADUs in Watts
How many ADUs have been permitted in Watts?
The City of Los Angeles issued 230 permits for ADUs in Watts from 2020 through Oct 31, 2026, including 88 garage conversions and 75 detached ADUs.
How long does an ADU permit take in Watts?
From application to issued permit, the median in Watts was 142 days for garage conversions and 284 days for detached ADUs.
How much does an ADU cost in Watts?
The median value declared on permits was $50,000 for garage conversions and $100,000 for detached ADUs. Declared permit values often understate the full construction cost, so get several builder quotes.
How long does it take to build an ADU in Watts?
Of the 115 ADU permits issued in Watts from 2020 through 2023, including ones that later expired or were cancelled, 76% have been signed off by the city as finished. Where the certificate of occupancy date is recorded, it came a median of 16 months after the permit.
Can I build an ADU on my property in Watts?
California law allows ADUs on most residential lots with a house, but what you can build depends on your lot, zoning and hillside or fire-zone rules. This site shows permits, not eligibility; check with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety or a licensed builder.
How current is this?
- City of Los Angeles permits: through Oct 31, 2026 (published about weekly)
How our data works · Download the data · Free to reuse with credit to SoCal ADU Tracker (socaladutracker.com), under CC BY 4.0.