The short answer
For ADU permits the City of Los Angeles issued in 2025, the median time from application to issued permit was 103 days for garage conversions, 72 days for junior ADUs, 135 days for attached ADUs and 158 days for detached ADUs. Half of permits were faster than that and half slower.
The middle half of permits took: garage conversions 50–215 days, junior ADUs 37–141 days, attached ADUs 72–268 days and detached ADUs 90–301 days.
Is it getting faster?
Detached ADUs issued in 2025 took a median of 158 days, down from 254 for those issued in 2022. Garage conversions issued in 2025 took a median of 103 days, down from 147 for those issued in 2021.
| Median days, application to permit | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage conversion | 101 | 147 | 138 | 138 | 135 | 103 |
| Junior ADU (JADU) | 94 | 132 | 110 | 71 | 68 | 72 |
| Attached ADU | 118 | 192 | 207 | 205 | 180 | 135 |
| Detached ADU | 194 | 247 | 254 | 231 | 201 | 158 |
By the year the permit was issued. Applications open more than three years are left out.
What about the state's 60-day rule?
California law requires a city to approve or deny a complete ADU application within 60 days (Government Code § 66317, summarized in the state's ADU Handbook). The times above run from the day an application was first submitted to the day the permit was issued, so they also include plan-check corrections, resubmittals and paying fees. That is why most take longer than 60 days. Los Angeles also offers pre-approved standard ADU plans, which the city says shorten plan check; see how pre-approved ADU plans work.
It depends on the neighborhood
Across the San Fernando Valley's Los Angeles neighborhoods (all ADU types, 2020 to date), the fastest medians were in West Hills (83 days), Canoga Park (101 days) and Winnetka (103 days); the slowest were in Shadow Hills and Lake View Terrace (173 days), Toluca Lake (164 days) and Studio City (159 days). Hillside and fire-zone areas tend to take longer. Each neighborhood page has its own breakdown.
Other cities
Outside Los Angeles, the figures come from the application and permit dates cities report to the state. Some cities report their planning application date, so their times include planning review; see each city's page.
| City | Median days, application to permit | Permits timed |
|---|---|---|
| Alhambra | 230 | 397 |
| Baldwin Park | 310 | 134 |
| Burbank | 276 | 794 |
| Calabasas | 218 | 56 |
| Camarillo | 80 | 104 |
| Culver City | 147 | 357 |
| Downey | 173 | 741 |
| El Monte | 415 | 151 |
| Glendale | 148 | 1,051 |
| Lakewood | 145 | 292 |
| Lancaster | 172 | 33 |
| Long Beach | 165 | 2,381 |
| Moorpark | 80 | 76 |
| Norwalk | 204 | 334 |
| Ojai | 58 | 67 |
| Oxnard | 428 | 259 |
| Pasadena | 249 | 622 |
| Port Hueneme | 36 | 16 |
| Rosemead | 300 | 372 |
| San Fernando | 43 | 307 |
| Santa Monica | 335 | 260 |
| Simi Valley | 211 | 80 |
| Temple City | 258 | 140 |
| Thousand Oaks | 146 | 266 |
| Torrance | 190 | 603 |
| Unincorporated Los Angeles County | 301 | 3,597 |
| Unincorporated Ventura County | 221 | 53 |
| Whittier | 209 | 391 |
After the permit: building it
Of the 21,796 ADU permits issued in Los Angeles from 2020 through 2023, including ones that later expired or were cancelled, 82% have been signed off by the city as finished. Where the certificate of occupancy date is recorded, it came a median of 14 months after the permit.
Search your address on the map →