San Gabriel Valley · Permits
San Gabriel Valley ADU permits, step by step
The SGV is the fastest stretch of LA County we work in. Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank all run their own building departments with shorter queues than LADBS. The catches are Pasadena's Landmark Districts and the separate municipal utilities — Burbank Water & Power, Glendale Water & Power, Pasadena Water & Power — each with their own connection fees and meter-set timelines.
What's specific to this area
- Pasadena Permit Center: typically 6–8 weeks for a ministerial ADU.
- Pasadena Landmark Districts (Bungalow Heaven, Garfield Heights, etc.) require Historic Preservation review.
- Burbank / Glendale / Pasadena run their own water + power utilities — connection fees and timelines differ from LADWP.
- Altadena and South Pasadena run through LA County Public Works — slower than the cities by 2–4 weeks.
On-the-ground notes
- Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank each run their own building & safety — generally faster than LADBS.
- Pasadena has 11 designated Landmark Districts — design review applies on contributing structures.
- Burbank Water & Power and Glendale Water & Power are separate from LADWP — different fees and timelines.
Permit clock
- Ministerial (state ADU law)
- 6–10 weeks
- Discretionary review (when triggered)
- 12–20 weeks