South Bay · Timeline
How long an ADU really takes in South Bay
Total elapsed schedule from the first site walk to the final inspection. Plan check is rarely the long pole — utility coordination and trade scheduling usually are.
Stage by stage
- Survey + geotech (PV)
- 4–10 — Skip the long tail outside Palos Verdes.
- Local plan check
- 5–8 — Each beach city runs its own counter.
- CDP review (coastal only)
- 8–16 — Skip for inland Torrance, El Segundo.
- Construction
- 18–28 — Small lot logistics drive schedule.
Permit clock vs total schedule
- Ministerial permit
- 8–14 weeks
- Discretionary review (when triggered)
- 18–32 weeks
What slips schedules in this area
- Each beach city runs its own ADU ordinance — Manhattan and Hermosa cap detached size below state max.
- Coastal Zone (most of Manhattan, Hermosa, parts of Redondo) requires CDP review.
- Palos Verdes parcels add geotech, landslide-zone overlays, and HOA design review on top of permits.