Westside · Timeline
How long an ADU really takes in Westside
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 + design
- 3–6 — Faster on flat parcels east of Lincoln.
- Plan check (LADBS or SM B&S)
- 4–6 — Ministerial — no neighbor notice.
- Permit issuance + utility coordination
- 1–2 — LADWP service drop is the long pole.
- Construction
- 16–22 — Detached new-build, slab to final.
Permit clock vs total schedule
- Ministerial permit
- 8–12 weeks
- Discretionary review (when triggered)
- 16–28 weeks
What slips schedules in this area
- Santa Monica and Venice have their own ADU ordinances on top of state law — both more permissive, not less.
- Coastal Zone parcels (west of Lincoln) may need a CDP from the California Coastal Commission.
- Soft-story retrofit ordinance (Santa Monica + LA) often gets paired with the ADU permit on older multifamily.