Westside · Zoning

Zoning rules that shape Westside ADUs

State ADU law sets the floor everywhere in California. Westside layers local rules on top — overlays, hillside ordinances, design districts. Here's what tends to control the envelope on a Westside parcel.

Local overlays and ordinances

City of LA: R1 / R1V allows one detached ADU + one JADU under state law.
Santa Monica SMMC §9.31.300 follows state floors but layers in stricter design standards.
Coastal Zone: Local Coastal Program (LCP) governs above the base zoning.
Mello Act: any replacement of existing low/moderate-income units requires offset.

What state law guarantees

Up to 1,200 sqft for a detached ADU on most R1 lots.
Up to 500 sqft for a JADU inside the existing footprint.
No parking requirement within ½ mile of major transit.
60-day ministerial review on a complete application.

How we map your lot

Before drawing, we pull the parcel against the county GIS, the city zoning map, and any overlay layers (HPOZ, hillside, coastal, fire). The first site walk tells us within an hour whether the project is ministerial or whether anything kicks it into discretionary review.

Reference

Terms and guides for this page

Glossary terms

Coastal Development Permit (CDP)
Permit required for construction inside California's Coastal Zone, issued by the city or the California Coastal Commission.
LADBS (LA Department of Building and Safety)
The City of Los Angeles agency that issues building permits and conducts inspections.
ePlan
LADBS's fully electronic plan-check portal for residential and commercial permits.
Soft-Story Retrofit
Mandatory seismic strengthening of older multifamily buildings with weak ground floors.
Ministerial Review
Permit review based purely on objective standards — no public hearing, no discretion.
ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit)
A self-contained second home on a residential lot, with its own kitchen, bath, and entrance.

Field guides

The Los Angeles ADU permit process, step by step
Permitting an ADU inside the City of Los Angeles takes about 8–11 weeks of plan check (LADBS) plus 2–4 weeks of pre-submittal prep. State law caps ministerial review at 60 days from a complete submittal. Total city + utility fees for a 700 sqft detached ADU typically run $13,000–$26,000.