What are the ADU requirements in Los Angeles County?
Ike Mbelu, Principal Partner · Last checked
On this page: The short answer · What state law guarantees · Whose rules apply
The short answer
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§66323
One ADU, one junior ADU, one more detached
Anywhere in Los Angeles County, state law sets the floor. On a single-family lot you can add one ADU and one junior ADU inside the house or an existing structure, plus a new detached ADU up to 16 feet tall with four-foot side and rear setbacks. No city can cap an ADU below 850 square feet. Gov. Code §§66321 and 66323.
Have a lot in LA County? Send us the address and we'll tell you what it holds.
What state law guarantees
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01
Size
Detached up to 1,200 sf. Attached up to half the existing house. A city cannot set a maximum below 850 sf, or 1,000 sf with more than one bedroom. §66314(d)(4)-(5), §66321(b)(2).
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02
Height
Detached: at least 16 ft, or 18 ft within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor. Attached: 25 ft or the zone's limit for the house, whichever is lower. §66321(b)(4).
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03
Setbacks and parking
New construction needs no more than four feet from side and rear lines. A converted structure needs none. Parking is capped at one space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less, and a converted garage's spaces need not be replaced. §66314(d)(7), (10), (11).
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04
Multifamily lots
In an existing building, ADUs in unused space such as storage or garages: at least one, up to 25 percent of the units. Detached: up to eight, never more than the existing unit count. On a new multifamily project, two detached. §66323(a)(3)-(4).
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05
Renting and selling
Rent it, for terms longer than 30 days. It cannot be sold apart from the house, except under the condo route in Article 4 where a city opts in. §66314(d)(1), §66323(e).
Whose rules apply on your lot
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01
Inside one of the county's cities
Each city writes its own ADU ordinance under §66314, within the state floors above. In the South Bay that means Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Carson and, to the east, Bellflower.
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02
Unincorporated LA County
The County's ADU ordinance in Title 22 covers the unincorporated areas. Check its current text with Regional Planning before you design.
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03
Building more than an ADU?
If the lot can take five or more units, the density bonus may add more than an ADU would.
This is a summary of state law, not legal advice. Check the current statute and your city's or the County's ADU ordinance for your site.
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