LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program (Approved Standard Plans)

The LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program: A Faster, Cheaper Path to Your LA Backyard Home If you're a Los Angeles homeowner thinking about an accessory dwelling...

Written by 1-800-ADU-Pros

Last updated: July 16, 2026•8 min read

LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program (Approved Standard Plans)

The LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program: A Faster, Cheaper Path to Your LA Backyard Home

If you're a Los Angeles homeowner thinking about an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), there's a city program that can shave weeks off your permit timeline and thousands off your design bill: the LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program. Here's how it works, who it's for, and how to actually use it.

What the Standard Plan Program Is

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) runs a catalog of pre-approved ADU designs. Licensed architects and engineers (and the City itself) draw complete ADU plan sets, and LADBS reviews them up front for compliance with the Building, Residential, and Green codes. Once a design is approved, it lands in the public catalog.

The payoff: when you choose one of these plans, you skip the full architectural and structural plan check. As LADBS puts it, "the use of standard plans reduces the time required for plan check." Instead of re-vetting the whole building, LADBS only checks how the approved design fits your specific lot.

What LADBS Still Reviews

The program is not a "no plan check" shortcut. LADBS still reviews the site-specific pieces:

Zoning Code compliance — setbacks, lot coverage, and floor-area limits for your parcel
Foundation requirements — sometimes including a soils or geology report

So the model home is pre-blessed; your placement of it on your land is not. Expect LADBS to issue a correction list on first review for most projects.

Who Should Use It (and Who Shouldn't)

This is a great fit if you:

Own property inside the City of Los Angeles (LADBS jurisdiction — not unincorporated County or another city)
Want a detached, new-construction ADU
Are happy to build a catalog model largely as designed

Current options include the free, City-owned YOU-ADU (a 1-bedroom, 455 sq ft unit) plus privately designed models in sizes from a 360 sq ft studio up to a 1,180 sq ft three-bedroom. LADBS does warn these plans "may not be approved for use in certain situations and/or site conditions" — think hillside, flood, or fault-zone lots.

Skip the program if you want a custom design, a garage or interior conversion, or a footprint no catalog plan matches. Those go through standard ADU plan check.

What It Costs

Two things to separate here.

The plan

The City-owned YOU-ADU plan is free. Other catalog plans are owned by the private firms that designed them, so you may pay that designer a licensing or purchase fee for the drawings.

The permit

The program does not waive City fees. You'll still pay permit and plan-check fees based on your project's valuation — estimate them with the LADBS Permit Fee Calculator. Industry builders generally peg total City ADU fees in the rough range of $5,000–$14,000 for 2026 (an estimate, not an official LADBS quote), plus school fees and any utility connection charges. The real savings is on design: a pre-approved plan can avoid roughly $4,000–$8,000 in custom architecture and engineering.

How to File, Step by Step

Pick a plan from the catalog at dbs.lacity.gov/adu/approved-standard-plans.
Confirm it fits. Look up your zone, APN, and lot size on ZIMAS (zimas.lacity.org), then check setbacks and floor-area limits.
Get a gut-check (optional). Book a free 15-minute counter session or a Preliminary Plan Check appointment through the BuildLA system before you submit.
Build your site-specific package. Per LADBS' checklist (Information Bulletin IB/P/GI 2020-032), you need a Title Sheet with area calculations, a to-scale Plot Plan, and a complete copy of the approved Standard Plan drawings — all on minimum 11"x17" pages.
Submit through ePlanLA (eplanla.lacity.org) or in person at an LADBS Development Services Center.
Clear corrections. Address LADBS' review items and resubmit.
Pay fees, pull the permit, and obtain separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits.
Build and schedule inspections through final sign-off.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Don't assume the permit is free just because the YOU-ADU plan is. City fees still apply.
Don't confuse this with the LA County pre-approved ADU program — different catalog, different jurisdiction.
Don't pick a plan that doesn't fit your lot. Setbacks, lot coverage, and hillside or flood conditions can disqualify a model.
Don't submit an incomplete package. Missing area calcs or a non-to-scale plot plan is the top cause of delay.
Don't forget trade permits and inspections.

Bottom Line

For a straightforward City of LA lot and a willingness to build a proven design, the Standard Plan Program is one of the fastest, lowest-friction ways to add an ADU. Start with the free YOU-ADU plan, verify your lot on ZIMAS, and confirm fees on the LADBS calculator before you commit.

Sources: LADBS ADU Standard Plan Program (dbs.lacity.gov/adu/approved-standard-plans), LADBS document submittal requirements IB/P/GI 2020-032 (dbs.lacity.gov/node/3979), LADBS ADU Standard Plan Building Permit Submittal Checklist, YOU-ADU plan page (dbs.lacity.gov/approved-standard-plans/you-adu), and the LADBS main ADU page (dbs.lacity.gov/adu). Fee and timeline ranges marked as estimates are from third-party builders, not official LADBS figures — verify current numbers with LADBS.

Reference card

Official number: Submittal requirements governed by Information Bulletin IB/P/GI 2020-032 (reissued effective Jan 1, 2026). Underlying authority: City of LA ADU Ordinance No. 186481 and LAMC 12.22 A.33.
Issuing body: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)
What it is: A simplified permitting track for accessory dwelling units that get built repeatedly. Private licensed architects/engineers (plus one free City-owned design, "YOU-ADU") create complete ADU plan sets that LADBS pre-reviews and approves for Building, Residential, and Green Code compliance. Because the building design is already vetted, an applicant who selects an approved Standard Plan skips the full architectural/structural plan check. LADBS then only reviews site-specific factors for the individual property, primarily Zoning Code compliance and foundation requirements. In LADBS' own words: "The use of standard plans reduces the time required for plan check," resulting in faster permit issuance. This is the City of LA program and is a separate catalog from the LA County pre-approved ADU program.
Who needs it: Applies to City of Los Angeles homeowners (LADBS jurisdiction only, not unincorporated LA County or other cities) building a detached, new-construction ADU who are willing to use a model from the City's approved catalog largely as-is. Current options include the free, City-owned YOU-ADU (1 bed, 455 sf) plus privately designed models such as ADU17 (studio, 360 sf), ADU75 (3 bed, 1,180 sf), ADU76 (1 bed, 400 sf), ADU80 (2 bed, 900 sf), ADU81 (1 bed, 600 sf), and ADU82 (1 bed, 695 sf). You can skip this program if you want a custom design, a garage/interior conversion or attached ADU, or a footprint that no catalog model fits — in those cases you go through standard ADU plan check instead. LADBS cautions that pre-approved Standard Plans "may not be approved for use in certain situations and/or site conditions" (e.g., hillside, flood, fault, or otherwise constrained lots).
Fees: The Standard Plan itself: the City-owned YOU-ADU plan is provided free to applicants; privately designed catalog plans (ADU17, ADU75, etc.) are owned by their designers and may carry a licensing/purchase cost paid to that firm. The program does NOT waive City permit and plan-check fees — those are charged based on the project's valuation and are estimated with the LADBS Permit Fee Calculator (08web15.lacity.org/fee_est_dir). Third-party builder estimates (not official LADBS figures) put total City ADU permit + plan-check fees roughly in the $5,000-$14,000 range for 2026, plus school fees and any utility/sewer connection charges. The main savings is on design: using a pre-approved plan can avoid roughly $4,000-$8,000 in custom architectural/engineering fees (third-party estimate). Always verify current fees with the LADBS calculator or counter — fee figures here that aren't on lacity.gov are industry estimates.
Timeline: Plan check is shorter than a custom ADU because the building design is already approved and LADBS only reviews site-specific items. LADBS states standard plans "reduce the time required for plan check"; it does not publish a guaranteed number of days. For comparison, a custom ADU plan check commonly runs several weeks to a few months with correction cycles. Third-party builders estimate pre-approved standard plans can reach approval in roughly 3-4 weeks once a complete, clean package is submitted (estimate, not an LADBS guarantee). Real-world timing depends on how quickly you clear any correction list and on site conditions.

Requirements

I. TITLE SHEET AND AREA CALCULATIONS: sheet index; vicinity map; floor area calculations (Zoning Code, Building Code, School District); existing house address; new ADU address (placeholder, assigned by Public Works - Bureau of Engineering); lot/parcel info (APN, legal description, zone, lot/parcel area); fire sprinkler information; existing structure(s) information; required and proposed parking; complete owner name and address; complete applicant name and address
II. PLOT PLAN AND NOTES (all shown to scale): property lines with dimensions; setbacks (front, side, rear); distance separation between proposed ADU and existing primary dwelling; site drainage; north arrow; dimensions and area (sf) of proposed ADU; adjacent streets; footprint of existing primary dwelling with square footage labeled; driveways and parking areas
III. APPROVED ADU STANDARD PLAN: a complete copy of the approved ADU Standard Plan drawings (the catalog model you selected)
All plans must be provided on minimum 11 inch x 17 inch pages
Look up your APN, legal description, zone, and lot area on the Dept. of City Planning ZIMAS system (zimas.lacity.org) before you submit
Site-specific items LADBS will check: Zoning Code compliance (setbacks, lot coverage, FAR/RFA limits per LAMC 12.22 A.33(b)) and foundation requirements (a soils/geology report may be required on some lots)

How to file

1. Pick a plan from the catalog at dbs.lacity.gov/adu/approved-standard-plans. The City-owned YOU-ADU is free; other models are owned by private designers (you obtain/license their drawings).
1. Confirm it fits your lot. Use ZIMAS (zimas.lacity.org) for your zone, APN, and lot size, and check setbacks, lot coverage, and floor-area limits. If your site is hillside, flood, fault, or otherwise constrained, the plan may not be eligible.
1. (Optional but recommended) Book a free 15-minute counter session or a Preliminary Plan Check appointment via the BuildLA appointment system (appointments.lacity.org) to confirm eligibility before you submit.
1. Prepare the site-specific package: Title Sheet + area calculations, a to-scale Plot Plan, and a complete copy of the approved Standard Plan drawings (per IB/P/GI 2020-032 checklist).
1. Submit the application and plans through ePlanLA (eplanla.lacity.org) or in person at an LADBS Development Services Center.
1. LADBS performs site-specific plan check (zoning + foundation). Most projects get a correction list on first review; address the items and resubmit through ePlanLA.
1. Once approved, pay permit fees and pull the building permit. Obtain separate trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) as needed.
1. Build, then schedule LADBS inspections through final sign-off.

Common pitfalls

Assuming the building permit is free because the YOU-ADU plan is free — City permit and plan-check fees still apply.
Confusing the City of LA program with the LA County pre-approved ADU program — they are separate catalogs with different jurisdictions; the City program only applies inside LADBS jurisdiction.
Picking a plan that doesn't fit the lot — setbacks, lot coverage, FAR/RFA, or hillside/flood/fault conditions can disqualify a model; LADBS warns plans may not be approved for certain sites.
Treating it as zero plan check — LADBS still reviews zoning and foundation, and most projects receive a first-round correction list.
Submitting an incomplete site-specific package (missing area calcs, to-scale plot plan, or a full copy of the approved plan set) — the most common cause of delay.
Forgetting the foundation/soils piece — some lots require a soils or geology report that adds time and cost.
Overlooking separate trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) and required inspections.
Not licensing a privately owned catalog plan properly — only YOU-ADU is City-owned and free to use.

Sources

Explore more:Permits & Feasibility

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