Areas
Los Angeles County, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Long Beach, Malibu, Orange County, Santa Barbara, Fontana, and San Bernardino County. City permits and county permits are not the same stack of paper. We name the right building department from the address.
Studio
Studio, photo 1 of 5
In the City of Los Angeles, the usual first project is a garage that is already standing. LADBS permits that job. A house in Burbank, Inglewood, or unincorporated Los Angeles County is a different counter, and Orange County is its own set of cities. We start with the address so the plans go to the right one.
ADU and remodeling in Los Angeles County
Matched stucco
Matched stucco, photo 1 of 5
Pasadena houses are older, tighter, and more watched than a typical tract lot. Craftsman bungalows, Spanish revival, and hillside streets all change how an ADU or addition should look — and how the city will review it.
ADU and remodeling in PasadenaMatched stucco
Matched stucco, photo 1 of 5
The City of San Gabriel reviews its own ADUs through Planning and Building, not through Pasadena and not through Los Angeles County or Orange County. Lots are often smaller, alleys matter, and the house on the street is older than a new tract. The unit in back should not look like it landed from somewhere else.
ADU and remodeling in San GabrielStudio
Studio, photo 1 of 5
Long Beach permits its own ADUs through Long Beach Development Services. It is not LADBS, and it is not Los Angeles County. Bungalows, small lots, and a real garage-conversion practice are the work.
ADU and remodeling in Long Beach
Stone shower
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Malibu is not a tract-lot ADU. The whole city sits in the coastal zone and in a very high fire hazard area. Access, fire, and whether the parcel needs a coastal development permit decide the job before the floor plan does.
ADU and remodeling in Malibu
Modern stucco
Modern stucco, photo 1 of 5
Orange County is not one building department. Unincorporated parcels go through the county. Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Fullerton, and the rest of the cities each keep their own counter. The address picks the rules.
ADU and remodeling in Orange CountyMatched stucco
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Santa Barbara splits in two before it splits into floor plans. The City of Santa Barbara and the County of Santa Barbara are different permits. Coastal parcels often need a coastal development permit on top of the building permit. Inland parcels are a different checklist, and some need grading.
ADU and remodeling in Santa BarbaraModern stucco
Modern stucco, photo 1 of 5
Fontana lots are one of the better ADU setups in the region: a real backyard, a wide garage, and a city that already reviews these projects every week. It is still a full build — not a weekend enclosure.
ADU and remodeling in FontanaMatched stucco
Matched stucco, photo 1 of 5
County work is not the same permit as a Fontana or Rancho Cucamonga city job. If the parcel is unincorporated, the County of San Bernardino is the building department. If it’s inside a city, that city inspects. We confirm which one before we draw a schedule.
ADU and remodeling in San Bernardino CountyFree first conversation
A phone call or the form. You’ll get a site walk and a written scope — not a number pulled out of a postcard.