ADUs in Los Angeles
Backyard homes for Los Angeles, priced before you sign.
We design, permit and build standard ADU models across Los Angeles. You pick a model, we assess your lot, and you get one all-in price before you sign. Two of our models are already approved by the City of LA, which can take weeks off the permit.
★ 4.9 on Google · 25+ reviewsCSLB License #1134744Model 1 and Model 2 pre-approved in the City of LA
The models
Four standard homes, each with a price up front.
Starting prices include design, permitting and construction with standard finishes. Site work, like a panel upgrade or demolition, is priced after we see your lot, and city permit fees are billed at cost. See what's included.
1 bed, 1 bath · 497 sq ft
From $195,000
One-bedroom, ideal as a rental or a home for aging parents.
City of LA standard plan
2 bed, 1-2 bath · 749 sq ft
From $270,000
Two-bedroom, room to spread out for your growing family.
City of LA standard plan
City of LA standard plans
Two models the City has already approved.
Model 1 and Model 2 are approved plans in the City of Los Angeles Standard Plan Program. A pre-approved plan skips the full plan check, which can save weeks or months on your permit if your home is in the City of LA. Outside the City, the plans go through that city's normal plan check.
Around Los Angeles
Buildoly projects across the LA area.
Each pin is a Buildoly project in the Los Angeles area. Want to see one in person? Book a tour.
LA ADU rules in plain English
What you can build in the City of Los Angeles.
The basics for a single-family lot in the City of LA. Every lot is different, so we confirm each of these for your address before we price anything.
Size
Up to 1,200 sq ft
A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft. Your lot's floor area and coverage limits can make it smaller, but they can't stop an 800 sq ft ADU with 4 ft side and rear setbacks.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(d)(1)Setbacks
4 ft from the side and rear
The City can't require more than 4 ft from the side and rear lot lines. Converting an existing garage or accessory building needs no new setback.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(8)Height
Set by your zone
The City has no single ADU height. Your zone and height district set it. State law guarantees at least 16 ft for a detached ADU, and 18 ft near major transit.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(1); Gov. Code 66321(b)(4)Parking
Often none
No space is needed within a half-mile walk of transit, near a car-share spot, in a historic district, or for a conversion. Otherwise it's one space, and tandem on the driveway counts. Tearing down a garage for the ADU doesn't mean replacing its parking.
LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(12)Living on site
Not required
You don't have to live on the property to build or rent an ADU. A junior ADU inside the house only requires you to live there if it shares a bathroom with the house.
Gov. Code 66333(b)Renting and selling
Rent it, don't sell it separately
An ADU can be rented, but generally not as a short-term rental of 30 days or less. In the City of LA it can't be sold apart from the main house.
Gov. Code 66323(e); LAMC 12.22 A.33(h)(3)Changing on January 1, 2027
SB 1117 limits the impact fee on an ADU over 750 sq ft to the area above 750 sq ft, in proportion to the main house, for up to two ADUs on a lot. ADUs of 750 sq ft or less still pay no impact fee.
AB 956 lets you build two new detached ADUs on a single-family lot through the state's approval path. On that path a city can cap each one at 800 sq ft.
Sources: Los Angeles Municipal Code 12.22 A.33 and Zoning Administrator Memo 143; California Government Code sections 66310 to 66342; SB 1117 and AB 956 (2026). Checked November 2026.
How it works
From your backyard to move-in.
Step 1
Pick a model
Choose a model and finishes online, or book a free consultation to talk it through.
Step 2
Site assessment
We visit your lot, check utilities, access and the City's rules, and give you one all-in price before you sign.
Step 3
Design and permits
We finish the plans and run the permit with LADBS or your city from submittal to approval.
Step 4
Build and move in
We build on site and manage the job through final inspection and your certificate of occupancy.
Typical timeline: 8 to 12 months from start to finish. About 1 month of design, 2 to 4 months of permits and 3 to 5 months of construction, shorter for our pre-approved models in the City of LA. Your lot and the city's review times can move it.
From an LA client
We had an outstanding experience working with Buildoly on our ground-up ADU construction project here in LA. From start to finish, their team demonstrated exceptional expertise & patience with our municipality, particularly with our city's unique & complex permitting process. They were true partners throughout, consistently blocking & tackling any issues that came up during permitting, ensuring our project stayed on track. Their professionalism & dedication made a navigating the permit process much smoother, and we couldn't be happier with the results. Highly recommend Buildoly to anyone looking for a reliable & skilled architects specializing in ADUs.
Blok, Google review · Read all reviews
LA ADU questions
What Angelenos ask us most.
Our models start at $165,000 for Model S, $195,000 for Model 1, $270,000 for Model 2, $360,000 for Model 3. Those are all-in starting prices for design, permitting and construction. Site work depends on your lot and is priced after our site assessment, before you sign. City permit fees are separate: your city sets them and we bill them at cost. See what's included in the price.
Yes. Our Model 1 and Model 2 are approved plans in the City of Los Angeles Standard Plan Program. A pre-approved plan skips the full plan check, which can save weeks or months on your permit if your home is in the City of LA.
Our typical timeline is 8 to 12 months from start to finish: about 1 month of design, 2 to 4 months of permits and 3 to 5 months of construction. It is shorter for our pre-approved models in the City of LA. Your lot and the city's review times can move it either way, and we give you a schedule for your address after the site assessment.
Often not. In the City of LA, no parking is needed within a half-mile walk of public transit, within a block of a car-share spot, in a historic district, or when the ADU is a conversion. Otherwise one space is required, and tandem parking on the driveway counts. Demolishing a garage for the ADU does not require replacing its parking.
Not in the City of LA. ADUs there can be rented but not sold apart from the main house. State law lets cities opt in to separate sale (Gov. Code 66342), and in the areas we build Santa Monica, Culver City, the City of San Diego and unincorporated San Diego County have done so.
Yes. We build across Los Angeles County and in Orange County, San Diego and the Inland Empire. Outside the City of LA, that city's own ADU rules and plan check apply, and we confirm them for your address. Enter your address in our quote tool to check that you're in our service area.
Where we build
We also build in these cities.
Each city page covers that city's ADU rules and who issues the permit. All cities.
Los Angeles County
Orange County
San Diego County
Inland Empire
See your price for an LA ADU.
Pick a model and tell us your address. After the site assessment you get one all-in number, before you sign.