The LA Standard Plan Program, explained

What the Standard Plan Program actually does

A normal ADU permit application goes through a full plan check at LADBS: structural engineering, fire safety, energy compliance, accessibility, and so on. That review takes months. With a Standard Plan, the floor plan itself has already been reviewed and pre-approved by LADBS for compliance with the Building, Residential, and Green Codes. When you submit one, LADBS only needs to check site-specific factors — zoning, foundation, utility connections — which is a much faster review.

The program emerged from California legislation pushing for faster ADU approvals (AB-68 in 2020 set state-level review deadlines) and from LA's own affordable housing strategy. LADBS launched the pilot with 14 firms; today the active catalog is approximately 60+ plans across 25+ firms, with new submissions regularly added.

Two important caveats: (1) the program only applies inside the City of Los Angeles — LA County has a separate program for unincorporated areas, and other LA-area cities (Long Beach, Pasadena, Burbank, etc.) run their own permitting. (2) Pre-approved status applies to the floor plan, not to site fit — LADBS still confirms the plan works on your specific lot.

How much it actually saves

YOU-ADU — the free city plan

Of every plan in the catalog, one stands apart: YOU-ADU. It's a 455 sqft, 1-bedroom design owned by the City of Los Angeles, developed by the LA Bureau of Engineering with LADBS. Any LA property owner can use it at no cost.

At 455 sqft, YOU-ADU is also small enough to qualify for full fee waiversunder 2026 California rules — no local impact fees, no utility connection charges, and (under 500 sqft) no school facility fees. That stacks the plan's free status with another $5K–$15K in fee savings.

The trade-off: 455 sqft is small — workable as a 1-person rental, an in-law unit, or a home office, but tight for a family. If you need more space, the rest of the catalog goes up to 1,200 sqft.

Featured plans by use case

The full catalog has 60+ plans; here's a curated shortlist covering the most common LA homeowner use cases. Plan IDs link to the official LADBS page when you're ready to compare.

See the full live catalog at LADBS ↗ for every active plan with downloadable PDFs.

Top participating firms

Roughly 25 firms have active plans in the program. Here are the most prolific — useful if you want a broader range of layouts from one firm, or want to evaluate design style by browsing a firm's full slate.

Some firms (like Abodu, Cottage, and Villa Homes) also operate as full-service builders bundling design + construction. Others are architects who license their plans for any builder to construct.

LA City vs LA County — which one applies to you?

LA City and LA County run separate programs with separate catalogs. Knowing which applies is the first thing to confirm.

Other LA-area cities — Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills — are not on either program. Each runs its own permitting. Some have their own pre-approved plan tracks; most do not.

How to use a Standard Plan (step by step)

1. 1. Confirm your property qualifies

   City of LA address, ADU-permitted zone (most residential zones qualify), not in a hillside or fire-hazard area that excludes standard plans. A pre-application call with LADBS is the fastest way to confirm.

2. 2. Pick a plan that fits

   Browse the LADBS catalog. Match plan footprint to your buildable area, configuration to your needs, and size to your fee-waiver strategy (under 750 sqft and especially under 500 sqft both unlock significant fee savings).

3. 3. Acquire plan rights

   YOU-ADU is free. Other plans require purchase or licensing from the firm that owns them — typically much less than commissioning a custom design, but pricing varies by firm. Some design-build firms bundle plan rights with their construction contract.

4. 4. Prepare site-specific drawings

   Site survey, plot plan showing the ADU placement, foundation design for your soil, utility connection routing. A residential designer, architect, or general contractor handles this — it's a much smaller scope than a full custom design.

5. 5. Submit to LADBS

   File the application with the Standard Plan ID and your site-specific package. Pay plan check + permit fees. LADBS does the site-specific review (4–8 weeks typical).

6. 6. Build

   Once permitted, any CSLB-licensed builder can construct from the Standard Plan. Inspection schedule is the same as any ADU build.

When NOT to use a pre-approved plan

Standard Plans win for most LA homeowners, but they aren't universal. Some scenarios where a custom design is the better call:

• Unusual lot geometry. Sloped lots, oddly-shaped buildable areas, alley-only access, or tight setbacks may not fit any standard footprint.
• Specific design vision. Standard plans are pre-approved as designed — you can't move structural walls or change the roof. If you want a particular architectural style or layout the catalog doesn't cover, custom is the only path.
• Garage conversions. The Standard Plan Program is mostly for new detached ADUs. Converting an existing garage needs a custom plan reflecting the existing structure.
• JADUs.Junior ADUs carved from the existing main house don't use the Standard Plan track — they need a custom plan showing the modification to the primary residence.
• Hillside or fire-hazard zones. LADBS explicitly notes some plans aren't approved for certain site conditions. Confirm eligibility before committing.