Los Angeles Pre-Approved ADU Plans: The LADBS Standard Plan Program (2026)

If you are building an ADU inside the City of Los Angeles, you do not have to start your plans from a blank page. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) runs an ADU Standard Plan Program: a catalog of complete ADU designs that LADBS has already reviewed and pre-approved for compliance with the Building, Residential, and Green Codes. Pick one, and the city skips the design review it would otherwise do from scratch — it checks only how the plan fits your specific lot. This guide covers how the program works, the city’s free plan (the YOU-ADU), the full 29-plan catalog, and how to decide between a standard plan and a custom design.

Looking beyond Los Angeles? Browse our statewide hub of pre-approved ADU plans in California — free city and county plan libraries across the state, each labeled with the city or county that approved it.

What the Standard Plan Program Is — and Why It Speeds Up Permits

Under the program, private licensed architects and engineers design ADU plans for a range of site conditions, and LADBS pre-approves them for code compliance. When you submit a project using an approved standard plan, LADBS staff review site-specific factors only — zoning compliance, setbacks, lot coverage, and foundation requirements for your parcel — instead of re-reviewing the architecture, structure, and energy compliance of the building itself. That design review is where custom-plan projects spend most of their plan-check time, and it is the part a standard plan removes.

There is also a legal tailwind: California law requires an agency to approve or deny a complete ADU application within 60 days, but an application built on a pre-approved standard plan gets a 30-day decision clock. Between the skipped design review and the shorter statutory deadline, a standard plan is the fastest legitimate route to an LA building permit for a detached ADU.

City limits matter. This program belongs to the City of Los Angeles only. If your parcel is in unincorporated territory, LA County runs a separate program of its own — see our guide to ADUs in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

YOU-ADU: The City’s Free Pre-Approved Plan

The standout entry in the catalog is the YOU-ADU — a standard plan owned by the City of Los Angeles itself and provided free to applicants. It is a one-story, one-bedroom detached ADU of 455 square feet, developed by the city’s Bureau of Engineering in coordination with Building and Safety. The plan comes in four configurations aimed at different uses — an In-Law layout, a Guest layout, a Renter layout, and an Artist layout — with different interior arrangements and finishes, so the same footprint can serve a family member, a tenant, or a home studio.

Key facts:

• Cost of the plan itself: $0. You download the full plan set from LADBS and use it as-is. (Normal permit fees still apply — “free” covers the design, not the permit.)
• Anyone can submit it. LADBS allows an applicant to submit the YOU-ADU themselves, or to have an architect or contractor of their choice handle the submittal.
• Site-specific homework is still required. Pre-approval covers the building, not your lot. Your submittal still needs the site-specific information LADBS reviews: a site plan showing the unit on your parcel, zoning compliance (setbacks, coverage, height), and foundation details appropriate to your soil and slope.

Downloads (official LADBS files):

• YOU-ADU Standard Plan — full plan set (PDF)
• LADBS ADU Building Permit Submittal Checklist (PDF)
• YOU-ADU detail page at LADBS

At 455 square feet the YOU-ADU will not fit every goal — it is a one-bedroom with no expansion path inside the pre-approval. If you need two or three bedrooms, a second story, or a unit tuned to an odd-shaped lot, look at the firm-designed plans below or a custom design.

The Full Catalog at a Glance

As of October 2026, the LADBS catalog lists 29 ADU standard plans: the city-owned YOU-ADU plus 28 plans owned by private design firms. Sizes run from a 280-square-foot studio to a 1,200-square-foot two-story three-bedroom. The plans other than YOU-ADU are licensed directly from the design firm that owns them — LADBS does not sell them, and most firms do not publish a price (one exception below). A few older listings show expiration dates in the past on their LADBS detail pages, so confirm a plan’s current status with the firm or LADBS before you build a project around it; the live source is the LADBS Approved Standard Plans catalog (a free LADBS sign-in is required to browse it).

Plan	Size	Layout	Design firm
YOU-ADU	455 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom (4 configurations)	City of Los Angeles — free
ADU89	280 sq ft	1-story studio	ADU Garage Designs
ADU90	400 sq ft	1-story studio	ADU Garage Designs
ADU91	400 sq ft	1-story, 1-bed / 1-bath (20′ × 20′)	ADU Garage Designs
ADU76	400 sq ft	1-story, 1-bed / 1-bath (20′ × 20′)	Mei Li Homes LLC
ADU87	401 sq ft	2-story studio	Patrick Moore / Moore Land Co. LLC
ADU96	430 sq ft	1-story, 2-bedroom	Castleblock, Inc. (Pacific Palisades fire rebuild area only)
ADU71	438 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	Plús Hús (Minarc)
ADU86	467 sq ft	1-story with loft, 1-bedroom	Swift Lee Office
ADU84	497 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	Buildoly
ADU85	497 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	Buildoly
ADU79	512 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom (HCD approved)	Cover
ADU97	569 sq ft	1-story, 1-bed / 1-bath	VL Architects
ADU78	571 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	Cover
ADU81	600 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom — plans listed at $2,250	HOMEIO
ADU34	600 sq ft	1-story, 1-bed / 1-bath, detached	Complete Package Drafting
ADU88	628 sq ft	1-story detached, 1-bed / 1-bath, exterior deck	ARA-la Studio
ADU82	695 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	ERW Design
ADU95	696 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	Butterfly Dwellings, Inc.
ADU92	702 sq ft	1-story, 2-bedroom	Butterfly Dwellings, Inc.
ADU93	702 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	Butterfly Dwellings, Inc.
ADU83	743 sq ft	1-story, 1-bedroom	YD Group
ADU74	750 sq ft	1-story, 1- or 2-bedroom	Bright Space LLC
ADU77	870 sq ft	1-story, 2-bedroom	Cover
ADU80	900 sq ft	1-story, 2-bedroom	YD Group
ADU94	1,044 sq ft	1-story, 3-bedroom	Butterfly Dwellings, Inc.
ADU72	1,080 sq ft	1-story, 3-bed / 2-bath	Infinity Concept Inc.
ADU75	1,180 sq ft	2-story, 3-bedroom	YD Group
ADU58	1,200 sq ft	2-story, 3-bedroom	Complete Package Drafting

Browsing by size and layout is a good first pass, but treat the table as a map, not a menu: whether a given plan works on your parcel still depends on your lot’s dimensions, setbacks, and overlays. If you want a second set of eyes on fit before you license a plan, that is exactly what our Los Angeles ADU team does in a free consultation — call 888.627.1131.

How to Use a Standard Plan, Step by Step

1. Confirm your lot is in the City of Los Angeles and ADU-eligible. Check the parcel’s zoning, setbacks, and any overlays (hillside, fire severity, historic) that could constrain placement. A mailing address that says “Los Angeles” is not proof of jurisdiction.
2. Pick a plan. Browse the LADBS catalog and shortlist plans that fit your lot and your household’s needs. Our ADU floor plans guide can help you compare layouts and sizes.
3. Get the plan. YOU-ADU is a free download. For any other plan, contact the design firm, license the plan set from them, and confirm the version you receive is the one LADBS has on file.
4. Prepare the site-specific package. Add the documents LADBS still reviews: a site plan for your parcel, zoning and coverage calculations, foundation details, and utility connection plans, following the LADBS submittal checklist.
5. Submit to LADBS. File the application with the standard plan plus your site-specific package and pay plan-check fees. Our step-by-step ADU permit guide walks through what a complete submittal looks like.
6. Site review, then permit. LADBS checks the site-specific items; respond to any corrections, and once cleared, the permit issues and construction can begin — with the same inspection sequence as any other ADU.

Standard Plan vs. Custom Design: The Honest Trade-Offs

Where a standard plan wins:

• Speed. Design review is already done, and state law gives your complete application a 30-day decision clock instead of 60.
• Design cost. YOU-ADU is free; firm plans are licensed for a flat fee that is typically far below a custom architectural package.
• Predictability. The design has already survived LADBS plan check, so design-level correction cycles largely disappear.

Where custom design wins:

• Fit. A standard plan is a fixed footprint. Irregular lots, slopes, protected trees, and tight setback puzzles often need a design drawn around them.
• Size and layout. If you want the largest unit your lot allows, a specific bedroom count, or accessibility features, custom design can be tailored; a standard plan cannot be stretched.
• Changes void the shortcut. Materially altering a standard plan takes it outside the pre-approval — at that point you are back in normal plan check, so “tweaking” a standard plan is usually the worst of both worlds.

Neither route changes the construction itself: site work, foundation, utilities, and inspections are the same either way, which is why the builder you choose matters as much as the plan. With 30+ years of construction experience, our team builds from standard plans and custom designs alike across Los Angeles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the YOU-ADU really free?

Yes — the plan itself is owned by the City of Los Angeles and provided free to applicants; you can download the full plan set from LADBS at no charge. You still pay the normal city permit and plan-check fees, and you still need site-specific documents (site plan, foundation details) prepared for your lot, which is where most owners still spend some money.

Does “pre-approved” mean there is no permit review?

No. Pre-approval means LADBS has already reviewed the design for code compliance. LADBS still reviews everything specific to your property — zoning, setbacks, lot coverage, and foundation requirements — before issuing your permit. It is a much shorter review, not a skipped one.

Can I use these plans outside the City of Los Angeles?

No. The LADBS Standard Plan Program applies only within the City of Los Angeles. Other cities run their own programs (and unincorporated LA County has a separate county program), and a plan pre-approved by LADBS carries no standing with another jurisdiction’s building department.

How much do the firm-designed plans cost?

Prices are set by each design firm and most do not publish them — you contact the firm to license the plan. One published example: HOMEIO lists its 600 sq ft ADU81 plan set at $2,250. Expect licensing to be a flat fee well below the cost of commissioning a custom design.

Can a contractor submit a standard plan for me?

Yes. LADBS expressly allows an applicant to submit the YOU-ADU themselves or through an architect or contractor of their choice, and the same applies to firm plans once licensed. Many owners have their builder assemble the full package — plan plus site-specific documents — and submit it as one application.

Can I modify a standard plan to fit my lot?

The site-specific parts of your submittal (placement, foundation, utility runs) are expected to be adapted to your parcel. Changing the plan’s design itself — moving walls, adding a room, raising ceilings — generally takes the project outside the pre-approval, and LADBS will treat it as a custom plan with full plan check. If the design needs changing, start with a custom design instead.

Programs, catalogs, and requirements change; verify the current LADBS catalog and submittal requirements before relying on a specific plan. This page is general information, not legal advice.