Long Beach ADU rules and requirements

Yes, you can build an ADU on almost any residential lot in Long Beach. A new backyard unit on a single-family lot can be 800 sq ft. Most lots need no parking. City permit fees run about $5,500 to $6,500, and the city has 60 days to decide once your application is complete.

Backyard unit: Up to 800 sq ft¹
Parking: None on most lots¹⁷
City permit fees: About $5,500 to $6,500⁵
Decision: Within 60 days¹⁰

Figures read from the city's own documents, last checked 20 September 2026. Each number links to its source.

Who to call: Long Beach Planning Bureau, 562-570-6194. Permit Center, 411 W. Ocean Blvd, 2nd floor. PlanCheck.Counter@longbeach.gov.¹³

State rules apply. Long Beach has not written its own ADU rules, so the state's rules apply here. If another site shows a stricter Long Beach limit, it is out of date.¹

The rules at a glance

"City rule" means Long Beach set the figure. "State rule" means the city applies the state minimum, which no city can go below.

ADU rules in Long Beach
Backyard unit, max size City rule	800 sq ft for a new detached unit on a single-family lot. There is no cap when you convert a garage or other existing building, and you can add up to 150 sq ft for an entry or stairs. On a lot with two or more homes there is no cap either. The city may approve up to 1,200 sq ft, so ask the Planning Bureau before you design anything bigger.¹⁹
Attached unit, max size State rule	Half the floor area of the existing home, and never less than 800 sq ft.¹⁹
Junior unit, max size State rule	500 sq ft, carved out of the existing home or its attached garage.⁹
Height State rule	16 ft for a detached unit, or 18 ft if you are within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop, plus 2 ft to match the roof pitch of the house. An attached unit can go to 25 ft or the zone's limit, whichever is lower.¹⁹
Setbacks City rule	Four feet from the side and rear property lines for anything new. If your lot backs onto an alley, the rear setback is measured from the alley's centerline. A garage you convert or rebuild in place can keep its current setback if the building and fire officials accept it.¹
Parking City rule	Most lots need none. You are exempt inside the city's Parking Exempt Area, within a half-mile walk of a bus or rail stop, in a historic district, or when converting existing space. Otherwise one space, and tandem or in the driveway is fine. Converting a garage never requires replacing the parking you lose.¹⁷⁹
Lot coverage and open space State rule	Lot coverage, floor-area and open-space limits cannot be used to stop an 800 sq ft unit that meets the 4 ft setbacks and 16 ft height.⁹
Do you have to live there State rule	No, not for an ADU. For a junior unit the owner must live on the property, unless the junior unit has its own bathroom, in which case the requirement no longer applies as of 2026.⁹
Renting it out State rule	Tenants must stay 30 days or longer. Nightly and weekly rentals of the unit are not allowed.⁹

Long Beach ADU permit fees

City permit fees
City plan check and building permit, new 750 to 800 sq ft unit	About $5,500 to $6,500 City fee schedule, May 2026⁵
Impact fees (fire, parks, police, transportation, sewer)	$2,366 if the unit is over 750 sq ft. Nothing at 750 sq ft or under. City impact fee schedule, October 2025⁶
Processing fee and surcharges	$115, plus 6% on top of permit fees City fee schedule, May 2026⁵
Expedited plan check	Double the standard plan check fee City fee schedule, May 2026⁵

How long it takes

Plan on the full 60 days plus one round of corrections. The city does not publish a typical review time. A lot in the Coastal Zone adds a coastal permit to the same application.¹⁰¹

Completeness check: 15 business days for the city to tell you whether your application is complete
Decision: 60 days after that to approve or deny, or the unit is approved by default
Pre-approved plans: Same day over the counter, once plans are available

Does an ADU fit your lot in Long Beach?

The rules above are the city's. Whether they work on your lot depends on the lot. Type your address and we tell you yes, no, or yes with conditions, then connect you with one licensed builder who works in Long Beach. Free, and nobody calls unless you ask.

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Things to know before you build in Long Beach

The impact fee switches on at 751 sq ft. Keep the unit at 750 sq ft or under and the city charges no impact fees at all. Keep it under 500 and the school district fee drops away too.
Before you draw a parking space, look up your lot on the city's Parking Exempt Area map. Inside it, or within a half-mile walk of a bus or rail stop, no space is required.
One lot can hold more than one unit. A converted garage, a new backyard unit and a junior unit inside the house can all be permitted on the same single-family lot.
Bring one PDF. Plans go in as a single file with the permit application at the Permit Center on the second floor of 411 W. Ocean Blvd. There is no hearing and no neighbour notice.

Overlays that change the answer

Coastal Zone. A Local Coastal Development Permit goes in with the building permit. No hearing, but more review time.⁸¹
Historic districts and landmark properties. A Certificate of Appropriateness goes in with the building permit application. It is approved by staff, not a board.¹

Pre-approved ADU plans in Long Beach

Paused There is nothing to choose from right now. The old plan set stopped being valid on 31 December 2025, and as of 20 September 2026 the city is collecting new designs from architects under Information Bulletin IB-078. Once a plan list is published again, a submittal using one of those plans can be approved over the counter the same day.²³⁴

Questions people ask

How big can an ADU be in Long Beach?

A new backyard unit on a single-family lot can be 800 sq ft. Converting a garage or other existing building has no size cap, and neither does a lot with two or more homes. A junior unit inside the house can be 500 sq ft.

Do I need parking for an ADU in Long Beach?

Usually not. Lots inside the Parking Exempt Area, within a half-mile walk of transit, in a historic district, or converting existing space need none. Otherwise one space, which can be tandem or in the driveway.

How much are ADU permit fees in Long Beach?

About $5,500 to $6,500 in city plan check and permit fees for a 750 to 800 sq ft unit, plus $2,366 in impact fees only if the unit is over 750 sq ft.

How long does an ADU permit take in Long Beach?

The city has 15 business days to tell you whether your application is complete and 60 days after that to decide, or the unit is approved by default. The city publishes no typical review time.

Does Long Beach have pre-approved ADU plans?

Not today. The earlier plans expired at the end of 2025 and the city is collecting new designs. When plans return, a submittal using one can be permitted the same day over the counter.

Can I build an ADU in the Long Beach Coastal Zone?

Yes. A Local Coastal Development Permit goes in with the building permit. There is no hearing, but it adds review time.

What changed

20 September 2026 The city is accepting designer submittals for a second round of pre-approved plans under IB-078. No homeowner plan list is published yet.
20 May 2026 Building permit and plan check fee schedule changed.
1 January 2026 AB 1154 took effect: a junior unit with its own bathroom no longer requires the owner to live on the property.
1 January 2026 SB 543 took effect: a 15-business-day completeness check and 60-day deemed approval under Gov. Code 66317.
31 December 2025 The pre-approved plan approvals expired. The program is paused until new plans are listed.
1 October 2025 Impact fee rates updated, with ADU rates for fire, parks and police.

Sources

Information Bulletin IB-PZ-001, Accessory Dwelling Units, City of Long Beach Planning Bureau. Accessed 19 September 2026.
Information Bulletin IB-068, Pre-Approved ADU Program, City of Long Beach Building and Safety Bureau. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Pre-Approved ADU Program page, City of Long Beach. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Information Bulletin IB-078, Instructions for Obtaining PAADU Plan Approval, City of Long Beach Building and Safety Bureau. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Building Permit and Plan Check Fees, effective 5/20/2026, City of Long Beach Building and Safety Bureau. Accessed 19 September 2026.
Development Impact Fees, effective 10/1/2025, City of Long Beach Building and Safety Bureau. Accessed 19 September 2026.
Parking Exempt Area map (LBMC 21.41.175), City of Long Beach. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Coastal Zone map, City of Long Beach Planning Bureau. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code sections 66310 to 66342, ADU law (link opens at section 66314), State of California. Accessed 19 September 2026.
Government Code section 66317, permit timelines (SB 543), State of California. Accessed 19 September 2026.

Nearby

Los Angeles County

Educational guidance drawn from the city's published rules, not a permit determination or a quote. Rules change; the date at the top is when these were last checked. Spotted a wrong figure? Tell us.