Torrance ADU rules and requirements

Yes, you can build an ADU on any residential or mixed-use lot in Torrance that has a home on it. The city caps a new unit at 1,000 sq ft, one parking space is required unless you are near transit or converting existing space, city permit and plan check fees for an 800 sq ft unit start around $3,700 and can reach about $6,700 with surcharges, and the city has 60 days to decide once your application is complete.

Backyard unit: Up to 1,000 sq ft¹
Parking: One space, waived near transit¹
City permit fees: About $3,700 to $6,700 for 800 sq ft⁵⁶
Decision: Within 60 days¹¹

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

Who to call: Torrance Planning Division, Community Development Department, 310-618-5990. Permit Center, 3031 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503. Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, closed every other Friday. Building and Safety: 310-618-5910.. CDDInfo@TorranceCA.Gov.⁸³¹⁶

Under state review. Torrance rewrote its ADU ordinance in August 2025 to answer the state's 2024 findings, and HCD has not published a verdict on the new version. The code itself says state law wins wherever the two conflict, so if a city rule is stricter than the state minimum you can ask for the state rule.²⁹¹¹⁷

The rules at a glance

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

ADU rules in Torrance
Backyard unit, max size City rule	1,000 sq ft for a new detached unit, attached or not. Any 800 sq ft detached unit with 4 ft side and rear setbacks must be approved no matter what other city rules say. Converting a garage or other existing building has no size cap, and you can add up to 150 sq ft for an entry or stairs.¹
Attached unit, max size City rule	1,000 sq ft. The city uses the same cap for attached and detached units and does not tie it to the size of your house. An attached unit must share at least a quarter of its wall length with the house; a breezeway or patio cover does not count as attached.¹
Junior unit, max size State rule	500 sq ft, inside the house or its attached garage. If it is on the second floor, another 150 sq ft is allowed for an enclosed staircase.¹¹²
Height City rule	18 ft for a one-story detached unit and 23 ft for two stories, anywhere in the city. In the Hillside Overlay and the Coastal Zone a detached unit is 16 ft, plus whatever state law adds near transit. Attached units can go to 18 ft for one story and 25 ft for two. Height is measured from the lowest finished grade to the top of the roof. Inside, a one-story unit cannot have walls taller than 12 ft, and balconies, roof decks and lofts are not allowed.¹¹³
Setbacks City rule	Detached unit: 15 ft from the front property line, 4 ft from the sides and rear, and 6 ft wall to wall from any other building. Attached unit: 4 ft sides, the same rear setback as the house, and the front setback of your zone. Converting an existing building, or rebuilding it in the same spot, needs no setback. Recorded easements still apply.¹
Parking State rule	One space per ADU, on your lot, and it can be tandem in the driveway. No space is needed if you are within a half-mile walk of a bus or train stop, in a historic district, converting part of the house or an existing building, building the ADU together with a new house, when street permits are required but not offered to the unit, or when there is a car-share vehicle within a block. If you demolish or convert a garage you never have to replace its parking.¹¹⁰
Lot coverage and open space City rule	The city says an ADU must fit your zone's lot coverage, floor-area ratio and open-space limits. That cannot stop an 800 sq ft unit with 4 ft side and rear setbacks: the code's exempt-unit section approves it regardless. Bigger than 800 sq ft, the zone limits apply.¹¹⁴
Do you have to live there City rule	No, not for an ADU. For a junior unit the city's covenant still says the owner must live in the house or the junior unit. Under state law since 2026 that only holds when the junior unit shares a bathroom with the house, and the city code says state law wins on any conflict, so ask before you sign the covenant.¹⁴¹²¹⁷
Renting it out State rule	Tenants must stay 30 days or longer. Nightly and weekly rentals of an ADU or junior unit are not allowed.¹¹⁴

Torrance ADU permit fees

City permit fees
City building permit and plan review, new 800 sq ft detached unit	About $3,700 at the floor and up to about $6,700 with surcharges. Worked example: 800 sq ft x $187.70 per sq ft of new residential construction = $150,160 of valuation. The schedule row for $150,001 to $151,000 lists a $2,159 permit fee and a $1,512 plan review fee, plus energy ($1,296), green building ($1,296), NPDES ($432), building standards ($7) and seismic (0.00013 x value, about $20) line items. Residential Fee Schedule and Building Valuation table, fees effective 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027⁵⁶
School district fee	$5.38 per sq ft of residential construction, so $4,304 for 800 sq ft. Paid to the school district, not the city. Building and Safety fees page⁷
Park and Recreation Facilities tax	$550 per dwelling unit. State law bars impact fees on an ADU under 750 sq ft; ask the counter whether this tax is charged on a small unit. Building and Safety fees page; Gov. Code 66324⁷¹⁵
Dwelling Unit tax (Rehabilitation and Open Space fee)	$2,055 per dwelling unit, with the same under-750 sq ft question as the park tax. Building and Safety fees page; Gov. Code 66324⁷¹⁵
Construction tax	1.5% of project valuation, about $2,250 on a $150,160 unit. Building and Safety fees page⁷

How long it takes

Plan on the full 60 days plus a correction round. Before that, the city asks you to book a preliminary plan review with a planner, which is a separate appointment and fee. A lot in the Coastal Zone adds a Coastal Commission permit, waiver or exemption that must be in hand before the building permit is issued.¹¹¹⁶⁴

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: No separate published clock for pre-approved plans

Does an ADU fit your lot in Torrance?

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 Torrance. Free, and nobody calls unless you ask.

Check my address

Things to know before you build in Torrance

Torrance has design rules most cities do not. The unit must match the house's roof pitch, materials and colors, use at least two exterior materials and two colors, and every ADU needs a covered entry that is not on the same side as the house's front door. No balconies, roof decks or lofts. Have your designer read TMC 92.2.10(E)(8) before drawing.
The 1,000 sq ft cap is the city's number. If you want a unit the city's coverage or floor-area limits would block, keep it at 800 sq ft with 4 ft side and rear setbacks and it must be approved under the exempt-unit section.
Book the planner first. The city's process handout has you meet a planner and submit a preliminary plan (24 by 36 inch sheets) to Planning at 310-618-5990 before Building and Safety sees anything. Skipping this step is the usual reason for a rejected submittal.
A junior unit needs a recorded covenant before anyone moves in. You fill it in, get it notarized, record it with the LA County Registrar-Recorder and bring a copy back to the city. Budget the time and the recording fee.

Overlays that change the answer

Coastal Zone (west of Palos Verdes Boulevard). A California Coastal Commission permit, waiver or exemption goes in with the building permit application, whatever the distance from the bluff or beach. The Hillside Overlay's design standards do not apply to an ADU, but the 16 ft height for a one-story detached unit does. Coastal Commission South Coast District: 562-590-5071.⁴¹
Hillside Overlay. A one-story detached unit is capped at 16 ft instead of 18 ft. The overlay's precise-plan review does not apply to an ADU.¹⁴¹⁸
Torrance Tract Overlay, contributing historic homes. If the survey lists your house as contributing or altered-contributing, the ADU must follow the Torrance Tract Design Guidelines. Lots in a historic district need no ADU parking.¹

Pre-approved ADU plans in Torrance

Available Four plans are listed as of 20 September 2026: a 440 sq ft studio, a 640 sq ft one-bedroom, and 751 and 798 sq ft two-bedrooms, all one story. The designers own the plans, so you buy them from the designer, not the city. The city says the sets are about 80 percent complete; you still add a site plan, energy and structural calculations for your lot and pull a normal building permit. The city does not say how fast a pre-approved submittal is reviewed. Take it to the Permit Center at 3031 Torrance Blvd and tell the technician it is a pre-approved ADU.³

Questions people ask

How big can an ADU be in Torrance?

1,000 sq ft, attached or detached. An 800 sq ft detached unit with 4 ft side and rear setbacks must be approved regardless of other zoning limits. Converting an existing garage or building has no cap. A junior unit inside the house can be 500 sq ft.

How tall can an ADU be in Torrance?

18 ft for one story and 23 ft for two stories for a detached unit anywhere in the city. In the Hillside Overlay or Coastal Zone a one-story detached unit is 16 ft. Attached units: 18 ft for one story, 25 ft for two. Sites that print 16 ft citywide are out of date.

Do I need parking for an ADU in Torrance?

One space, which can be tandem in the driveway. None if you are within a half-mile walk of transit, in a historic district, converting existing space, or building the ADU with a new house. You never have to replace parking lost by converting a garage.

How much are ADU permit fees in Torrance?

For an 800 sq ft unit valued at $150,160, the building permit is $2,159 and plan review $1,512, and the schedule adds energy, green building, NPDES and seismic line items that can bring the city total to about $6,700. School fees are $5.38 per sq ft on top, and the fee page lists a $550 park tax, a $2,055 dwelling-unit tax and a 1.5 percent construction tax.

How long does an ADU permit take in Torrance?

The city has 15 business days to say whether your application is complete and 60 days after that to decide. It publishes no typical review time. A preliminary planning review comes before the building permit submittal.

Does Torrance have pre-approved ADU plans?

Yes, four one-story plans from 440 to 798 sq ft. You buy the plans from the designer, add site-specific sheets, and submit at the Permit Center on Torrance Blvd.

What changed

1 July 2026 Residential fee schedule and building valuation table for fiscal year 2026-27 took effect.
18 February 2026 Planning Commission heard a staff report on the Hillside Overlay and state housing law.
1 January 2026 SB 543 took effect: 15-business-day completeness check and 60-day decision clock under Gov. Code 66317.
1 January 2026 AB 1154 took effect: a junior unit with its own bathroom no longer requires the owner to live on the property.
18 September 2025 Ordinance 3954 took effect, 30 days after adoption. It rewrote TMC 92.2.10, folded the junior-unit section into it, set the 18 ft and 23 ft heights, added the exempt-unit section, and dropped the ADU owner-occupancy and covenant rules HCD had objected to.
19 August 2025 City Council adopted Ordinance 3954 on second reading.
1 January 2025 AB 2533 took effect: amnesty path for unpermitted units built before 2020.
5 September 2024 HCD found Ordinance 3911 out of compliance on ten points, including the one-ADU-per-lot limit, JADU entry rules and the covenant requirement.

Sources

Torrance Municipal Code section 92.2.10, Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (Revised 10/25), City of Torrance. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Second and Final Reading of Ordinance No. 3954, council packet with ordinance text and summary, 19 August 2025, City of Torrance City Clerk. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Units, City of Torrance Building and Safety Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Coastal Zone Development Standards handout, City of Torrance Planning Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Residential Fee Schedule, fees effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, City of Torrance Building and Safety Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Building Valuation table (residential), fees effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, City of Torrance Building and Safety Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Building and Safety Fees page (school district fees, park tax, dwelling unit tax, construction tax), City of Torrance Building and Safety Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Planning Division page (phone, email, counter hours), City of Torrance Community Development Department. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Review of Torrance's Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance under State ADU Law, findings letter, 5 September 2024, California Department of Housing and Community Development. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66314, ADU ordinance standards including parking, State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66317, permit timelines (SB 543), State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66333, junior accessory dwelling units, State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66321, size and height limits, State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66323, units that must be approved, State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Government Code section 66324, impact fees on ADUs, State of California. Accessed 20 September 2026.
ADU Plan Review and Permit Process handout, City of Torrance Planning Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units page, City of Torrance Planning Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.
Hillside and Local Coastal Overlay page, City of Torrance Planning Division. Accessed 20 September 2026.

Nearby

Los Angeles County · Los Angeles

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.