What setbacks or height restrictions apply to ADUs in Los Angeles, California?
-
I’ve been trying to figure out what the actual setback and height limits are for ADUs in Los Angeles. I talked to two different contractors, and both gave me totally different answers. One said I could build right up to the fence, and the other said I needed at least four feet of space. Before I move forward with plans, I’d love to hear from someone who’s already been through this — what are the real rules?
Comments (1) -
I ran into the same confusion when planning mine last year. Every person I talked to seemed to have a slightly different take, but the city’s ADU rules are pretty clear once you dig in. For detached ADUs, you generally need a four-foot setback from the rear and side property lines, and the max height depends on the type — usually around 16 feet for a single-story. I used https://www.aduscale.com/prefab-adu to double-check my plans before submitting them to the city, and it saved me from a lot of headaches. What also helped was meeting with a planner at the LADBS office — they walked me through which rules applied to my zone specifically. It’s worth doing that early on before spending too much on design work.