Timeline in LA
End-to-end ADU timelines for LA — pre-application through closeout — with the schedule risks that quietly add months.
- Pre-application
- 2–4 weeks
- Design & plans
- 6–10 weeks
- Permits
- 8–16 weeks 3–5 weeks Standard Plan
- Construction
- 4–7 months
- Closeout
- 2–3 weeks
A typical LA ADU runs 10–14 months from design kickoff to certificate of occupancy. The variance is almost entirely in design revisions, plan check rounds, and weather-driven foundation delays. Here's how to read a credible schedule.
03.01Where schedules slip
Owner-driven design changes after Stage 02 are the #1 cause of slip. LADBS correction rounds are #2. Inspector availability and weather are #3. None of these are fully avoidable — they are managed by holding the schedule visible and decisions tight.
03.02What 'parallel tracks' really means
Strong builders run permits and long-lead procurement in parallel: windows ordered at permit submission (12–14 week lead), HVAC equipment at Stage 03, finish materials at framing. Sequential procurement adds 6–10 weeks to construction.
03.03Inspector sequencing
LADBS inspections are scheduled the day-of for the next morning. A missed framing inspection delays insulation, drywall, and Title 24 verification by a full week. Site supers who batch inspections lose weeks; supers who request the right inspection at the right hour don't.
From the desk
- 7 min
The 14-month ADU: a realistic month-by-month walkthrough
What gets done in week 8, week 22, week 40.
- 4 min
Long-lead items that quietly drive your schedule
Windows, panels, HVAC — order them at permit, not at framing.