Pre-Approved ADU Plans in Los Angeles: The Catalog, Updated for 2026
Chris Koss, AIA|Published May 29, 2026|Last updated June 10, 2026
The LADBS Standard Plan Catalog lists more than 90 pre-approved ADU designs for Los Angeles, from 200 to 1,200 square feet. One design, the 455 sf YOU-ADU, is provided by the city at no cost.
A YOU-ADU configuration, the only city-provided standard plan in the LADBS catalog. Designed for the City of Los Angeles by Lehrer Architects and the Bureau of Engineering. LADBS.
Los Angeles homeowners planning an ADU today can choose from more than 90 pre-approved design packages on the LADBS Standard Plan Catalog, with options ranging from a 200-square-foot studio to a 1,200-square-foot three-bedroom. One of them, the YOU-ADU, is provided by the City at no cost. For first-time ADU clients choosing between custom plans and pre-approved ones, this catalog is the first thing worth understanding before hiring a designer or engaging a design-build firm. A 2026 building code update is currently rolling out for catalog plans, and knowing where that update stands matters if you are planning to break ground this year.
How the Standard Plan Program works
LADBS launched the Standard Plan Program to shorten the plan-check timeline for ADUs that get built repeatedly. A design firm submits its plans to LADBS for a one-time review. LADBS pre-approves them for compliance with the Building, Residential, and Green Codes. When a homeowner selects one of those plans, LADBS still reviews site-specific factors including zoning compliance, foundation requirements, and setbacks, but the architectural and structural review is already complete. The initial plan review turnaround for a standard plan is three business days. Regular ADU plan checks in Los Angeles can take considerably longer depending on submission volume and site complexity.
The catalog currently lists plans from roughly 35 firms, including Abodu, Connect Homes, Design, Bitches, Escher Gunewardena Architecture, First Office, Fung + Blatt, IT House, Jennifer Bonner/MALL, LA Mas, Modal, neXt Dwelling, sekou cooke STUDIO, SO-IL, United Dwelling, Villa Homes, wHY, Welcome Projects, and YD Group. Unit sizes span 200 SF to 1,200 SF. Most are single-story detached units. IT House alone accounts for six plan numbers in the catalog, with a 200-square-foot studio (ADU12) and a 1,149-square-foot three-bedroom (ADU28) on either end. A handful of plans carry a Pending Approval status, including a manufactured housing option from wHY (ADU22) and two HCD-approved designs from SonderPods (ADU55 and ADU56).
Private plans cost money. Every plan in the catalog except for YOU-ADU has a purchase fee paid directly to the design firm that owns it. Prices vary by firm. Contact the firm listed under each plan before budgeting your project. The plan purchase fee is separate from permit fees, site engineering, and construction costs.
The free option: YOU-ADU
The YOU-ADU is the only plan in the catalog the City provides at no charge. It was designed by Lehrer Architects in collaboration with the Bureau of Engineering and LADBS, in response to a City Council Motion under the leadership of Council District 14 aimed at addressing the affordable housing shortage. The plan is 455 square feet, one story, one bedroom, with four exterior finish packages: white standing seam metal roof with cement board siding, gray asphalt shingles with charcoal siding and bronze-finish windows, terra cotta shingles with craftsman green siding and carmine highlights, and red shingles with white plaster finish.
The YOU-ADU works in five spatial configurations depending on lot conditions: Reclaimed Sideyard, In-Law-ADU (semi-shared garden), Guest-ADU (semi-private garden), Renter-ADU (private garden), and Artist-ADU (shared garden). The same floor plan and structure can orient and open differently depending on whether the occupant is family, a tenant, or a creative workspace user.
One practical note: the plan is free, but the permitting process still requires site-specific review by LADBS. A homeowner can submit the YOU-ADU application without hiring an architect, though most choose to use a contractor or drafter to handle the submittal package. The three-business-day plan review clock still applies.
The 2026 code update: what it means if you are shopping now
New California Building Code requirements took effect January 1, 2026, and private-designer plans in the LADBS catalog need to be updated to comply. LADBS has noted that updated plans will be made available soon. If you are actively evaluating catalog plans right now, verify with LADBS whether the specific plan you are considering has been updated for 2026 code before spending money on site-specific documents or soils reports. Plans listed as Approved are current at the time of listing, but some may still be pending their 2026 revision.
This applies to the private-firm plans only. The YOU-ADU, as a city-owned plan, follows a separate update track and should be confirmed directly with LADBS as well. If 2026 code compliance is a scheduling concern, a plan added to the catalog in late 2025 or 2026 is the safest starting point.
Why this matters for your budget. If you have already paid for site-specific structural calculations against an older plan version, and that plan gets revised for 2026 code, those calculations may need to be redone. Not every code change requires full structural recalculation, but confirming plan status before commissioning foundation or soils work avoids potential rework costs later in the project.
Building outside of Los Angeles
Los Angeles is not the only California city with a pre-approved ADU plan catalog. AB 1332, effective January 1, 2025, required every local agency in California to develop and adopt a pre-approval program for ADU plans. Riverside DWELL offers plans from 746 SF to 1,020 SF with a similarly accelerated review process. San Jose, Encinitas, San Diego County, and San Mateo County all have their own pre-approved plan catalogs at various stages of maturity.
If you are a first-time ADU client building outside LA, ask your building department whether they have an adopted pre-approved plan program under AB 1332 before engaging an architect on a full custom design. The answer affects both your upfront costs and your permit timeline, sometimes by months.
If you want to compare pre-approved plan options across California cities before committing to a design direction, A-du's build marketplace helps you match plan types to your property and city requirements.