Los Angeles ADU Permits: GPMS Fee Surcharge Rising to 10% on June 9

Official fee notice from LADBS (Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety). Infographic by A-du Insights.

If you are permitting an ADU in Los Angeles right now, one number changed on you this week: the General Plan Maintenance Surcharge (GPMS) on all LADBS building permits rises from 7% to 10% on June 9, 2026, per Council File CF09-0969-S4. That is a 3-percentage-point adjustment applied to every permit fee in your project, from plan check through issuance. If your permit fees are substantial, the cost difference is real. If you already have an approved estimate, get an updated one before your permits are pulled.

What the GPMS is and where it appears on your permit invoice

The General Plan Maintenance Surcharge is not a permit fee in itself. It is a percentage surcharge layered on top of all LADBS building permit charges, including plan check fees, permit issuance fees, and inspection fees. Revenue from the surcharge funds the City of Los Angeles General Plan maintenance and update work. GPMS does not fund the inspector who comes to your site. It funds the planning staff who maintain the land use policies that determine whether your ADU is permitted at all.

On your LADBS invoice, it appears as "General Plan Maintenance Surcharge" or "Planning General Plan Maintenance Surcharge." Through June 8, 2026, the rate is 7%. Starting June 9, per the notice posted on dbs.lacity.gov/adu under Council File CF09-0969-S4, it becomes 10%. You can look up the council file in the LA City Clerk's Council File Management System by searching CF09-0969-S4.

How it compounds. GPMS is calculated on the base permit fee total, then added as a separate line. If your base permit fees total $10,000, the old GPMS was $700. After June 9, it is $1,000 on that same base. A simple garage conversion with $4,000 in base fees sees roughly $120 in additional cost. A ground-up detached ADU with $18,000 in base permit fees sees roughly $540 more. These are illustrative figures; actual fees depend on your specific project scope through the LADBS plan review and permitting process.

Why this matters if you are a first-time ADU client in Los Angeles

First-time ADU clients usually receive a permit fee estimate early in the design process, often from their architect or from the LADBS fee estimator tool. That number gets built into project budgets, financing calculations, and contingency planning. If your estimate was prepared before June 9, 2026, against the 7% GPMS rate, and your permits are pulled on or after June 9, your estimate is slightly low.

In dollar terms, the GPMS increase is a 3-percentage-point change on whatever your total base permit fees are. Los Angeles ADU permit fees vary by scope: a simple 500-square-foot attached conversion might carry total base fees of $6,000 to $10,000; a complex ground-up detached ADU can run $15,000 to $30,000 or more depending on scope, grade, and systems. On $20,000 in total permit fees, the difference between 7% and 10% GPMS is $600. Not severe, but it should appear on a revised budget before your permits are pulled.

The more important timing question is whether you are in plan check today. LADBS applies the permit fee schedule in effect at the time the permit is issued (paid at the counter) rather than at the time of plan check submission. Projects currently in plan check that expect to pick up permits in the next few weeks should confirm with their architect or permit expediter whether the permit counter appointment falls before or after June 9. A one-week slip could add $300 to $600 to a mid-size project's permit costs at close.

What this looks like across ADU project types

The GPMS applies to all LADBS building permits, not only ADUs. For homeowners specifically permitting accessory dwelling units, here is where it shows up by project category:

Detached new construction ADU. Typically the highest-fee category. Plan check, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits each carry base fees on which GPMS is applied. On projects with $20,000 or more in total base permit fees, the rate change adds $600 or more at the permit counter.

Garage conversion or attached JADU. Lower base fees, proportionally lower GPMS impact. A project in the $6,000 to $10,000 base fee range sees roughly $180 to $300 in additional cost.

Projects using a pre-approved standard plan. The GPMS applies regardless of whether you used an LADBS Standard Plan Program design or a custom drawing set. The surcharge is on the permit fees, not on the design fee you paid your architect.

Projects with permits currently pending. If your application is in plan check and your counter appointment is in the next two weeks, confirm the date relative to June 9. A one-week slip on a mid-size project could cost more than the permit expediter fee for same-day service.

Context and what to watch next

The GPMS rate increase is tied to Council File 09-0969-S4 and is described on the LADBS site as a routine fee adjustment. The General Plan Maintenance Surcharge rate has moved over the years as the City's General Plan workload and funding requirements have shifted. The 10% figure is not unprecedented. What is notable is the timing: the increase takes effect at the start of what has been an active permitting season for ADUs in Los Angeles, as fire rebuild volume and Standard Plan Program uptake have both increased permit counter activity through 2026.

For A-du-curious homeowners who have not started permitting yet, this is a useful budgeting data point rather than a reason to rush or pause. The rule is simple: permits issued before June 9 pay 7%; permits issued on or after that date pay 10%. Build the 10% figure into any forward cost estimate and move on. The bigger variables in your permit cost are still project scope, systems, and whether your site needs a geotechnical report.

To run an updated permit fee estimate for your specific project type and jurisdiction, A-du's permit fee calculator incorporates current LADBS fee schedules and can give you a starting number before your first call to the permit counter.