Start with the agency that covers your property
Use the exact property address or parcel information. The City in a mailing address may not be the agency responsible for permits, and a County program is not automatically the program for an incorporated City within that County.
Before paying for a particular plan, confirm the jurisdiction and ask your project team which current application instructions it will use. Keep the answer with the project records. Find official ADU sources by jurisdiction.
Why more than one reviewer may be involved
| Review area | What the discussion may concern |
|---|---|
| Planning | Where the unit can be placed and the applicable land-use standards. |
| Building | The submitted construction plans and applicable building requirements. |
| Public works or other agencies | Work affecting drainage, access or other regulated conditions. |
| Utility provider | The service arrangement, applications and provider work needed for connections. |
This is a way to organize the conversation, not a statement that every project needs every department. Ask your team to identify the actual reviewers for your address and explain each open comment in terms of what must change or be supplied.
Keep agency review and utility service work as separate schedule items when they are separate processes. A building approval does not tell you when a utility crew will finish its part.
Know what has actually been submitted or approved
Ask for the application or permit identifier and a copy of the submitted drawing version. “The permit is being handled” could mean documents are still being prepared, an application is under review, or a permit has been issued.
When comments come back, ask who will respond and whether the response changes the design, price or timing. Keep revised plans identified by date. A builder pricing an old layout and a designer answering comments on a new layout may otherwise be talking about different work.
What preapproved plans can and cannot tell you
Los Angeles says its standard plans receive a property-specific review for matters such as zoning and foundation needs. Do not treat a plan catalog as proof that your site is ready to build. City of Los Angeles: ADU resources and standard plans
What construction inspections mean
Your Contractor should identify required inspections from the issued permit and applicable agency instructions. Ask for the sequence and how you will learn about results or corrections. Avoid relying on a generic online list as the inspection program for your property.
| Point in the work | A useful Owner question |
|---|---|
| Before work is covered | Has the required inspection for this part been completed, and is there any correction outstanding? |
| After a correction | Where is the follow-up result recorded? |
| Before a payment milestone | Which inspection does the contract refer to, and what other work belongs to that milestone? |
| At the end | What final status or approval is required before the ADU can be occupied? |
An inspection is not an audit of your entire invoice or a review of every finish promised in the contract. Keep the official result and the contractual work description side by side when discussing completion.
Read schedule promises carefully
Ask what starts a quoted timeline. Is it the design appointment, application submission, a complete application, permit issuance or the beginning of construction? Those are different dates.
Separate the professional’s response time, agency review, utility work and construction sequence. If a delay occurs, ask what is waiting on whom and whether another task can continue. Avoid promising a tenant a move-in date based only on an early construction estimate.
California’s approval framework is explained on the state rules page. It should not be read as a guaranteed total project duration.
Find out what proves the job is ready for use
Near completion, ask your Contractor to identify the record showing the required final approvals and where you can verify it. Keep a copy you control, along with the approved plans and permit information.
The City of San Diego’s Bulletin 400 is its ADU permit guide and includes a coastal-overlay caveat. It is a useful example of why an address-specific rule matters more than a statewide summary. City of San Diego: Information Bulletin 400, January 2026 If your property is elsewhere, use that jurisdiction’s own instructions.
Questions about this topic
Does the Contractor get the permits?
That depends on the service arrangement. Make responsibility for preparation, submission, comments, fees and inspections explicit in the agreement rather than relying on a general promise to handle permits.
Read more: How to read an ADU construction contractLink to this answerCan work start when the plans are approved?
Confirm that the necessary permit has actually been issued and that its conditions for the proposed work are met. Ask the responsible agency if the status is unclear.
Read more: Find the rules for your ADU propertyLink to this answerDoes passing inspection prove every contract item is finished?
No. You still need to check the agreed scope, remaining work and final handover records with the Contractor.
Read more: ADU final walkthrough, punch list and final paymentLink to this answerSources and review notes
Official references checked on . Inline links identify the source for specific statements.
- City of Los Angeles: ADU resources and standard plans
- City of San Diego: Information Bulletin 400, January 2026
Prepared for PrepareToBuild.info as an editorial draft, assisted by AI. Not yet reviewed by a licensed construction or legal professional. Practical examples are illustrative, not actual quotes, legal terms or completed projects. Confirm requirements with the responsible agency and get qualified advice about your property, contract or finances.