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Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Plan Program

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Pre-Approved ADU Plan Program 

The pre-approved ADU plan program encourages the construction of ADUs by offering property owners a selection of pre-approved 3rd party ADU plans or a pre-approved ADU plan provided by the City. The City has vetted and reviewed pre-approved plans to meet existing ADU regulations. While some site-specific design work is still required, pre-approved plans aim to help property owners dramatically reduce pre-construction costs and time and improve permit approval efficiency. Applicants that choose a plan from the pre-approved 3rd party ADU plans list that best fits their needs must contact the designer/architect directly for permission to use the plan and fee information. Please note that a pre-approved ADU plan may not be approved for use in certain situations and/or site conditions.

Pre-Approved 3rd Party ADU Plans 

Applicants interested in using a pre-approved ADU plan may select one from the list of 3rd party providers below. These plans are designed and owned by the listed 3rd party and must be purchased directly from them. The City does not establish 3rd party fees and those are established at the discretion of the plan owner. Please note that these pre-approved 3rd party ADU Plans may not be approved for use in certain situations and/or site conditions.

[To be updated as plans are submitted to the City]

City-Offered Pre-Approved ADU Plan

The City of West Hollywood has developed a pre-approved ADU plan, offered free of charge, for a one-story detached ADU that can be used on any residential property within the City. The plan meets the 2024 California Residential Building Code requirements. A signed "hold harmless" agreement is required to be submitted to the City prior to downloading the City-offered plan. Any modifications to the City-offered plan beyond what is expressly permitted as noted on the plan will remove pre-approval status.

Applicants interested in using the City-offered plan may download the conceptual plan and hold harmless agreement from the links below. Once a completed hold harmless agreement has been submitted, applicants will be provided with the full City-offered plan set. Applicants must then submit a site plan prepared by a qualified professional engineer and/or architect based on a current property survey to show where on the property the ADU will be placed and existing site conditions.

 PreApproved_Plan_Brochure_Screenshot

(Conceptual City-Offered Plan Set)

Hold Harmless Agreement (Full plan set will be provided upon a submittal of a completed agreement)

Pre-Approved ADU Application Process 

Below is a summary of the process for submitting an application using a pre-approved ADU plan.  

Step 1: Prepare Planning and Building Permit Materials 

  • Pre-approved ADU plan set 

  • Site plan, which should include the following information: 

    • Footprint of all existing and proposed buildings
    • Area of existing buildings
    • Footprint of proposed ADU
    • Drawing scale
    • Property lines
    • All paved areas including access into the site
    • Yard labels
    • Setbacks
    • Easements
    • Location of rain water leaders
    • Label streets and sidewalks
    • Dimension building separation
    • Fire rated wall and roof required if ADU is proposed near property line or existing building
    • Fire sprinklers if the primary residence is sprinklered
    • Electrical panel
    • Swimming pools
    • Porches
    • Location of existing and proposed utilities
    • Location of existing and proposed fencing
    • Location of existing and proposed patio, walks, and decks
    • Location of existing and proposed trees on site
  • Building permit application and fees 

  • Owner’s affidavit  

  • “Hold Harmless” agreement (for City-offered plan only)

Step 2: Application Submittal 

  • Submit your application materials to the City of West Hollywood Planning and Building Divisions through the online portal 

Step 3: Application review 

  • The application materials and plans will be reviewed within 30 days. 

  • You will be notified through the online portal if your plans have been approved or if corrections have been issued.  

If corrections are issued, you must resubmit plans addressing the corrections and provide a response sheet with responses to each correction. The review time for resubmittals is approximately 2 weeks. For more information regarding the pre-approved ADU plan program, contact the Planning Division by email at planning@weho.org or by phone (323) 848-6475 and leave a detailed message. 

Submitting Plans for 3rd Party ADU Pre-Approval Status  

Applicants interested in submitting plans to be added to the pre-approved 3rd party ADU plans list shall submit a Building Permit application for an ADU. Plans must comply with West Hollywood Municipal Code Section 19.36.310 and be stamped by a licensed architect or engineer.  

Upon approval, the plans and contact information will be included on our pre-approved 3rd party ADU plans list.