ADU problems
ADU plan check delays: why they happen and what helps
By the HyreADU research desk. Last checked .
The short answer
ADU plan check delays usually come from incomplete submittals and rounds of corrections, not the review itself.
California requires a completeness answer within 15 business days and a decision within 60 days of a complete application.
Measured times from application to issuance run much longer, a median of 162 days in Los Angeles in our analysis, because correction rounds count.
Why it happens
- The first submittal is incomplete, so the 60-day clock has not started.
- Each correction round adds weeks.
- Other departments (fire, utilities, public works) review in turn.
- You asked for a delay, which pauses the clock.
- City workload.
The clocks in California
Gov. Code § 66317 sets a written completeness determination within 15 business days, a decision within 60 days of a complete application, and a deemed-approved result if the city misses it.
For a detached ADU on a current-cycle preapproved plan, § 65852.27 sets 30 days. Our permit times research shows medians of 162 days in Los Angeles, 445 in San Francisco and 174.5 in unincorporated Marin from application to issuance.
What to do this week
- Ask the city for the date your application was deemed complete.
- Get every open comment in writing.
- Answer all comments in one resubmittal, checked against the ADU permit checklist.
- Ask whether any department is still reviewing.
- Ask about counter plan check for simple projects.
Who fixes it
Your designer and engineers answer comments; a permit expediter can track the file. See ADU permit expediter and how long it takes to build an ADU.
A mistake to avoid
The mistake to avoid is waiting silently. If weeks pass with no word, ask the city in writing for the status, the completeness date and any open comments.
A written record also helps if you later need to show when the application was complete. Keep copies of every submittal and every email from the city in one folder.
What to do next: check your lot with the ADU feasibility checker, read the questions to ask an ADU builder, then tell us about your project. Matching is not live yet, so we reply with information, not a quote.
Get ADU optionsQuestions
How long should ADU plan check take?
California requires a decision within 60 days of a complete application.
Does the clock restart after corrections?
The 60 days run from a complete application. Ask your city how it counts resubmittals.
Can I pay to expedite?
Some cities offer expedited review. Ask yours.
Do pre-approved plans help?
For detached ADUs, a current-cycle preapproved plan carries a 30-day decision.
Sources
- Gov. Code § 66317 (ministerial review, completeness and the 60-day decision). Checked September 5, 2026.
- Gov. Code § 65852.27 (preapproved ADU plan programs, AB 1332). Checked September 5, 2026.
- LADBS, Building Permits Issued from 2020 to Present (open data). Checked September 5, 2026.
HyreADU is a publisher. It does not design, permit or build ADUs, has no partner builders, and gives no legal, tax, lending or engineering advice.
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