Straight answers,
from the job site.
The specific permitting, code, and cost questions Los Angeles homeowners actually ask — answered plainly, by the people who pull the permits.
The Real LA Permitting Timeline for Home Renovations
There isn’t one number for how long a permit takes — there are four review tracks, and which one your project lands on decides whether you’re waiting a day or four months.
How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Permit Actually Take in LA Right Now?
Standard plan check timelines, why LADBS is running slower than usual in 2026, and three real ways to speed a submittal up.
Removing a Wall in a Pre-1978 LA Home: What Lead Paint Rules Actually Require
Federal law assumes lead paint in any pre-1978 home — what that means for your remodel, and why your contractor’s certification matters.
The Real Cost Gap Between a Permitted and Unpermitted Kitchen Remodel in LA
Unpermitted work looks cheaper upfront. The real cost shows up later — in disclosure liability, lost appraised value, and retroactive permitting against current code.
How Long Does LA's ADU Permit Process Actually Take Under the Streamlined Ordinance?
State law caps ADU review at 60 days once your application is complete — here’s what that means in practice in LA.
Soft-Story Retrofit: Does It Actually Block Your Unrelated LA Permit?
It's a separate mandatory program with its own deadline, not something an unrelated permit triggers — but for a non-compliant building, that distinction won't save you much time.
Whole-House Renovation Timeline: What Plan-Check Delays Actually Add
A full renovation runs on four separate permits, each with its own inspection sequence — and a delay in one has a way of finding every trade downstream of it.
Over-the-Counter Permit vs. Full Plan Check: What the Terms Actually Mean
"OTC" means approved same-day at the counter. "Full plan check" means a multi-week review queue. What actually decides which one your project falls into.
Can You Actually Build an ADU on Your LA Lot?
LA allows ADUs in every residential zone with no minimum lot size, and depending on your lot type, you may be eligible for up to three units at once.
Can You Build an ADU in a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
Yes, generally — but the zone adds real construction requirements: ignition-resistant materials, defensible-space setbacks, and more.
Can You Rent Your ADU on Airbnb in LA?
Not in the way most people picture it. LA's Home-Sharing Ordinance only lets you list your actual primary residence.
Does Your ADU Need Parking? The Transit Exemption, Explained
For most LA lots, no — between the city's own policy and the state's transit exemption, a required parking space is the exception now.
Will Building an ADU Trigger a Property Tax Reassessment?
No, not a full one. Prop 13 protects your existing home's assessed value — only the new ADU square footage gets assessed and added on top.
Renovating on a Hillside or in a Historic Overlay Zone
Two very different LA overlays with two very different rulebooks — the Baseline Hillside Ordinance and Historic Preservation Overlay Zones.
Do I Need a Soils Report for a Hillside Kitchen Remodel?
Usually not. Soils reports get triggered by new construction, additions, and grading — not by a like-for-like interior kitchen remodel.
Does My HPOZ Home Need Approval for an Interior Kitchen Remodel?
Usually not. HPOZ review governs exterior changes visible from the street — interior work generally falls outside it, with a few exceptions.
Second-Story Additions on a Hillside: What the Real Height Limits Are
Not one number. The citywide baseline is 45 feet, but corridors like Mulholland impose stricter limits and their own design review.
Building in a Landslide Zone: What the Geotechnical Report Actually Has to Show
Not optional. If your property sits in a mapped Zone of Required Investigation, state law requires it before a permit can issue.
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