ADU Design Long Beach
Develop the floor plan, exterior direction, material selections, functionality, and site fit before committing to engineering and construction.
Los Angeles County · California
Long Beach ADU design & construction
Long Beach separates ADU planning questions from Building and Safety plan submittals. Coastal review can add its own charge, so a building-fee estimate alone may leave out part of the approval budget.
Local planning guide · Reviewed October 2, 2026
What matters for an ADU in Long Beach
Permitting authority: Long Beach Community Development — ADUs
Official local guidanceLocal rules and design checks
| Topic | Local guidance |
|---|---|
| Preapproved designs | The PAADU program still requires compliance with Long Beach’s ADU regulations. |
| Coastal review | The Planning fee schedule includes a separate administrative coastal-permit category for ADUs; confirm applicability for the parcel. |
| Ready-to-issue status | Approved plans proceed to permit issuance through the instructions sent by the plan reviewer. |
Selected local requirements, not a complete zoning determination. Confirm the current rules for your address with the responsible agency.
Fees and budget checks
The May 20, 2026 Planning schedule lists the administrative ADU coastal permit at $1,914 base / $2,124.54 with surcharge. This is a dated line item, not the complete ADU fee. Confirm the current schedule and separately price Building review.
Long Beach Planning fee schedule — May 2026How to start the permit process
Discuss zoning with Planning and plans, records and PAADU choices with Building and Safety. Complete required reviews, then follow the City’s ready-to-issue permit instructions.
Municipal plan program
Long Beach PAADU program
The City’s published program is a source of preapproved design options; site compliance and the building permit remain necessary.
View the original sourceLong Beach ADU questions
- Is the coastal charge the whole permit cost?
- No. It is a Planning line item, separate from the Building permit and other applicable charges.
- What follows approval of my drawings?
- The City sends ready-to-issue instructions explaining how to obtain the building permit.
Sources for this guide
- Long Beach Community Development — ADUs
- Long Beach Planning fee schedule — May 2026
- Long Beach PAADU program
- Long Beach ready-to-issue permits
Local sources reviewed October 2, 2026. Historical examples retain their stated dates. Contact ADU California Inc. to confirm project availability; this guide does not establish an office location or property approval.
Design-led ADU planning
ADU design, architecture & engineering coordination in Long Beach
Start with ADU design in Long Beach, then coordinate architect and engineer scope, permitting, budgeting, and the custom builder or contractor work needed to move the project toward construction.
ADU Architect Long Beach
Architectural planning can address layout, massing, code constraints, site relationships, and permit drawings where an appropriately licensed professional is required.
ADU Engineer Long Beach
Engineering coordination can cover structural, foundation, utility, civil, energy, and other disciplines required by the property and permitting authority.
Custom ADU Builder Long Beach
Compare custom scope, site constraints, model options, finish level, construction sequence, and written pricing before selecting a build approach.
ADU Contractor Long Beach
Coordinate construction scope, subcontractors, schedule, inspections, site logistics, and closeout around a clearly defined permitted set.
ADU Design Build Long Beach
A coordinated design-build workflow keeps property review, design, engineering, permitting, budgeting, procurement, and construction aligned.
A useful first review
Separate what is available from what still needs verification.
01
Confirm the property
Start with a complete address and review the available parcel, building, and map context.
02
Identify the unknowns
Keep missing setbacks, easements, utilities, access, hazards, and local requirements visible.
03
Choose the next review
Use the preliminary result to prepare a focused conversation with the required professionals and agencies.
Explore project types
Compare the scope before choosing a solution.
These pages explain the questions each project type introduces. They do not assert that a particular scope is permitted or suitable for your address.
Compare planning footprints
See common ADU sizes before choosing a design.
These model pages are planning references only. They are not a statement that a particular size is allowed or buildable at a Long Beach address.
California directory
Explore more city guides.
The next useful action
Put your address at the center of the conversation.
The online review is preliminary and is not a permit decision, survey, engineering opinion, construction document, final price, or guaranteed schedule.