In the Lake Balboa council area, LADBS issued 777 ADU permits from 2020 onward, 13th among 236 areas. This is Council District 6, and the data records a 0 percent hillside share.
Counts by year
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permits issued | 82 | 111 | 133 | 115 | 128 | 139 | 69 |
From 82 permits in 2020, the count rose to 111 and 133 in the following two years, dipped to 115, then moved to 128 and 139 in 2025. 2026 stands at 69 with the year unfinished.
Type breakdown
| Type of ADU | Permits | Size at median (sq ft) | Declared valuation at median | Declared $ per sq ft at median | Days, submit to issue | Days, issue to CofO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New detached or new construction | 176 | 985 | $120,000 | $112 | 202 | 440 |
| Garage or space conversion | 476 | 499 | $50,000 | $93 | 111 | 339 |
| JADU | 101 | 371 | $33,000 | $85 | 84 | 308 |
| All ADU permits | 777 | 581 | $60,000 | $101 | 125 | 350 |
How to read it
Lake Balboa is close to the citywide pattern. About 61 percent of permits (476) are conversions, 23 percent (176) are new builds and 13 percent (101) are JADUs. A garage conversion here is declared at a median $50,000, the same as the citywide median. If you want to see how the three types differ in practice, there is a plain-language comparison at ADU vs JADU vs garage conversion.
On new builds, the median declared valuation of $120,000 matches the citywide median, while the median size of 985 square feet is larger than the citywide 813. The step from permit to CofO takes 440 days for new construction here. All of this goes through LADBS, which we describe on the permit process page, and sloped lots should still check the fire hazard zone guide.
Placing Lake Balboa citywide
Los Angeles as a whole serves as the baseline. The all-permit medians are $60,000 declared valuation, 558 square feet and $105 a square foot, with 154 days to issue and 368 days to CofO. The type medians are $120,000 and 813 square feet for new, $50,000 and 496 for conversions, $35,000 and 400 for JADUs.
The overall Lake Balboa medians are $60,000 declared, 581 square feet, $101 per square foot, 125 days to issue and 350 days from issue to CofO. The two time medians are 29 and 18 days shorter than the citywide figures.
Finished projects are 552 of 777 permits, about 71 percent, with a certificate of occupancy on record. Citywide the share is about 63 percent (26,170 of 41,450). Medians for the CofO step only include those finished projects, so recent permits are not yet reflected.
Where to go from here
To see where declared numbers and real bills part ways, go to the Los Angeles ADU cost guide. For how long each phase runs, go to the ADU timeline guide. To prepare for hiring, go to the CSLB check for ADU builders.
Source and method
Permit records: "Building Permits Issued 2020 to Present" from LADBS, on data.lacity.org as pi9x-tg5x, covering the City of Los Angeles alone. Analysis by our editors, November 2026.
Data handling. ADU permits were selected by their ADU flags and descriptions, and supplemental permits were excluded. Valuation is the value the applicant declared, not the full project cost; design, fees, utilities and finishes are often extra. For days, only permits that reached each step enter the median. 2026 is still in progress.
