West Hills ranks fourth of 236 neighborhood council areas for ADU permits since 2020, with 917 issued by LADBS. It is in council district 12.
Annual counts
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permits | 99 | 119 | 175 | 134 | 135 | 177 | 78 |
Growth was not a straight line: 2022 reached 175, 2023 and 2024 settled near 134 and 135, and 2025 set the high at 177. The 2026 number (78) covers only part of the year.
By type
| Type | Permits | Median size | Median declared valuation | Median per sq ft | Days to permit | Days permit to CofO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New detached or new construction | 141 | 841 sq ft | $115,000 | $118 | 173 | 422 |
| Garage or space conversion | 551 | 448 sq ft | $40,000 | $89 | 72 | 264 |
| JADU | 192 | 434 sq ft | $40,000 | $90 | 70 | 258 |
| All ADU permits | 917 | 460 sq ft | $50,000 | $99 | 90 | 295 |
Day columns are medians. Of all permits, 60 percent are conversions, 21 percent JADUs and 15 percent new units.
A smaller, quicker mix
Units here tend to be modest. The all-permit median is 460 square feet, against 558 for the city, and the declared valuation median of $50,000 is $10,000 under the city's $60,000. JADUs are a notable slice: 192 permits, a median of 434 square feet. The explainer on ADUs, JADUs and garage conversions shows how those options differ.
Timing is where West Hills looks different. A permit reaches issue in a median of 90 days, compared with 154 citywide. JADUs are quickest at 70 days, with conversions at 72. The wait after permit issue is 295 days to a CofO, also under the citywide 368. That figure reflects only permits that finished; a unit still under construction is not counted.
New construction takes longer: 173 days to permit and 422 days after that, with a median declared valuation of $115,000. For the stages of review and inspection, see the LADBS permit process.
How much of it has finished
West Hills has 651 permits with a certificate of occupancy out of 917, around 71 percent. Among conversions that is 393 of 551, and among new units 94 of 141. Permits issued recently are still in construction, so post-permit days are based on a subset.
Where the numbers come from
ADU permits are those marked as ADUs by the permit's flags or described as such, with supplemental permits dropped. Declared valuation is the applicant's own figure and is not the total project cost, as design, fees, utility connections and finishes are often extra. Medians cover permits that reached the given step. The year 2026 is incomplete. Dataset: LADBS Building Permits Issued 2020 to Present (data.lacity.org, pi9x-tg5x), City of Los Angeles only; our analysis, November 2026.
Next steps
Work out a budget with the ADU cost guide, set expectations with how long an ADU takes, and before signing anything read how to check an ADU builder's CSLB license.
