Quick facts. 903 ADU permits issued since 2020. Rank 5 of 236 areas. Council district 3. Median declared valuation $50,000. Median size 480 square feet.
How the count has moved
| Year | Permits |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 69 |
| 2021 | 115 |
| 2022 | 171 |
| 2023 | 147 |
| 2024 | 157 |
| 2025 | 159 |
| 2026 (partial) | 85 |
Winnetka started modestly, with 69 permits in 2020, then more than doubled to 171 by 2022. 2025 came in at 159. 2026 is partial.
Types and typical values
| Type | Permits | Median size | Median declared valuation | Median per sq ft | Days to permit | Days permit to CofO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New detached or new construction | 177 | 941 sq ft | $120,000 | $117 | 180 | 380 |
| Garage or space conversion | 549 | 431 sq ft | $41,511 | $86 | 95 | 308 |
| JADU | 153 | 396 sq ft | $40,000 | $97 | 83 | 287 |
| All ADU permits | 903 | 480 sq ft | $50,000 | $101 | 107 | 322 |
Day columns show medians. Conversions are 61 percent of the total, new units 20 percent and JADUs 17 percent.
Interpreting it
Garage and space conversions dominate, with 549 permits and a median declared valuation of $41,511. Per square foot, though, new units cost more on paper: $117 against $86. That gap is worth keeping in mind when you read the ADU cost guide, since the declared figure leaves out parts of the project.
If a conversion is your plan, read how it compares with a JADU or a detached unit. All of these permits were reviewed by LADBS, whose steps are laid out in the permit process guide.
Against the city
- Median days to permit: 107 here, 154 citywide.
- Median days from permit to CofO: 322 here, 368 citywide.
- Median size: 480 square feet here, 558 citywide.
- Median declared valuation: $50,000 here, $60,000 citywide.
- New units, median declared valuation: $120,000 here, $120,000 citywide.
- Conversions, median days to permit: 95 here, 145 citywide.
About the completion figures
The post-permit timing is built from the 625 Winnetka permits that have a CofO, out of 903 issued. That is about 69 percent. Permits from the latest months are mostly unfinished, so the typical time to finish will look different as they close out.
Where the numbers come from
To find ADU permits we used the permit's ADU flags and descriptions and removed supplemental permits. A permit's valuation is what the applicant declared; the true project cost is often higher because design, fees, utilities and finishes are often separate. Times are medians for permits that reached that step. 2026 is a partial year. Source: LADBS Building Permits Issued 2020 to Present, data.lacity.org dataset 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.
