Free ADU Property Check
Can you build an ADU on your lot?
Enter your address. We check the public records that decide your project: zoning, fire and flood zones, historic overlays, your home's age, and what your neighbors have actually permitted. About 15 seconds.
What we check, and where it comes from
Every check runs against a named public source: City of Los Angeles GIS layers, LA County Assessor records, the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, and the city's building-permit records. Nothing is guessed, and anything we can't verify is labeled an estimate instead of stated as fact.
Zoning and jurisdiction
Your zone code from the City of LA's own GIS, and which building department runs your permits. California law allows ADUs on residential lots statewide; your zone tells us how that applies to you.
Fire hazard zone
Whether you're in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, what LAFD brush clearance actually requires, and the truth about fire sprinklers (the fire zone alone does not trigger them, no matter what you've read).
Historic overlay
HPOZ status straight from City Planning's layer. Inside an HPOZ, your design gets a Planning review before plan check, and knowing that on day one changes who you hire.
Flood zone
Your FEMA flood designation in plain English, and what it means for construction requirements and insurance.
Hidden-condition risk
Your home's age and lot size from county records. Pre-1965 homes commonly surface sewer, panel, and foundation surprises mid-build; knowing your era sets the right reserve before anyone opens a wall.
What your neighbors built
Real ADU permits issued near your address since 2020, and the median time from application to permit, from the city's own weekly-refreshed permit records. Not marketing numbers; the actual record.
Why the first question matters
Most ADU horror stories start with money spent in the wrong order: design fees before feasibility, bids before budgets, demolition before anyone checked what the lot allows. The five-minute version: confirm what your property permits, learn your risk flags, set a budget with a real reserve, then bring in pros with your homework done. This check is step one. The ADU Budget Builder is step two, and the verified directory covers every trade an ADU actually needs, from structural engineers to fire sprinkler contractors.
Just researching your neighborhood first? See ADU market data for every SFV ZIP code: real permit counts, timelines, and sizes from city records.
This tool is a planning reference, not a permit determination, inspection, or legal advice. City plan check is the definitive answer for any property. Coverage is deepest inside the City of Los Angeles; other Valley cities (Burbank, Glendale, San Fernando) run their own permitting, and we tell you honestly when that's the case.