Los Angeles and California law
What the law lets you build in Los Angeles.
One page for each law that decides what goes on a lot in the City of LA: the rule, the numbers, what it doesn’t allow, and a link to the official text.
House lots
A lot with one house on it, in a single-family zone.
- 800 sq ftalways allowed for a new ADUState ADU lawAdd an ADU to a house lotGov. Code 66314, 66321, 66323 · LAMC 12.22 A.33
- 500 sq ftinside the walls of the houseJunior ADUMake a junior ADU inside the houseGov. Code 66333–66339 · 66311.5
- 2 lotsof at least 1,200 sq ft eachSB 9 (2021)Two homes on a single-family lot, or split it in twoGov. Code 65852.21 (two homes) · 66411.7 (lot split)
- 45%of the lot, the R1 floor area capLA mansionization rulesHow big the house can get in LALAMC 12.03, 12.07–12.08 C, 12.21.1 · Hillside: 12.21 C.10
Apartment lots
A lot with two or more legal homes on it.
Small-lot homes
Apartment-zoned land, or an empty single-family lot.
Checks on every lot
Maps that change the answer for any lot.
Your lot · $49.99
Which of these work on your lot?
Type an address in the City of Los Angeles. The lot report checks it against the zone, the lot size, the permits on record and the public maps, and names the section behind every answer.
See what this means for your lotPlain-English summaries, checked against the code text in November 2026. They aren’t legal advice; the code text controls.