ADU Builder in Redondo Beach, CA: Permits, Costs and Local Rules

What ADU programs does the City of Redondo Beach run?

The City of Redondo Beach Community Development Department runs two state-law ADU programs on its Building and Safety Division page. The Assembly Bill 1332 (ADU Pre-Approved Plans) page on redondo.org says the City offers a streamlined process for homeowners building a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit under California AB 1332 law, with a Detached ADU Master Plan Program, ADU Checklist, ADU Affidavit, and ADU Design Professional Release. The Assembly Bill 2533 (ADU Legalization) page on redondo.org says a streamlined process is available to legalize an ADU or junior accessory dwelling unit that was constructed prior to January 1, 2020, with a Legalizing Unpermitted ADU Substandard Housing Checklist as the guide. Both pages are linked from the City of Redondo Beach Building and Safety Forms, Applications, Reports, and Handouts page on redondo.org.

How long does a Redondo Beach ADU permit take?

State law in Gov. Code 66317(a)(3) gives a permitting agency 60 days from a completed application to approve or deny it, and an application the city does not act on within 60 days is deemed approved. The City of Redondo Beach Building and Safety Division processes ADU plan check, permits, and inspections for residential construction in the city, and the Building Division counter hours on redondo.org are Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 1:00 pm with alternating Fridays 7:30 am to 1:00 pm. Outside agency reviews for an ADU permit in Redondo Beach commonly include the Los Angeles County Health Department, Southern California Edison, SoCal Gas, and the Redondo Beach Unified School District, listed on the city Building and Safety page on redondo.org.

What fees does a Redondo Beach ADU pay?

State law in Gov. Code 66311.5(c)(1) says a local agency, special district, or water corporation shall not impose any impact fee upon the development of an accessory dwelling unit that has 750 square feet of interior livable space or less or a junior accessory dwelling unit that has 500 square feet of interior livable space or less, and any impact fees charged for an ADU of more than 750 square feet shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling. The City of Redondo Beach Building and Safety Division points applicants to the city master fee schedule on redondo.org for current city fees, and the city Building and Safety page lists ADU permit applications, plan check, and inspections. L Square collects the live fee amounts for the address from the current city fee schedule before submittal.

How much does an ADU cost in Redondo Beach?

L Square publishes configured model prices on the cost guide page: $180,000 for Model 600, $240,000 for Models 800A and 800B, $295,000 for Models 1000A and 1000B, and $354,000 for Model 1200. These are model prices, not a final total for a specific lot. Redondo Beach lots also carry the building permit fee, the plan check fee through Building and Safety, the proportional impact fee on ADUs over 750 sq ft under Gov. Code 66311.5, school district fees through the Redondo Beach Unified School District, and any utility connection fees from the Southern California Edison, SoCal Gas, and California Water Service providers named on the city Building and Safety page on redondo.org.

What state law rules every city, including Redondo Beach, has to allow for an ADU?

State law sets the floor that every California city, including Redondo Beach, has to allow for an ADU. Under Gov. Code 66321, a city cannot set a maximum ADU size below 850 sq ft for a studio or one-bedroom ADU, or below 1,000 sq ft for an ADU with more than one bedroom, and cannot require rear or side setbacks greater than four feet for a new construction ADU. Under Gov. Code 66314(d), the city cannot require parking for an ADU within a half mile of a major transit stop or a high quality transit corridor, and ADUs that are converted from existing structures are exempt from the replacement parking requirement. The detached ADU ceiling under Gov. Code 66314(d)(5) is 1,200 sq ft, and Gov. Code 66314(d)(7) waives the setback for an ADU built in the same location and to the same dimensions as an existing structure. A junior accessory dwelling unit is capped at 500 sq ft of interior livable space under the JADU rules in Gov. Code 66333. Gov. Code 66325 prevents any local ordinance from limiting the construction of an ADU or JADU in a way that is inconsistent with state ADU law.

Official Redondo Beach ADU sources

• The Assembly Bill 1332 (ADU Pre-Approved Plans) page on the City of Redondo Beach website, hosted on redondo.org, says the City of Redondo Beach offers a streamlined process for homeowners looking to build a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit under California's AB 1332 law, that the program is designed to make it easier for residents to add ADUs to their properties, and that the page links to the ADU Master Plan Program, the ADU Checklist, the ADU Affidavit, and the ADU Design Professional Release. Official source
• The Assembly Bill 2533 (ADU Legalization) page on the City of Redondo Beach website, hosted on redondo.org, says a streamlined process is now available to help legalize an ADU or JADU in Redondo Beach that was constructed prior to January 1, 2020, and links to a Legalizing Unpermitted ADU Substandard Housing Checklist as the guide. Official source
• The City of Redondo Beach Building and Safety Division page, hosted on redondo.org, lists the Building Division counter hours as Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 1:00 pm and alternating Fridays 7:30 am to 1:00 pm, lists the Building and Safety Division office address as 415 Diamond Street, Door 2, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, and points applicants to the city master fee schedule for current fees. Official source
• The Assembly Bill 2234 (ADU Checklist-Post Entitlement) page on the City of Redondo Beach website, hosted on redondo.org, lists the permit process for Detached Single-Family Residential, Attached Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, Accessory Dwelling Units, and Mixed-Use, and lists the outside agencies that may require a review of plans and fees before the City can issue permits, including California Water Service, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Los Angeles County Health Department, Southern California Edison, SoCal Gas, and Redondo Beach Unified School District. Official source
• Gov. Code 66317(a)(3), hosted on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, requires a permitting agency to approve or deny the application to create or serve an accessory dwelling unit within 60 days from the date the permitting agency receives a completed application if there is an existing single-family or multifamily dwelling on the lot, and states that if the local agency has not approved or denied the completed application within 60 days, the application is deemed approved. Official source
• Gov. Code 66311.5(c)(1), hosted on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, states that a local agency, special district, or water corporation shall not impose any impact fee upon the development of an accessory dwelling unit that has 750 square feet of interior livable space or less or a junior accessory dwelling unit that has 500 square feet of interior livable space or less, and that any impact fees charged for an ADU of more than 750 square feet shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling. Official source
• Gov. Code 66314(d)(5), hosted on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, states that the total floor area for a detached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed 1,200 square feet, and Gov. Code 66314(d)(7) states that no setback shall be required for an existing living area or accessory structure or a structure constructed in the same location and to the same dimensions as an existing structure that is converted to an ADU. Official source
• Gov. Code 66321(c)(2)(C), hosted on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, prohibits any local ordinance that does not permit an accessory dwelling unit with at least 800 square feet of interior livable space and with four-foot side and rear yard setbacks to be constructed in compliance with all other local development standards. Official source
• Gov. Code 66325, hosted on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, prohibits a local agency, special district, or water corporation from enacting or enforcing any local ordinance, policy, or resolution that limits the construction of an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit in a manner that is inconsistent with the state ADU and JADU provisions in the Government Code. Official source
• Gov. Code 66333, hosted on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, defines a junior accessory dwelling unit as a unit of no more than 500 square feet of interior livable space that is contained entirely within an existing single-family dwelling or accessory structure, and sets the JADU ownership, deed restriction, and bathroom requirements that the City of Redondo Beach applies to JADU applications. Official source