ADU Builder in West Covina, CA: Permits, Costs and Local Rules

Does West Covina require a Second Unit Review application for an ADU?

Yes. The city's Accessory Dwelling Units page lists the Second Unit Review (SUR) Application as the required form for an ADU or JADU, and a separate Pre-Approved Second Unit Review (SUR) Application for projects that use one of the city's pre-approved detached ADU designs. A separate application and fee is required for each design. If any item listed on the application is missing, or the application is not notarized by the property owner, the Planning Division will not accept the application. The AB 2533 ADU / JADU Application is a separate, parallel application used only for ADUs or JADUs constructed prior to January 1, 2020 that the owner wants to bring into compliance.

How long does West Covina take on the first review of an ADU application?

The Accessory Dwelling Units page states that the city has 30 days to review a project from the initial official submittal. At 30 days the applicant receives either an Incomplete Letter or an Approval Letter. Receiving an Approval Letter is not a permit for construction. The Approval Letter allows the applicant to submit to Building and Engineering for plan check. The state 60-day clock under Gov. Code 66317(a)(3) still applies: if the local agency has not approved or denied a completed application within 60 days, the application is deemed approved. On a typical West Covina lot, the 30-day Planning Division letter is the step that gates the start of plan check, and the 60-day state clock governs the completed application as a whole.

How many ADUs and JADUs can a West Covina lot have?

The Accessory Dwelling Units page states that ADUs and JADUs within the City of West Covina are not allowed to have second addresses or separate utilities from the main residence, and each lot cannot have more than one ADU and one JADU. The single-utility rule means that the new unit is metered through the existing service. State law under Gov. Code 66323 and 66333 controls the maximum number of ADUs and JADUs on a lot statewide; West Covina's local rule is more restrictive than the state rule only on separate utilities and addresses.

What is the AB 2533 ADU / JADU permitting amnesty in West Covina?

The AB 2533 ADU / JADU page is a separate path. AB 2533, as referenced on the city's Building Division page, offers a streamlined approval process for ADUs or JADUs that were constructed or converted before January 1, 2020 without a permit. To qualify, the homeowner submits an application, a Substandard Housing Inspection Checklist completed by a California licensed general contractor (B License), architect, or engineer, proof of construction date, plans, and the application fee, and records the required covenant with the Planning Division. Acceptable proof of the construction date includes the County Assessor's initial date recognizing the unit, escrow documents identifying the unit and the year, prior official building, planning, or code enforcement records, or real estate transfer disclosure forms for the unpermitted unit. The AB 2533 path does not change the rules for new construction ADUs and JADUs; it only legalizes an existing unpermitted unit that the homeowner wants to bring into compliance.

How much does an ADU cost in West Covina?

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 your lot. West Covina lots typically carry the SUR application fee, the plan check fee through Building and Engineering, the ADU / JADU Guidelines and Development Standards review, the proportional impact fee on ADUs over 750 sq ft under Gov. Code 66311.5, separate school fees where the project exceeds the school district threshold, and utility and connection fees from the providers named in the city's application materials. Garage conversions, attached ADUs, and JADUs are priced from a property specific scope because each one depends on the existing structure and the lot layout.

Official West Covina ADU sources

• The West Covina Accessory Dwelling Units page states that on April 20, 2021 the West Covina City Council passed Ordinance No. 2480 to update the city's ADU ordinance to be consistent with the State, that the city has 30 days to review a project from the initial official submittal, and that at 30 days the applicant receives an Incomplete Letter or an Approval Letter. Official source
• The West Covina Accessory Dwelling Units page states that ADUs and JADUs within the City of West Covina are not allowed to have second addresses or separate utilities from the main residence, and each lot cannot have more than one ADU and one JADU. The page lists the Second Unit Review Application, the Pre-Approved Second Unit Review Application, the Development Standards PDF, the ADU / JADU Guidelines PDF, the Example Plans for a Garage Conversion PDF, and the Example Plans for a New Detached ADU PDF. Official source
• The West Covina Pre-Approved ADU Plans page describes the four-step process for using a pre-approved standard plan and states that the listing of available plans will be added soon. The page lists the contact-designer step, the site plan preparation step, the Second Unit Review application step, and the plans, application, and required fees submission step. Official source
• The West Covina AB 2533 ADU / JADU page states that AB 2533 offers a streamlined approval process for ADUs or JADUs constructed or converted before January 1, 2020 without a permit, and lists the five application items, the four acceptable forms of proof of the construction date, and the inspection requirement that the Substandard Housing Inspection Checklist be completed by a California licensed general contractor (B License), architect, or engineer. Official source
• Gov. Code 66317(a)(3) 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 limits impact fees on an ADU: an ADU of 750 sq ft or less is exempt from city impact fees, and any impact fee on an ADU over 750 sq ft is charged proportionally to the square footage of the primary dwelling. Official source