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Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) construction has become a central part of Long Beach’s permitted housing pipeline. The city approved 644 ADUs in 2025—more than half of all 1,218 housing units approved that year—and its 2025 annual report records 2,851 ADUs permitted since 2021. That surge reflects easier state rules, city pre-approved plans and technical assistance, and new public financing. It does not mean every permit becomes a finished home or that ADUs alone can solve the city’s housing shortage.
How many ADUs are being built in Long Beach?
Official city counts show a dramatic increase in ADU permits: 59 in 2018, 671 in 2023, 747 in 2024 and 644 in 2025. The Long Beach Community Development Department’s 2025 annual report says 2,851 ADUs had been permitted since 2021.
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In 2025, ADUs represented 644 of the 1,218 housing units approved by the city. In other words, ADUs made up slightly more than half of that year’s approved units, although “approved” means a permit decision rather than a completed, occupied home.
Why different reports show different totals
Third-party databases use different extracts and definitions. PermitPathLA lists 653 Long Beach permits for 2024, while SoCal ADU Tracker lists 699; the city’s annual report lists 747. The official city figure is the best basis for the local total, while the other counts are useful only as methodological checks.
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What is driving Long Beach’s ADU boom?
California legislation made many ADUs easier to approve, and Long Beach added local tools that reduce design and permitting friction. The city describes ADUs as one of its fastest ways to add housing because they place another independent home on an existing residential lot.
- State standards: An ADU must provide permanent living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation facilities.
- More flexible pathways: Many homeowners can use a detached-unit path of up to 800 square feet without impact fees or parking requirements, subject to the applicable state and local conditions.
- City-approved designs: Long Beach’s Pre-Approved ADU Program offers plans prepared by local design professionals, reducing the need to start a design package from zero.
- Project assistance: City project managers can help connect owners with architects, contractors, permit support, construction coordination and, in some cases, leasing guidance.
- Fee and review relief: Streamlined review, zoning flexibility and fee exemptions can lower the time and cost of getting from concept to permit.
Can I build an ADU in my Long Beach backyard?
Potentially. A typical project is either a new detached backyard cottage or a conversion of an existing garage or other eligible space. The lot, zoning, building condition, utilities, setbacks, fire-safety requirements and owner’s intended use determine which path is feasible.
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Detached new construction
A detached unit offers the most design flexibility, but it requires a full new structure, foundation, utility connections and site work. The 800-square-foot state pathway can be especially useful for qualifying homeowners because it may avoid impact fees and parking requirements.
Garage or other conversion
A conversion can reuse an existing shell and may reduce excavation and framing work. It still needs code-compliant sleeping, cooking, sanitation, ventilation, electrical, plumbing and life-safety improvements. A garage that appears suitable from the outside may require substantial upgrades once plans are reviewed.
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Pre-approved plan or custom design
Pre-approved plans can shorten design development and make plan review more predictable, but they may not fit every lot or household. A custom design is more adaptable to unusual grading, access, trees, utilities or accessibility needs, with additional design time and professional fees.
What permits and steps does an ADU project require?
Long Beach’s program assistance does not eliminate permitting; it helps homeowners navigate it. A practical sequence is:
- Confirm eligibility: Check the parcel’s zoning, existing structures, setbacks, access, utility capacity and any applicable coastal, historic or fire constraints.
- Choose the project type: Compare a detached build with a garage conversion, then decide whether a city pre-approved plan can work.
- Prepare plans: Use an approved plan or hire a design professional to document architectural, structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and site conditions.
- Coordinate financing and construction: Obtain contractor pricing, verify insurance and licensing, and set a realistic allowance for utility work, site preparation and contingencies.
- Submit for city review: Apply through Long Beach’s building-permit process and respond to correction comments until plans are approved.
- Build and inspect: Schedule required inspections through construction; a permit is not completion until the work passes final inspection.
- Decide occupancy and leasing: Establish whether the unit will house family, a caregiver, an owner, or a tenant, and meet any affordability or loan restrictions before signing a lease.
How much money does Long Beach offer for an ADU?
Long Beach’s new Backyard Builders round has $4.8 million in state funding. It is described as offering eligible owner-occupants deferred-payment loans of up to $250,000 at a listed 2% interest rate, with a target of at least 16 units. Those terms are time-sensitive and should be confirmed with the city before an application or financing decision.
This round is different from the pilot, which used loans of up to $250,000 at 0% interest. More than 400 homeowners applied for only 10 pilot loans, illustrating how competitive public assistance can be.
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What a public loan may change
Loan requirements can affect project design, construction timing, owner occupancy and future leasing. Read the program’s repayment, deferment, income, affordability and resale conditions before treating the maximum loan as available cash. A private construction loan or home-equity product may have different underwriting and repayment risks; it is not affiliated with the city unless expressly stated.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are ADUs solving Long Beach’s housing shortage?
They are adding homes quickly, but they are one component of a larger strategy. The city’s reporting says broader production is constrained by interest rates, tariffs and limited public budgets, and that the city had permitted about 6% of the affordable homes needed by 2029. ADUs can expand options on already developed lots, yet their scale, affordability and completion rate cannot substitute for larger multifamily and affordable-housing production.
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Demand and distribution raise policy questions. The city report says six of the first 10 pilot loans went to homeowners in high- or highest-resource neighborhoods. It also reports at least 219 people removed from 167 units being remodeled since April 2023. Those figures identify displacement pressure in the wider remodeling environment; they do not show that every ADU causes displacement.
Programs can improve equity by targeting assistance, protecting existing tenants where applicable, requiring clear relocation procedures and tracking where units are built and who can afford them. An ADU that remains vacant or rents at a price beyond local incomes adds less immediate housing relief than a completed, occupied unit.
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What should a Long Beach homeowner do first?
- Ask the city whether the parcel qualifies for the detached, conversion or pre-approved-plan pathway.
- Confirm whether the project triggers utility upgrades, fire access, coastal review or other site-specific requirements.
- Request a written scope and schedule from qualified design and construction professionals.
- Separate permit, design, financing, construction and leasing decisions; each has different risks and approval points.
- Check current Backyard Builders dates, interest terms and affordability conditions rather than relying on pilot information.
- Budget for contingencies and do not treat a permit as proof that the unit is finished or rentable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Long Beach ADU permit take?
The timeline depends on plan completeness, corrections, site constraints and whether a pre-approved design fits the property. The city’s pre-approved program is intended to reduce review time, but it does not guarantee a fixed approval date.
Do I have to live in the main house to build a Long Beach ADU?
Eligibility varies by the specific state, city and financing pathway. Owner-occupancy rules can apply to public assistance, so applicants should read the current Backyard Builders requirements rather than assume that a rental-property owner qualifies.
Can a Long Beach ADU be rented to anyone?
A completed ADU can generally be used as an independent dwelling, but leases must comply with applicable housing, safety and affordability rules. Public financing may add rent, occupancy or affordability conditions that do not apply to an entirely privately financed project.
Is a garage conversion always cheaper than a new detached ADU?
Not necessarily. Reusing a shell can reduce framing and foundation work, but structural, insulation, plumbing, electrical, fire-separation and utility upgrades can be substantial. A site-specific estimate is more reliable than assuming the conversion will cost less.
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