West Adams ADUs: what the permit data says
West Adams has seen 739 ADU building permits issued since 2020, No. 9 in the City of Los Angeles. The count covers zip 90016.
West Adams keeps it compact: 39% of its ADU permits issued since 2020 are for units under 500 sf, versus 33% citywide.
ADU permits issued by year
ADU building permits issued in West Adams (90016), by year
so far
How West Adams builds
ADU types on permits issued in West Adams since 2020
ADU types are classified from the free-text work description on each permit, and 29.2% of permits here could not be classified.
How big they build
West Adams
Citywide
Permit records do not include bedroom counts, so we report sizes, not bedrooms.
$60,000
median declared valuation on permits (not market cost)
44.7%
have a Certificate of Occupancy so far (recent permits are still in progress)
2022
busiest full year, with 142 ADU permits issued
What this means
Counts are permits issued, not completed homes; some of these projects are still under construction and some will never break ground. The counts cover the City of LA portion of zip 90016, so anything outside city limits is not included. The busiest full year so far was 2022, with 142 ADU permits issued; the 2026 count runs through July only.
Count your backyard in.
Free test fit: could one fit behind your house? Test fits are quick estimates; humans verify before anything moves forward.
The Census Bulletin tracks these numbers on the A-du blog.
Source: LADBS permits, LA City Open Data. Issued Jan 2020 to Jul 2026. Pulled Jul 30, 2026.