Garage Conversion in Long Beach, CA: Cost, Permits & Rules (2026)

A garage conversion is usually the lowest-cost path to an ADU in Long Beach — $90,000-$180,000, versus $215,000-$400,000 for a new detached build — because the shell already exists.

Garage Conversion Cost in Long Beach

Converting an existing garage in Long Beach runs $90,000-$180,000. That's well under the $215,000-$400,000 typical cost of a ground-up detached ADU, because you're reusing the foundation, walls, and roof. The biggest variables are whether the slab and framing are sound, what utility/electrical upgrades are needed, and your finish level. Permit fees add $5,500-$6,500 in city plan-check and permit fees for a 750-800 sq ft new ADU (derived from the Building Permit & Plan Check Fees effective 5/20/2026 and IB-077's $175.92 per sq ft R-3 valuation): combination building permit at 150% of the valuation-based permit fee ($1,264 for the first $100,000 of valuation plus $6 per $1,000 above, min $164), combination plan check at 85% of the permit fee (min $154), zoning plan check at 0.5% of valuation (min $310), NPDES at $2 per $1,000 plus 75% for plan check, a $115 processing fee per application, and 6% Technology and 6% General Plan surcharges on all applicable fees; expedited plan check costs 2x. The city's own guide: budget about 2% of construction cost for plan check, permits and inspections. Impact, school and sewer fees are extra. A converted unit rents for about $1,800-$2,400/mo (1BR) in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Garage Conversion Permit Process

A garage-to-ADU conversion in Long Beach needs building permits even if the exterior is unchanged. Approval process: Ministerial building permit, no public hearing. 1) Read Planning Bulletin IB-PZ-001 and confirm your lot type and zone; in a historic district or on a landmark property a ministerial Certificate of Appropriateness is filed with the building permit application, and in the Coastal Zone an administrative Local Coastal Development Permit (no hearing) is required with it. 2) Submit in person at the Permit Center, 411 W. Ocean Blvd, 2nd floor (appointment or walk-in): the APP-001 permit application plus a complete plan set as one PDF on a USB drive; plan-check fees are due that day; online submittal is not offered. Simple projects may be reviewed over the counter, but not in a historic district, the Coastal Zone or with major structural engineering. 3) A planner and an engineer review concurrently; corrections are issued in writing and resubmitted to both; track status on the Plan Check Status page. 4) A ready-to-issue email, then the permit is issued in person and inspections are booked online at each phase. The application is not complete until every required plan, item and correction is supplied (IB-PZ-001, Application Requirements) The review timeline is up to 60 days by state law; the city publishes no typical review time. A completeness determination is due within 15 business days and approval or denial within 60 days of a complete application, or the ADU is deemed approved (Gov. Code 66317, SB 543); pre-approved-plan ADUs can be approved over the counter and permitted the same day, with plan check: Combination plan check (building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical in one review) at 85% of the building permit fee, min $154; expedited review at 2x halves the turnaround; each recheck is 50% of the permit fee, min $286. Bring the APP-001 application, a FORM-028 plot plan, the full plan set as a single PDF, a site-specific Title 24 energy report (CF-1R) and, for new construction, one Low Impact Development stormwater measure on the plans (IB-068). Fire sprinklers are required only if the main house has them (Gov. Code 66314(d)(12)); a new detached ADU generally needs rooftop solar under the California Energy Code, permitted separately; a PAADU submittal must show 200 A minimum electric service (IB-068). Pre-approved plans: Yes, but paused. The Pre-Approved ADU (PAADU) Program (Building & Safety IB-068, rev. 1/27/2025) offers single-story, detached, all-electric standard plans under 1,200 sq ft for new construction only; a site-specific submittal is reviewed over the counter and the permit can issue the same day. The plan approvals previously listed (an 800 sq ft single-story design in four foundation and patio variants) expired December 31, 2025, and the city says the program is currently undergoing changes with no plan list published as of June 2026; check the PAADU page or email PlanCheck.Counter@longbeach.gov before choosing a plan.

1. Confirm eligibility — ADUs are allowed in Any lot with an existing or proposed single-family or multifamily dwelling in a residential zone, or in a mixed-use zone, planned development district or specific plan that allows residential use (Gov. Code 66314(d)(2); city ADU Zoning Summary sec. II); the city does not limit ADUs by zoning district. What you may build turns on lot type: a single-family lot (one or more detached houses and no multifamily building) gets the single-family menu, a multifamily lot (two or more units in one building or attached buildings) gets the multifamily menu, and a lot with both cannot cross-apply them (IB-PZ-001, Lot Types). Check your zone on the city's What's My Zoning District? map.
2. Prepare conversion plans — layout, egress windows, insulation, ventilation, smoke/CO detectors, plus a kitchen and bathroom.
3. Submit for plan check — Combination plan check (building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical in one review) at 85% of the building permit fee, min $154; expedited review at 2x halves the turnaround; each recheck is 50% of the permit fee, min $286. Bring the APP-001 application, a FORM-028 plot plan, the full plan set as a single PDF, a site-specific Title 24 energy report (CF-1R) and, for new construction, one Low Impact Development stormwater measure on the plans (IB-068). Fire sprinklers are required only if the main house has them (Gov. Code 66314(d)(12)); a new detached ADU generally needs rooftop solar under the California Energy Code, permitted separately; a PAADU submittal must show 200 A minimum electric service (IB-068).
4. Pull permits and build — fees run $5,500-$6,500 in city plan-check and permit fees for a 750-800 sq ft new ADU (derived from the Building Permit & Plan Check Fees effective 5/20/2026 and IB-077's $175.92 per sq ft R-3 valuation): combination building permit at 150% of the valuation-based permit fee ($1,264 for the first $100,000 of valuation plus $6 per $1,000 above, min $164), combination plan check at 85% of the permit fee (min $154), zoning plan check at 0.5% of valuation (min $310), NPDES at $2 per $1,000 plus 75% for plan check, a $115 processing fee per application, and 6% Technology and 6% General Plan surcharges on all applicable fees; expedited plan check costs 2x. The city's own guide: budget about 2% of construction cost for plan check, permits and inspections. Impact, school and sewer fees are extra; then framing, electrical, plumbing, and final inspection.

No Replacement Parking Required

No. California law (AB 68 / Gov Code §66314) prohibits cities from requiring replacement parking when you convert or demolish a garage to build an ADU — so you do not need to add a parking space anywhere on the lot. Owner-occupancy is not required, so you can rent the converted unit out.

The JADU Option for an Attached Garage

If your garage is attached to the house, you can convert it into a junior ADU (JADU) — capped at 500 sq ft, created only by converting part of the existing house or an existing attached garage; no addition is allowed for a JADU (IB-PZ-001 Table 1 note h; Gov. Code 66333(d)). Minimum 150 sq ft; an efficiency kitchen is required; it may share a bathroom with the main house. Allowed only on a single-family lot, never on a lot with a multifamily building and built within the existing walls. JADUs are cheaper and faster to permit than a full ADU, though they may share sanitation with the main home. A full ADU gives you more size and a separate unit; a JADU is the budget route.

Long Beach Garage Conversion FAQ