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 — $70,000-$150,000, versus $120,000-$280,000 for a new detached build — because the shell already exists.

Garage Conversion Cost in Long Beach

Converting an existing garage in Long Beach runs $70,000-$150,000. That's well under the $120,000-$280,000 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 Replace the guessed range with the city's published figures. Long Beach's own guidance: 'For most construction projects, you could expect to spend about 2% of your building costs on plan checks, permits, inspections and other agency fees.' Published components (Building Permit & Plan Check Fees, effective 5/20/2026): Building Permit fee by valuation — $1,264 for the first $100,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000 in the $100,001-$1,000,000 band; Combination Building Permit (Group R-3, includes electrical, plumbing, mechanical) = 150% of the Building Permit fee, minimum $164; Combination Plan Check = 85% of the Building Permit fee, minimum $154; Zoning Plan Check = 0.5% of project valuation for valuations up to $750,000, minimum $310, capped at 95% of the building standard plan check fee; NPDES permit = $2 per $1,000 of valuation with plan check at 75% of that; Expedited plan check = 2x standard. Add a $115.00 processing fee to EACH plan check and permit application, plus a 6% Technology Surcharge and a 6% General Plan Surcharge on all applicable fees. Worked from those published formulas, a $150,000-valuation ADU lands near $5,800 in permit and plan-check fees before impact fees — I am labelling that figure as DERIVED from the published schedule, not published by the city.. A converted unit rents for about $1,500-$2,100/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, no public hearing, but the city's actual sequence is richer than our one-liner. The applicant submits all plans and information required for a building permit; the application is not complete until every requested plan, item and correction is supplied. Review runs through the Permit Center at 411 W. Ocean Blvd (Planning 3rd floor, Building & Safety 2nd floor). Two concurrent overlays: an Administrative Local Coastal Development Permit if in the Coastal Zone, and a Certificate of Appropriateness if in a historic district or at a designated landmark — both must be FILED CONCURRENTLY with the building permit application, and neither requires a public hearing. Refuse provision under LBMC Ch. 8.60 applies, with trash enclosures per LBMC 21.45.167 at four or more units. Floor area is measured to interior walls for the ADU size limit only; all other standards use Gross Floor Area per LBMC 21.15.1070. The review timeline is 60 days; often 30-45 in practice, with plan check: Efficient review process. Pre-approved plans: Yes, but add the caveat the city itself publishes: the Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit Program (PAADU) 'is currently undergoing changes, and updates will be provided over the coming months on this webpage.' What is verified: PAADU plans and permit applications may be approved Over-The-Counter at the Permit Center with Planning and Building & Safety assistance, and a building permit can be issued the same day. PAADUs must still comply with city ADU regulations, and the city directs owners in a coastal zone or historic district to submit a Planning and Zoning Inquiry Form first. Contact PlanCheck.Counter@longbeach.gov. Our unqualified 'Yes' risks sending a homeowner to a program that is mid-overhaul..

1. Confirm eligibility — ADUs are allowed in Rewrite — the city does not administer ADUs by zone at all. Because there is no local ordinance, eligibility turns on LOT TYPE, not zoning district: a 'single-family dwelling lot' has one or more detached single-family dwellings and no multi-family dwelling; a 'multi-family' lot has two or more principal dwelling units in one building or attached buildings. Both existing and proposed principal units count. Mixed lots get the SFD menu for the SFD and the MFD menu for the MFD, and the two cannot be cross-applied. Our R-1/R-2/R-3/R-4 list is not sourced to anything the city publishes and should not be presented as a Long Beach fact..
2. Prepare conversion plans — layout, egress windows, insulation, ventilation, smoke/CO detectors, plus a kitchen and bathroom.
3. Submit for plan check — Efficient review process.
4. Pull permits and build — fees run Replace the guessed range with the city's published figures. Long Beach's own guidance: 'For most construction projects, you could expect to spend about 2% of your building costs on plan checks, permits, inspections and other agency fees.' Published components (Building Permit & Plan Check Fees, effective 5/20/2026): Building Permit fee by valuation — $1,264 for the first $100,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000 in the $100,001-$1,000,000 band; Combination Building Permit (Group R-3, includes electrical, plumbing, mechanical) = 150% of the Building Permit fee, minimum $164; Combination Plan Check = 85% of the Building Permit fee, minimum $154; Zoning Plan Check = 0.5% of project valuation for valuations up to $750,000, minimum $310, capped at 95% of the building standard plan check fee; NPDES permit = $2 per $1,000 of valuation with plan check at 75% of that; Expedited plan check = 2x standard. Add a $115.00 processing fee to EACH plan check and permit application, plus a 6% Technology Surcharge and a 6% General Plan Surcharge on all applicable fees. Worked from those published formulas, a $150,000-valuation ADU lands near $5,800 in permit and plan-check fees before impact fees — I am labelling that figure as DERIVED from the published schedule, not published by the city.; 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: ADOPTS state law. Not required for an ADU. For a JADU, owner occupancy of either the single-family dwelling or the JADU is required ONLY if the JADU shares a bathroom with the primary dwelling — matching Gov. Code 66333(b) and AB 1154. Our 'Not required' is right for ADUs but silently wrong for the shared-bathroom JADU case; the value should be split.

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. ADOPTS the state figure. Conversion only, of a portion of the existing primary dwelling or attached garage; no addition is permitted for a JADU. No JADU is allowed on any lot containing a multi-family dwelling, regardless of whether a single-family dwelling is also present — that exclusion is worth stating on the page. 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