How United Build Partners helps Long Beach homeowners
We're not a construction company. United Build Partners is an ADU advisory and contractor-matching service: we start with a free review of your property and goals, help you understand what's realistic for your lot under Long Beach's rules, and — when it's a good fit — connect you with up to three contractors in our network suited to your project type and neighborhood. From there, you compare proposals and decide who to work with; the licensed contractor you choose handles the actual design and construction.
ADU rules and permitting in Long Beach
Like every California city, Long Beach's ADU rules start with the statewide baseline — ministerial approval, no discretionary hearings, and a 60-day review clock on complete applications (see our California ADU laws guide for the full statewide picture). What's specific to Long Beach is how the city has chosen to administer and streamline that process.
What's specific to Long Beach
- Pre-Approved ADU Program (PAADU). The city offers a set of pre-approved ADU designs for new construction. Plans and permit applications that use these designs can potentially be approved over-the-counter, with a building permit issued the same day — a meaningfully faster path than a fully custom design.
- In-person submission only. As of this writing, Long Beach requires ADU construction documents and permit applications to be submitted in person at the Permit Center during business hours, with plan check fees due at submission — there's no online submission option.
- Historic Districts. Long Beach has a number of designated Historic Districts (Rose Park, Wrigley, Bluff Park, and others). If your property is in one, you'll need a Certificate of Appropriateness before your ADU permit can move forward.
- Coastal Zone. Properties in the Coastal Zone — which covers a meaningful stretch of Long Beach — generally need an administrative Local Coastal Development Permit in addition to the standard ADU permit.
- Junior ADUs are capped at 500 square feet and must be created from existing space within a single-family home or an existing attached garage, consistent with state law.
Property and lot considerations
Long Beach is a large, varied city — dense, older, tightly-lotted neighborhoods near Downtown and the coast sit alongside more spread-out residential tracts inland. That variation matters for ADUs: a compact historic lot with an existing detached garage is often a strong candidate for a garage conversion, while a larger inland parcel may have more room for a detached unit. Whether your specific lot supports a given ADU type depends on its zoning, existing structures, and any overlay (like a Historic District or the Coastal Zone) — exactly what a property review is for.
Common ADU types for Long Beach homeowners
Given the Pre-Approved ADU Program's focus on new detached construction, many Long Beach homeowners with room to build find the detached ADU path especially streamlined. Homeowners with an existing garage and a tighter lot often look at a garage conversion instead, and those focused on the lowest-cost, fastest option — particularly on smaller historic-neighborhood lots — often consider a Junior ADU. An attached ADU can make sense where an addition sharing a wall with the main house fits the lot better than a freestanding structure.
Cost factors in Long Beach
Construction costs in Long Beach generally fall within the same $285–$350 per square foot range we see across our Los Angeles and Orange County service area — see our full ADU cost guide for a breakdown by type. Using a pre-approved plan can reduce design costs and shorten the timeline compared to a fully custom design, though it also means less flexibility over layout and finishes. Coastal Zone and Historic District properties may carry additional review costs or requirements beyond a standard permit — a licensed contractor familiar with Long Beach can scope that for your specific property.
Financing your Long Beach ADU
Most homeowners fund ADU construction through a HELOC, cash-out refinance, a construction loan, or some combination — see our ADU financing overview for how each works. Financing options aren't generally city-specific, but a lender may ask about the local rental market or your specific neighborhood when evaluating projected rental income as qualifying income.
Rental income and property value in Long Beach
Long Beach's mix of a large renter population, proximity to the coast, and university (CSULB) makes ADU rental demand a real consideration for many homeowners here — though actual achievable rent depends heavily on your specific neighborhood, unit size, and condition, and we don't have a verified, current rent figure to quote you. The same caution applies to property value: a well-built ADU can add real value in many Long Beach markets, but the amount depends on your property and the broader market at time of sale. A local real estate professional and appraiser are the right sources for numbers specific to your address. See our ADU Opportunity section for the general patterns we see across our service area.
How our process works
Frequently asked questions
It's a city program offering a set of pre-approved ADU designs. Because the design has already been reviewed and approved, permits for these plans can potentially be issued the same day at the Permit Center, compared to the longer review a fully custom design usually needs. Modifications to the pre-approved plans are typically limited — confirm current details with the city's Planning Bureau.
If your property is within Long Beach's Coastal Zone, you'll generally need an administrative Local Coastal Development Permit in addition to your standard ADU permit. A meaningful portion of Long Beach falls within this zone, so it's worth confirming early with the city whether your address is affected.
As of this writing, no — Long Beach requires ADU construction documents and permit applications to be submitted in person at the Permit Center during business hours, with plan check fees due the same day. Confirm current submission requirements with Building & Safety, since city processes can change.