LA ADU Inspection Index
Archived report · September 27, 2026. Automatic updates are paused. Reporting period: September 27, 2025–September 27, 2026.
Across the 8 ADU inspection types tracked in the City of Los Angeles, about 34% of inspections fail on the first attempt, based on 169,433 first-attempt inspections in LADBS records over the 12-month period ending september 27, 2026. The rate varies by type: the highest, ADU Framing / Rough, fails on the first attempt in 46.8% of cases. These are archived figures from the report dated September 27, 2026. Automatic updates are paused.
The ADU inspection sequence
A permitted ADU in Los Angeles is signed off through a series of inspections, each one checking a different stage of the build. An LADBS inspector visits the site, checks the work against code, and either approves it or issues a correction notice that must be fixed before the next stage proceeds. Roughly in order, a typical ADU passes through:
The index below reports, for each of these types, how often the first attempt passes — how ready the work really was when the inspector arrived.
First-time fail rate by inspection type
Fail rate = share of permits whose first attempt at that inspection type did not pass, over the 12-month period ending september 27, 2026. A first attempt counts as a failure when it received a correction notice or the work was not ready when the inspector arrived. Sample is the number of distinct first attempts the rate is based on. Types below the 100-inspection threshold are not shown. Source: LADBS 9w5z-rg2h, City of Los Angeles.
Inspection types in detail
Frequently asked questions
Know which inspections cause the most delays before you break ground.
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