Expert Review

ADU Plan Review by Real Planners

Before you spend money on permit drawings, have experienced planners check your design against your city's setbacks, height limits, parking rules, and fee thresholds. Catch deal-breakers early and walk into the permit office with confidence.

Request a Plan ReviewDesign Your ADU First

Every California city layers its own ADU ordinance on top of state law. A layout that is perfectly legal in one city can be rejected a few miles away. Plan review catches those conflicts while they are still cheap to fix — on the sketch, not the permit set.

How it works

A simple path from idea to a build-ready ADU.

1
Send us your design
Share a floorplan from the design tool or upload your own sketch.
2
We check the code
Planners review setbacks, height, lot coverage, parking, and fees for your city.
3
Get a clear report
Receive plain-English feedback on what works and what needs to change.
4
Revise with confidence
Adjust the design and move toward a permit-ready set without surprises.

What you get

City-specific checks
We review against your jurisdiction's actual ADU standards, not generic rules.
Setback & height analysis
Confirm your unit fits required yard setbacks and height limits.
Parking & access
Check parking and replacement-parking requirements before they derail approval.
Fee & impact flags
Spot fee thresholds and triggers that can quietly add thousands.
Plain-English report
No jargon — just what to change and why.
Backed by city data
Cross-referenced with our verified regulations for 49 California cities.

Why review before you permit

Permit-ready drawings cost real money. If the underlying layout violates a setback or triggers a costly fee, you pay to draw the mistake and then pay again to fix it. A review up front protects that spend.

Use our city regulations pages to see the rules that apply, then let our planners pressure-test your specific design against them.

A smoother path through the permit office

Cities approve complete, compliant applications faster. Walking in with a design that already respects your setbacks, height, and parking removes the most common reasons for rejection and back-and-forth.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to submit for a plan review?
A floorplan is enough to start. You can design one free in our tool or upload your own sketch, along with your property address so we can apply your city's rules.
Which cities do you cover?
We maintain verified ADU regulations for 49 California cities and review designs against the standards for your specific jurisdiction.
Will a plan review guarantee my permit is approved?
No service can guarantee approval, but a review dramatically reduces the risk by catching setback, height, parking, and fee issues before you submit.
How is this different from the regulations pages?
Our regulations pages tell you the rules; a plan review applies those rules to your specific design and tells you exactly what to change.

Explore the rest of the platform

Everything you need to plan, design, and build your ADU — start to finish.

Get your design reviewed

Design a floorplan free, then send it to our planners for a city-specific code check before you permit.

Request a Plan Review