New Construction in Marina del Rey
Which agency permits a new house in Marina del Rey depends on the parcel. How we confirm it at the first visit and what it means for an ADU on the lot.
"Does this lot answer to the county or to the City of Los Angeles?" On our opening visit to a Marina del Rey lot, that question comes before any talk of floor plans. The name on an address does not settle it. We pull the parcel record, because the agency that issues the permit also sets the zoning, its own ADU rules and the order of review.
County or city
Unincorporated parcels go to Los Angeles County Building and Safety, with county planning handling zoning. Parcels inside the city line go to LADBS and City Planning. The two run separate plan checks, separate fee schedules and their own ADU ordinances under the same state law. A lot near the ocean may also fall in the Coastal Zone, which brings a coastal development permit from whichever agency holds that authority for the parcel. Knowing all of this on day one keeps the drawings formatted for the right reviewer from the start.
How the answer shapes the unit
State ADU law sets the floor for both agencies, and each adds its own standards for height, size and design. We lay the four types side by side for the parcel: a detached unit, a JADU carved from the main floor plan, an attached unit and a converted garage. Every option gets checked against the governing ordinance and any coastal conditions. Salt in damp air also points to stainless hardware and sealed metal on whichever unit is chosen, so the exterior specification is written once for both buildings.
New Construction in Marina del Rey: common questions
Where the governing zoning allows a unit, drawing it with the house lets a single survey, soils report and utility trench serve both. It also means a coastal review, where one applies, looks at the whole site in one pass. Adding the unit after the house is finished can bring a second coastal review and new site work.
Jurisdiction is confirmed at the outset. A boundary survey and a soils investigation follow, and the structural, energy and site drawings are prepared for the county or the city reviewer. Any coastal permit runs ahead of the building permit. Utility shutoffs and demolition of an existing house come next, and excavation starts once the permit is issued.
Whichever agency holds the parcel, the statewide residential, energy and green codes still govern the house, so solar, interior sprinklers and low-flow fixtures are built in. Zoning depends on the agency: county code for unincorporated lots and city code inside the line. Coastal rules can add limits on height and on how runoff leaves the site.
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