As of October 2026, state law gives a city 15 business days to say whether an ADU application is complete, and 60 days from a complete application to approve or deny it when a home already exists on the lot. Fresno's 2023 Quick Start Guide estimates about 14 days to review a completed application. Corrections add time.
What deadlines does state law set?
Under Government Code §66317, the agency must decide completeness within 15 business days, or the application is deemed complete. It then has 60 days to act on a complete ADU application on a lot with an existing home.
A denial must come with a full set of written comments on how to fix it. Review is ministerial, with no public hearing.
What does Fresno say about its timing?
The City of Fresno's ADU Quick Start Guide, dated October 2023, estimates approximately 14 days to review a completed application.
As of October 2026, the city also says ADU plans no longer need a separate Zone Clearance before the building permit, which removes a step.
What slows an ADU permit down?
- Missing items, such as a site plan without dimensions or setbacks.
- Plan check corrections that go back and forth more than once.
- Fire sprinkler drawings, where the fire side needs to review them.
- Questions about which agency governs the parcel.
- Requesting a pause yourself, which stops the 60-day clock.
Is a city plan approved faster?
Usually, because the building design has already been reviewed. A pre-approved plan mostly needs your site plan and any options checked.
How long is the whole project?
Block Renovation's 2026 Sacramento guide estimates about 4 to 7 months for a garage conversion and 6 to 10 months for a detached ADU, as of October 2026.
Those figures blend design, permits and construction. Your schedule depends on the type, the plan route and inspection timing.
When does approval take longer than the guide says?
It depends on how complete the first submittal is. A clean, complete set often moves on the first round; a set with gaps comes back with corrections, and each round adds time. We aim for a complete first submittal and give you a project-specific schedule with the written quote.
Related
Sources, as of October 2026: California Government Code §66317; HCD ADU Handbook (March 2026); City of Fresno ADU Program page and ADU Quick Start Guide (October 2023); Block Renovation, Sacramento ADU Costs 2026.
Updated October 2026