In general, construction work inside the house is usually easier than outside the house because the interior does not need to be weather resistant. At this point, the compliance order tells you what needs to be done to allow and legalize the work. They may ask you to demolish, replace, request a deviation or change, or get approval. In the case of unauthorized new construction or additions, they present the highest risk, because if they were not built according to the code, you may have to demolish them and suffer the greatest losses. Usually, a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, structural drawings (if necessary), an electrical plan, and the Title 24 report are required, all of which are provided for the review of the city plan. Depending on the scope of work and the requirements of planning inspectors in the building department, additional drawings and documents may be required. It is important that the drawings of the execution plans (the drawings of the exact construction after the construction of the building) are as accurate as possible, so that the review of the plan is approved exactly as it was constructed, if done correctly, the inspector will have less feedback during the inspection process. An architect and engineer or design-build firm should be hired to compile drawings and construction documents. Since 17 May 2017, unauthorised dwellings can be legalised by the Prohibited Housing Ordinance (UDU) (Ordinance No. 184.907). The ordinance established a voluntary program that allows owners to legalize qualified unauthorized entities, provided that all the conditions for the safety of persons are met. These existing units can legally enter the housing market if the landlord follows the established process, including providing at least one low- and middle-income affordable housing for every legalized unit. After legalization, UDUs added much-needed affordable housing to the city of Los Angeles.
It is very difficult for home inspectors to detect unauthorized work in the home that is not visible from the street or other public rights-of-way. That`s why so many homeowners can get away with it without a license – because it`s hard to catch. There are a few idiots when it comes to code enforcement, but leaving with a reasonable attitude goes a long way. Our code officer said they don`t penalize people who come alone to solve these types of approval issues. It is the people who try to hide the fact that they have done illegal work who receive the fines. Unauthorized garage conversions are very common in and around Los Angeles and are located on every block. Now that Supplemental Housing Units (ADUs) are legal, cities are cracking down on unauthorized additions and especially illegal garage conversions. If you are a homeowner who wants to sell your home with unauthorized work, talk to an experienced real estate professional. Your real estate agent can help you decide whether to retrospectively approve your unauthorized work or sell the home “as is.” There is some very good news regarding the legalization of unauthorized garage conversions in Los Angeles.
In most cases, the garage itself is “eligible” to be converted to an ADU. Assuming your garage was licensed when it was originally built, you should have the right to convert it to ADU (for detached garage) and junior ADU or JADU (for an attached garage). Even if your garage doesn`t meet the current bribery requirements of your property boundaries, it should be grandfathered. This article will help you understand the process of option number 2. Legalization of unauthorized garage renovations. Legalizing unauthorized supplements can be very difficult. The biggest problem is that the city`s Department of Construction and Safety did not review or approve the project plans and did not conduct inspections of the actual works to ensure they had been done correctly. In order to meet the city`s building and safety standards, the following steps must be taken to legalize unauthorized construction work. Unauthorized work can be a big problem for home buyers and sellers.
If you`re a Hollywood homeowner who has unauthorized work in their home, or if you`re thinking about completing a home renovation project and need more information about permitting, here`s what you`ll learn about the risks associated with unauthorized work. Costs can vary greatly depending on the existing state and quality of the ADU. To give you an idea, a brand new garage conversion in Los Angeles to ADU costs around $85,000 to $120,000. This figure includes taking a standard garage and adding everything needed to create an apartment: kitchen, bathroom, appliances, walls, windows, floor, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, structural framing, etc. With the legalization of a garage building, some of this work is probably already done and can be saved. Depending on the scale of work required, the construction cost to legalize this space will likely be between $20,000 and $70,000. Generally, work can be approved once the project is complete, but this usually involves opening the walls or tearing ceilings to see the work underneath. If the work is done by code, it is relatively easy to get retroactive approval. If the work was not done by code, the repair work must be done. Sometimes retroactive approval can cost much more than the cost of initial approval.
You can only rely on what you see and the reputation of the contractor who installed it. I always try to track down the contractor who did the job if they can be found when I face an unauthorized situation. If problems arise later, call them and tell them to fix them. The longer the work has passed, the more comfortable I feel because I know someone lived there and they agreed. The purpose of a building permit is to give local building inspectors oversight of construction projects that could affect people`s quality of life and safety.