Start from a plan
the city already reviewed.
A number of cities publish ADU plans they have pre-reviewed. Building from one can cut plan-check time and, in some cities, plan-check fees. What it does not do is remove the project: the drawings are a building, and a permit needs the building placed on your parcel.
What the express path still requires
This is the part that surprises people. A free city plan is the cheapest part of a permit set, not a substitute for one.
- A site plan placing the unit against your setbacks, coverage and access
- Utility connections, and the routing to reach them
- Grading and drainage where the engineering division requires it
- A site-specific Title 24 energy report — the city plan cannot carry yours
- Soils, survey or fire department review where the parcel triggers them
- Agency coordination and the corrections that follow submittal
Where we have checked
Programme status moves. These are the jurisdictions whose published position has been read directly rather than assumed.
- Vista — confirm first
- Vista publishes four pre-approved plans and waives plan check fees for them, but does not say whether the drawings may be modified. Confirm with Development Services before an adapted set is agreed.
- Carlsbad — not available now
- Carlsbad’s permit-ready plans are withdrawn while they are updated to the 2025 California Building Codes, anticipated summer 2026. Until they return, a Custom Plan is the only path here.
- San Marcos
- San Marcos pre-approved plans may be used, but the City considers NO alterations to them. ParcelForm produces the site-specific package the City still requires around the unmodified plan; anything customised must go the standard permit route.
- Encinitas
- The PRADU plans are downloadable and expressly customisable for exterior materials and fenestration. With plan review and inspection fees waived, the remaining work is the site-specific package and, inside the coastal zone, the coastal development permit.
- Escondido
- PAADU plans are available and the City publishes customisation options plus an adaptation guide for the Old Escondido neighborhood. The plans are not site specific, so the site plan, permit application and standard ADU review remain to be produced.
Not listed? Find your city guide, or run a free address check and the governing jurisdiction will be identified for you.
When it is the wrong path
If your city runs no programme, if the published layouts do not suit the household, or if the lot cannot take the plan without reshaping it, an express path costs more than it saves. That is what a Custom Plan is for. Prices for both are on the pricing page, and San Diego County’s programs are compared city by city on the pre-approved plans page.