Glendale is its own city, with its own rules
Glendale is not part of the City of Los Angeles. It has its own building department, its own zoning code, its own design review process, and its own utility, Glendale Water and Power. Projects submitted on or after January 1, 2026 follow the 2026 Glendale Building and Safety Code, which is the 2025 California code with Glendale's amendments. Applications go through the city's online permit portal and the Permit Services Center at 633 E. Broadway.
Gross Design + Build designs and builds here as one team, under our California general contractor license, CSL 1079184. We draw the project, take it through Glendale's reviews, and build it, so nothing gets lost between the designer, the city, and the contractor.
Design review comes first in Glendale
Glendale reviews the design of new homes and most exterior changes that need a building permit. Some smaller work is exempt, with conditions: in the R1 and R1R zones, an addition of less than 700 square feet of floor and garage area that adds no story and no more than 200 square feet to a street-facing facade, and matching accessory buildings up to 500 square feet. Staff can still require review if a project does not fit its neighborhood.
Homes in a historic district overlay go through a separate historic review before a permit can be issued. Larger street-visible additions, and any added story, go to the Historic Preservation Commission or the Director.
Hillside and single-family lots
In the R1 zone, a house can reach 25 feet, plus 3 feet for a pitched roof, and lot coverage is capped at 40 percent with at least 40 percent of the lot kept as landscaped open space. In the R1R hillside zone, homes are limited to two stories or 32 feet, with added rules for steep lots. Floor area limits depend on the lot's Floor Area District, so we confirm the numbers for your specific parcel before design starts.
ADUs in Glendale
Glendale's ADU page allows a JADU of up to 500 square feet and an ADU of up to 850 square feet, or 1,000 square feet with more than one bedroom. A detached ADU can be 16 feet tall, or 18 feet near major transit plus 2 feet to match the roof pitch; an attached ADU can reach 25 feet and two stories. Side and rear setbacks are 4 feet, and rooftop decks are not allowed. ADUs are exempt from design review, but street-facing and two-story ADUs must meet Glendale's objective design standards.
Glendale's ADU ordinance is being revised under an October 2025 agreement with the state housing agency, and until the update is adopted the city has agreed not to enforce three of its provisions. Where a local rule conflicts with state ADU law, state law controls. Our ADU rules guide covers the state baseline.
Fire zones in the hills
Parts of Glendale's hills are in state-designated fire hazard severity zones, and the state updated its fire hazard maps in 2025. Homes in a fire zone are built to California's wildland-urban interface standards for roofs, vents, windows, and exterior walls, and keep defensible space around them. We plan for those requirements from the first sketch.
Common questions
Do you build in Glendale?
Yes. We design and build custom homes, additions, and ADUs in Glendale under our California general contractor license, CSL 1079184, and manage Glendale's design review and permit process for you.
Does my addition in Glendale need design review?
Often, yes. Glendale reviews new homes and most permitted exterior changes. In the R1 and R1R zones, an addition under 700 square feet of floor and garage area that adds no story and no more than 200 square feet to a street-facing facade is generally exempt, though staff can still require review.
How big can an ADU be in Glendale?
Glendale allows an ADU of up to 850 square feet, or 1,000 square feet with more than one bedroom, and a JADU of up to 500 square feet. The city's ADU rules are being updated under an agreement with the state, so we confirm the current rules before design.
Related: Design-build in Burbank, ADU design and construction, Home additions.