Los Angeles has a unique construction calendar. Unlike cities with harsh winters that shut down outdoor work for months, LA is a year-round construction market. But timing still matters — significantly. Contractor availability, permit processing times at LADBS, material costs, and rental market timing all shift throughout the year. This guide helps LA homeowners choose the right start date for their project in 2026.
Best time to start planning and permitting: September through November.
Best time for construction to begin: January through March.
Most competitive time (most demand, longest waits): April through August.
Here is the reasoning behind each:
Spring and summer are the most popular construction months in Los Angeles. Most homeowners wait until the end of the school year to start disruptive work, or they have the idea in spring and want to move immediately. The result:
If you are planning a spring or summer project, start the process in January. Submit permits in February. Be ready to build in April when permits are approved.
September through November is the ideal window to begin the planning and permitting process for a project you want to build in winter or early spring. Here is why:
Most LA homeowners avoid starting construction in winter. That is exactly why it is the best time to build. The misconceptions:
The practical benefits of winter construction in LA:
Best start: Submit permits in September — November, begin construction January — March. ADUs take 10–14 months from permit submission to Certificate of Occupancy. A September permit submission means construction starting in November or December and C of O around October or November of the following year. You are on the market for fall rental season — one of the strongest rental windows in LA near USC, UCLA, Caltech, and the entertainment industry.
Best start: January — February or September — October. Kitchen remodels are disruptive — the family is cooking on a hot plate for 10–15 weeks. Starting in January means you are done by April. Starting in September means you are done by November — before the holiday season. Avoid starting a kitchen remodel in May or June when you are competing with every other homeowner for the same cabinets, countertops, and appliance delivery slots.
Best start: Any time, but avoid July and August if you can. Bathroom remodels are less seasonally constrained because they are shorter (7–12 weeks) and less disruptive than kitchens. The main consideration is tile and fixture lead times — these are longest in summer.
Best start: Begin design and permitting in fall, start construction in winter. Room additions take 8–20 months. The permit process for an addition at LADBS (or Pasadena, Glendale, or Burbank for those cities) is the longest lead-time item. Submit your addition permit in September and you may have a construction start in December or January — the quietest, most available time for framing crews and structural work.
Best start: Begin design in spring, submit permits in summer, aim for fall/winter construction start. New home construction in LA takes 18–28 months from design to C of O. The 3–6 month LADBS plan check for new construction means the permit submission timing is the biggest scheduling lever. Submit in June and you may have approval in October — just in time for a fall groundbreaking when framing crews and concrete subs are most available.
Los Angeles permit processing times are the biggest variable in any construction timeline. Current 2026 averages:
APLA tracks permit processing times in real time across all the jurisdictions we work in. We use this data to time our permit submissions for the fastest possible approval.
If you are building an ADU for rental income, completion timing matters. The Los Angeles rental market peaks in late spring and early summer (May — August) when people are moving for new jobs, relocation, and school-year transitions. An ADU that receives its Certificate of Occupancy in May can be listed and filled immediately. An ADU that gets its C of O in December may sit vacant for a month or two before the rental market picks up in spring. Working backwards from a May C of O target: that means construction start in July of the prior year, which means permit submission in April — September of the year before construction.
No. Los Angeles averages only 14 inches of rain per year, concentrated in December through March. Rain delays are typically 1–2 days at a time. Indoor work — electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring, cabinets — is completely unaffected by rain. Experienced LA contractors plan around rain events. Winter is actually the best time to build in LA because contractor availability is highest and prices are most competitive.
For a spring or summer construction start: contact contractors 3–6 months before your target start date. The best licensed general contractors in LA book out 2–4 months during peak season. For a winter construction start, 1–2 months of lead time is usually enough. APLA can provide an estimate and contract within 1–2 weeks of the initial consultation.
Yes, meaningfully. LADBS ADU plan check that takes 50 days in October can take 70–80 days in June. Fall and winter permit submissions benefit from lower volume. APLA has observed this pattern consistently across hundreds of permit submissions in the LADBS system and in independent city jurisdictions (Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank).
Now. If you want to start construction in spring 2026 (March — April), you should be meeting with contractors and submitting permits no later than October 2025. If you want a summer 2026 start, begin in December 2025. The earlier you engage a contractor, the more likely you are to get on the schedule of the contractor you want — not just whoever is available.
APLA Construction manages the entire project timeline — from permit submission through construction and final inspection. We track permit processing times across LADBS and all independent LA-area cities to optimize scheduling for every project.
Call: (818) 818-4419
Email: info@aplaconstruction.com
CA General Contractor License #1136359
LA Building Permit Guide | ADU Cost Guide 2026 | How to Choose a Contractor