If you own property in Los Angeles, Orange County, or Ventura County, navigating building codes, zoning regulations, and permit requirements can feel overwhelming. That is why CCS Inc. built a suite of 12 completely free online tools that give you instant answers – no phone calls, no waiting, no cost.
Whether you are exploring an ADU project, buying a home, or trying to resolve a code violation, these tools pull real-time data from official city and county sources to deliver actionable results in seconds.
Below is a complete guide to every tool we offer, who should use it, and how it can save you time and money.
1. ADU Eligibility Checker
What it does: Enter any property address and instantly find out if it qualifies for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) under current California law and local zoning rules. The tool checks lot size, zoning designation, existing structures, setback requirements, and overlay zones to give you a clear yes-or-no answer with detailed explanations.
Who needs it: Homeowners considering building an ADU, real estate investors evaluating properties, and agents helping buyers understand a lot’s development potential.
Check your ADU eligibility now – it is free and takes 10 seconds
2. ADU Cost Calculator
What it does: Get a personalized cost estimate for your ADU project based on your property’s specific characteristics. The calculator factors in unit type (detached, attached, garage conversion, or JADU), square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, finish level, and your property’s location to generate realistic budget ranges.
Who needs it: Anyone in the early planning stages of an ADU project who wants to understand realistic costs before committing. Also useful for comparing different ADU configurations to find what fits your budget.
Get your personalized ADU cost estimate
3. ADU Rental Income Estimator
What it does: See how much monthly rental income your ADU could generate based on local market data. The estimator analyzes comparable rental listings in your neighborhood, factors in unit size and configuration, and provides realistic income projections so you can evaluate the return on your investment.
Who needs it: Property owners weighing the financial case for building an ADU, investors running ROI calculations, and homeowners who want to see if rental income can offset their mortgage or construction costs.
Estimate your ADU rental income
4. Permit Search
What it does: Look up every building permit ever filed for any property in the City of Los Angeles, unincorporated LA County, Orange County, or Ventura County. See permit numbers, types, descriptions, filing dates, current status, and valuation. This is the same data professionals use for due diligence – now available to everyone for free.
Who needs it: Homebuyers conducting pre-purchase due diligence, homeowners who want to see what permits exist for their property, contractors planning renovations, and real estate agents preparing listing disclosures.
Search permits for any property
5. Violations Search
What it does: Check if a property has any open or historical code violations, orders to comply, or notices from the building department. The tool retrieves violation case numbers, descriptions, dates, current status, and responsible inspector information.
Who needs it: Homebuyers who need to know about unresolved violations before closing, property owners who received a notice and want to check their case status, and investors evaluating distressed properties.
6. Unpermitted Work Checker
What it does: This tool goes beyond a simple permit search. It cross-references permit records, tax assessor data, building department records, and code violation history to identify potential signs of unpermitted construction on a property. It flags discrepancies between what is recorded and what may actually exist on site – like additions without matching permits or converted spaces without proper documentation.
Who needs it: Homebuyers who want to avoid inheriting unpermitted work, sellers preparing for a smooth transaction, real estate agents advising clients, and homeowners who suspect previous owners may have done work without permits.
7. Zoning Lookup
What it does: Retrieve comprehensive zoning information for any property including the zone designation, general plan land use, height district, specific plan area, overlay zones, setback requirements, lot coverage limits, and floor area ratio (FAR). The data comes directly from official planning department sources.
Who needs it: Anyone planning construction or renovations who needs to know what they can build, architects and designers in the early planning phase, real estate professionals evaluating development potential, and homeowners curious about their zoning rights.
Look up your property’s zoning
8. Property Info Report
What it does: Get a comprehensive property information report including APN (Assessor Parcel Number), lot dimensions and area, tract number, census tract, council district, neighborhood council, community plan area, and other official property characteristics. Think of it as a one-page property fact sheet pulled from public records.
Who needs it: Real estate professionals who need quick property data for listings or comps, homeowners applying for permits or filing paperwork that requires property details, and researchers or investors doing market analysis.
9. Garage Conversion Eligibility Checker
What it does: Find out if your existing garage can be converted into a living space (ADU or JADU) under current regulations. The tool evaluates your property’s zoning, lot size, existing structures, and parking requirements to determine conversion eligibility and highlight any potential issues.
Who needs it: Homeowners who want to convert a garage into a rental unit, guest house, or home office. Also useful for investors looking for the most cost-effective way to add livable square footage to a property.
Check if your garage qualifies for conversion
10. Certificate of Occupancy Lookup
What it does: Check whether a property has a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) on file with the building department. A missing or invalid C of O can indicate unpermitted construction, open permits, or unresolved building code issues – all of which can cause major problems during a sale, refinance, or insurance application.
Who needs it: Homebuyers and their agents during escrow, property owners preparing to sell or refinance, and anyone who needs to verify that a structure was built and approved according to code.
11. Permit Timeline Estimator
What it does: Get a realistic estimate of how long your permit application will take to process based on the type of permit, the jurisdiction, current processing backlogs, and project complexity. The tool draws on historical processing time data to give you expected timelines for plan check, corrections, and final approval.
Who needs it: Homeowners and contractors planning construction projects who need to factor permit processing time into their schedules, and anyone frustrated by how long their permit is taking who wants to know if their timeline is normal.
12. SB9 Eligibility Checker
What it does: California’s SB 9 allows qualifying single-family lots to be split into two parcels and/or developed with up to two units per parcel. Our tool checks your property against the full list of SB 9 requirements – including lot size minimums, location restrictions (fire zones, historic districts, flood zones), and owner-occupancy rules – to tell you if your lot qualifies.
Who needs it: Property owners interested in splitting their lot for development or sale, real estate investors looking for SB 9 opportunities, and agents who want to advise clients on their property’s development potential under this relatively new state law.
Why We Built These Tools
At CCS Inc., we have spent over 20 years helping Los Angeles property owners navigate the building and permitting process. During that time, we have seen how much time and money people waste trying to get basic information about their own properties.
Simple questions like “Can I build an ADU?” or “Does my property have any violations?” used to require phone calls to multiple city departments, in-person visits to planning counters, or expensive consultations with professionals.
We built these tools to change that. Every tool on our platform is:
- 100% free – no signup, no credit card, no hidden fees
- Instant – results in seconds, not days or weeks
- Based on real data – pulled from official city, county, and state databases
- Available 24/7 – use them anytime from any device
- Multi-county coverage – works across LA County, Orange County, and Ventura County
How to Get Started
Visit our complete tools page to browse all 12 tools in one place. Each tool only requires a property address – enter it, and you will have your results in seconds.
If your research reveals that you need professional help – whether that is building an ADU, resolving a code violation, legalizing unpermitted work, or navigating a complex permit situation – our team of experts is ready to help.
Ready to take the next step? Schedule a free consultation with one of our specialists, or call us directly at (323) 405-8909. We have been helping LA property owners for over 20 years, and we would love to help you too.
