There is no honest single calendar from first call to move-in. What is published is narrower. State law gives the local agency 60 days to approve or deny a completed application. That clock starts when the packet is complete, not when you first drop off drawings. It is a decision deadline, not a promise of approval and not a construction schedule.
San Diego County’s own ADU materials say to expect the County process to take several weeks. They do not publish a 60-day County-only clock. Use state law for the decision deadline, and the County’s wording for unincorporated land.
This site does not publish a 9-18 month total or a 4-8 month City wait as a measured average. Those figures were not sourced to a current agency page.
The two clocks you should track
Permit decision. Hire, drawings, Title 24, and intake happen before the 60-day clock. Incomplete applications sit outside it. Corrections can send you back through review. Ask the licensed pro, in writing, who files, who answers comments, and who pays resubmittal fees.
Construction after the card is issued. Framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall, finishes, and inspections follow the approved plans. The licensed pro sets that schedule from the site and the scope. A bedroom conversion without a kitchen is a different job than a full ADU.
The permits and plans page covers the packet. Service pages list construction windows after the permit is issued for each product type. Those are planning bands, not a City guarantee.
What actually slows a conversion
An incomplete first submittal. A plumbing route that was never measured. A panel that cannot carry the new loads. Coastal or Beach Impact parking questions that appear after drawings are done. Fire-district review on unincorporated or canyon lots. Material or inspection queues that the contractor, not this website, can speak to from current jobs.
Harbison Canyon and other inland canyon communities add heat and fire-review questions that a coastal garage does not. That is a property question, not a slogan.
How to use a contractor’s calendar
Ask for a written sequence: drawings, submittal, expected comment rounds, construction after issuance, and inspection holds. Compare it to the 60-day decision rule and to California’s downpayment cap. Do not treat a spoken “two months” as a city publication.
Garage Convert SD matches homeowners with licensed independent local professionals. The homeowner contracts with and pays that professional directly. Call (858) 400-4935.
How long does the ADU permit take in San Diego?
The published statewide rule is 60 days to decide a completed application. Incomplete packets are outside that clock. Unincorporated County materials say several weeks, without a numeric County deadline.
Can I speed up the ADU permit process in San Diego?
Some agencies sell expedited review on some project types. Confirm current availability with the department that will stamp your plans. A complete first packet is the only speed-up this site can state without inventing a fee or a queue.
How long does garage ADU construction take once permitted?
The licensed pro sets it from the approved plans. This brand lists planning bands on the service pages after the permit is issued. Those bands are not a certificate-of-occupancy date.
Can I live in the ADU while it is under construction?
No. The unit is not occupiable until the final inspection passes and the occupancy document the agency issues for that permit is in hand.
See permits and plans for the packet itself.