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Do you need a new LADWP water meter for a backyard house or garage conversion?

In the City of Los Angeles the usual answer is no, and in most cases you could not get a second meter even if you asked. State law bars a utility from requiring a separate connection for an ADU built inside the house or an existing garage 1, and LADWP stopped building a second water service on single-family lots that already have one in 2019 4. What some projects do need is a bigger meter, and as of October 2026 LADWP lists a new 1-inch domestic service and meter at $7,407 6.

Edited by Ryan Rambo, construction managerFacts checked 2026-10-08

Does Los Angeles make me put in a separate water meter for my ADU?

No. For a garage conversion or an ADU inside the house, state law says the utility cannot make you install a new or separate connection or charge a connection fee for it 13. For a new detached backyard house, the law lets a utility require one 2, but LADWP's own policy is not to build a second service on a single-family lot that already has a meter 4.

So in Reseda, Granada Hills, Pacoima and everywhere else LADWP serves water, the normal plan is that the ADU is plumbed off the house's existing service. The question your plumber has to answer is whether that one service is big enough for both homes.

What does California law actually say about ADU water connections?

The rule is in Government Code section 66311.5, which took over the old section 66324 on January 1, 2026 123. It splits ADUs into two groups.

The same section also says an ADU is not a new residential use for figuring connection fees or capacity charges, unless it is built along with a new single-family house 20.

Can I get a separate water meter so my tenant pays for their own water?

Not from LADWP. Its December 2018 policy, still posted on its website, says a separate meter and service will not be built on a single-family-zoned lot where one already exists 4.

The same document gives the alternative: owners who want to charge tenants for water are told to have a qualified plumber install a private meter for the rental unit, and LADWP can provide hydraulic calculations showing whether the existing service has enough flow and pressure 5. That private meter belongs to you, not to LADWP, so reading it and billing for it is between you and your tenant. For questions, the policy lists LADWP's Water New Business Arrangements Group 22.

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When would my ADU need a bigger water meter?

LADWP says residential services are usually 1-inch meters, sometimes up to 3 inches, and that the size you need is set by your flow requirements 12. Adding a kitchen, a bathroom and a laundry hookup raises that demand, so your plumber's calculation decides whether the meter you have is enough.

Fire sprinklers are the other common reason. State law says an ADU does not need sprinklers if the main house is not required to have them, and building an ADU cannot trigger sprinklers in the existing house 15. LADBS will require sprinklers in the ADU if the existing house already has them 16. Separately, a new building with any part more than 150 feet from an improved street or approved fire lane needs a fire-access clearance from the Fire Department when the project is valued at $50,000 or more 17, which is common on deep Valley lots, so ask early what that clearance will require.

When a residential sprinkler system is on the plans, LADBS plan check says the minimum meter size is based on the system's design flow, and the backflow device at the meter must be the same size as the meter 1819. That is how a sprinkler design can push a lot from a 1-inch meter to a 1.5-inch one.

What does LADWP charge for a new or bigger water service?

These are LADWP's charges for fiscal year 2026/2027, which runs from July 2026 through June 2027. Each total is the service charge plus the meter charge.

For comparison, the same 1-inch line was $6,715 in fiscal year 2025/2026, so the price went up about 10 percent in one year 116. The schedule has no separate line for upsizing an existing meter, and it says installations not specifically listed need a special estimate 10, so ask LADWP which row or estimate applies to your lot. The schedule covers LADWP's service and meter only. Your plumber's work on your side of the meter, any private sub-meter and the sprinkler system are separate costs.

How do I ask LADWP about my meter, and how long does it take?

Requests for new or upgraded small services go through LADWP's line for ordering new water services, (213) 367-2130 21. A sensible order of steps looks like this:

  1. Find the size of your current meter, either on the meter itself or by asking LADWP.
  2. Have your plumber calculate the combined demand of the house and the ADU, plus any sprinkler design flow.
  3. If the existing service is enough, you are done with LADWP for water. If you want to bill a tenant, the plumber installs a private meter 5.
  4. If you need a larger service, place the request with LADWP. Among other things, it will ask for your desired meter location, marked by painting a "W" on the curb 14.

LADWP says small services normally take about 100 calendar days to process and install 13. Put that on your schedule before you set a move-in date.

What should I check on my own lot before I budget for water?

Three facts settle most of this question: how big your current meter is, whether the main house has fire sprinklers 16, and whether any part of a new backyard house would sit more than 150 feet from an improved street 17. If all three come back the easy way, an ADU in the Valley usually adds plumbing work on your side of the meter and nothing on LADWP's side. If any of them comes back the hard way, the meter line in your budget is closer to $7,400 to $8,500 67 plus about 100 days 13.

This is the kind of thing a lot check settles before you pay for plans.

Quick answers

Will LADWP install a second water meter for my ADU?

No. Since January 1, 2019, LADWP does not provide a new water and meter service to a single-family-zoned lot that already has one 4.

How much is a new 1-inch water meter from LADWP?

For fiscal year 2026/2027 the total is $7,407 with an intermediate meter or $7,466 with a regular meter, service and meter included 6.

Can the city charge a water connection fee for a garage conversion ADU?

No. For an ADU inside the house or an existing accessory structure, state law bars a new connection requirement and any related connection fee or capacity charge 13.

Does an ADU in Los Angeles need fire sprinklers?

Only if the main house is required to have them; LADBS requires them in the ADU when the existing house already has sprinklers 1516.

How long does LADWP take to install a water service?

About 100 calendar days for small services, from processing to installation 13.

Sources

  1. Government Code § 66311.5(d) (formerly § 66324), utility connections for ADUs, California Legislature. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  2. Government Code § 66311.5(e), connections for other ADUs, California Legislature. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  3. Government Code § 66323(a)(1)(A), ADUs inside existing space, California Legislature. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  4. Provision of Water Service for Single-Family Residential Dwelling Units (December 2018), LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  5. Provision of Water Service for Single-Family Residential Dwelling Units (December 2018), LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  6. Schedule of Charges for Water Facilities, Fiscal Year 2026/2027, Individual Installations (Domestic), LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  7. Schedule of Charges for Water Facilities, Fiscal Year 2026/2027, 1.5-inch domestic, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  8. Schedule of Charges for Water Facilities, Fiscal Year 2026/2027, domestic with fire service, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  9. Schedule of Charges for Water Facilities, Fiscal Year 2026/2027, fire service installations, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  10. Schedule of Charges for Water Facilities, Fiscal Year 2026/2027, note, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  11. Schedule of Charges for Water Facilities, Fiscal Year 2025/2026, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  12. Residential Water Installation and Upgrades, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  13. Residential Water Installation and Upgrades, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  14. Residential Water Installation and Upgrades, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  15. Government Code § 66314(d)(12), fire sprinklers, California Legislature. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  16. ADU Plan Check Correction Sheet (PC/STR/Corr.Lst.20A1, Rev. 8/03/2021), LADBS. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  17. ADU Plan Check Correction Sheet (PC/STR/Corr.Lst.20A1, Rev. 8/03/2021), LADBS. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  18. NFPA 13D-2016 Plan Check Correction Sheet, LADBS. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  19. NFPA 13D-2016 Plan Check Correction Sheet, LADBS. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  20. Government Code § 66311.5(b), California Legislature. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  21. Residential Water Installation and Upgrades, LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  22. Provision of Water Service for Single-Family Residential Dwelling Units (December 2018), LADWP. Facts checked 2026-10-08
  23. Government Code § 66311.5, history note, California Legislature. Facts checked 2026-10-08

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Greenlight is not a contractor, architect or engineer, and this is not legal advice. Rules change; every fact here shows the date we last checked it.