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CA Housing Reform

The new math on California housing.

SB 1211, SB 684/1123, SB 79, SB 543 — a decade of YIMBY wins compressed into 18 months. We build the units that make them pencil.

Browse the law tracker

The system

  • Clever Elements Flagship
    Our modular building system — stacks, pairs, and mirrors into anything from a single ADU to a small apartment.
Permitting & approvals

Plans pre-approved by the state. Permits handled by your installer.

Every Clever unit design is pre-approved by California HCD under the Factory-Built Housing program — that half of the approval is done before you order. Your vetted local install partner handles the local building permit, site work, and inspections. You sign the docs and unlock the door.

Get a feasibility analysis See our install network
Who does what

Two parallel approval tracks. Three parties.

California regulates factory-built housing in two lanes that run in parallel. The state pre-approves the unit design (done before you order). The local jurisdiction permits the site work (handled by your installer). Here's who owns each step.

Clever (us)
State-track approval + the unit
  • California HCD Factory-Built Housing pre-approval of every unit design
  • Stamped structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans for the unit
  • Title 24 energy compliance documentation for the unit envelope
  • Factory build and in-line QA inspection by HCD-certified inspectors
  • HCD insignia affixed to every unit (local AHJ cannot re-inspect factory portions)
  • Delivery to your site and crane install coordination
  • Feasibility analysis upfront — zoning eligibility, unit count, applicable CA housing laws
Your vetted install partner
Local-track permitting + site work
  • Site plan and foundation engineering for your specific lot
  • Local building permit application + plan check coordination
  • Plan check corrections and back-and-forth with the building department
  • Utility connection permits (sewer, water, gas, electric)
  • Foundation pour, utility trenching, all site prep work
  • On-site assembly, mate work, and exterior finish
  • Inspection scheduling and sign-off with the local jurisdiction
You (property owner)
Property, money, signatures
  • The lot
  • Financing (we'll connect you with lenders who know modular)
  • Permit fees and impact fees paid to the local jurisdiction
  • Signature on permit applications and contracts
  • Lease-up or move-in
We pick the installer. From our vetted CA network — crews who've done Clever installs in your jurisdiction before. You don't shop for a GC.
Meet the install network
Local permit timelines

What your installer is up against, by project type.

SB 1211 multifamily ADU
60 days

Ministerial. No hearings. Local building dept reviews on a fixed clock.

Single-family ADU
60–120 days

Varies by jurisdiction. Most SoCal cities lean closer to 60.

Custom multifamily / development
6–12+ months

Depends on entitlement complexity. We map the path before you commit.

Statutory shot clocks

Every clock the state put on your city.

California stacked six shot clocks on local agencies in the last two years. Your install partner navigates these — knowing the clock is half the battle, and our installers have done this before in your jurisdiction.

SB 543 New for 2026
15business days

ADU completeness review

Local agency must determine ADU application completeness. Miss it → deemed complete.

SB 1211 · State ADU law
60days

Ministerial approval

Local agency must approve or deny ADUs under the state-mandated ministerial clock.

AB 462 New for 2026
60days

Coastal CDP for ADUs

Coastal Development Permits run concurrently with land-use review. No Coastal Commission appeals.

SB 684 + SB 1123
60days

Small-lot subdivision map

Ministerial parcel-map approval for up to 10 lots. No CEQA.

AB 818 New for 2026
10days

Emergency rebuild modular

In a declared CA emergency, HCD-approved modular ADUs are approved or denied within 10 calendar days.

AB 1308 New for 2026
30days

Final ADU inspection

Local agency must perform the final ADU inspection within 30 days of request.

Legal teeth, too
AB 712 entitles you to attorney's fees when an agency violates state housing law. SB 808 fast-tracks writs against improper denials. SB 9 (2025) makes non-compliant local ADU ordinances null and void.
See the law tracker
Where our installer network operates

Our install partners have permitted in most California building departments.

We match you with a crew that has prior Clever installs in (or near) your jurisdiction — established plan-check relationships, knowledge of local quirks, and a clean inspection track record. If your jurisdiction is unusual, we'll flag it in feasibility before you commit.

LA County City of LA San Diego County City of San Diego Sacramento Bay Area Oakland San Francisco Berkeley Long Beach San Bernardino Riverside Orange County Santa Cruz Ventura Santa Monica Pasadena Glendale Anaheim Irvine
Common questions

Permitting FAQ.

Right. The state-track approval (HCD Factory-Built Housing pre-approval of the unit design) is done by us, before you order. The local-track approval (building permit, site plan, foundation, utilities, inspections) is handled by your vetted Clever install partner — a licensed CA general contractor who has done Clever installs in your jurisdiction before. One project manager coordinates both tracks; you sign one contract.
Every Clever Elements unit design is registered with and pre-approved by California HCD under the Factory-Built Housing program (Health &amp; Safety Code §§ 19960–19997). The unit ships with an HCD insignia. Per state law, your local building department <strong>cannot re-inspect or re-approve the factory-built portions</strong> — they review only the site work (foundation, utilities, setbacks, exterior connections). That's roughly half of a normal residential plan check, already done.
We pick. From our statewide network of licensed CA general contractors, we match you to a crew with prior Clever installs in or near your jurisdiction, clean inspection history, crane experience, and an existing relationship with your local building department. You don't shop for a GC, and you don't get matched with someone who's never set a Clever unit before.
Yes. Effective Jan 1, 2026, local agencies have 15 business days to issue a completeness determination on an ADU application. If they miss the deadline, the application is automatically deemed complete and the 60-day clock starts. Cities can't keep applications in 'we need more info' purgatory anymore. Your installer tracks this clock from the day they file.
AB 462 (2025) just rewrote this. Local agencies with a certified Local Coastal Program now have 60 days to approve or deny ADU Coastal Development Permits — running concurrently with land-use review — and the Coastal Commission appeals process for ADUs is gone. Our coastal installers have permitted in Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, and San Diego County under both the old rules and the new ones.
State law beats local ordinance. Under SB 9 (2025), HCD can declare a non-compliant local ADU ordinance null and void. AB 712 entitles applicants to attorney's fees when an agency violates state housing law, and SB 808 fast-tracks writs of mandate. Your installer files clean; if the city pushes back outside the law, we and they cite chapter and verse. The citation almost always does the work.
The property owner pays impact fees and permit fees directly to the local jurisdiction. We line-item the likely range in feasibility so there are no surprises. SB 1211 caps fees for ADUs added to existing multifamily lots; ADUs under 750 sq ft are generally fee-exempt; and SB 937 lets you defer most fees to final inspection instead of paying upfront.

State-pre-approved plans. Crews who've permitted here before.

Half the approval is done before you order. The rest runs on a state-mandated shot clock, navigated by an installer who knows your jurisdiction.

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