Building Permits in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and grading permits for all construction inside the City of Los Angeles. Permit requirements are set by the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Chapter IX — Building Regulations, which adopts the 2022 California Building Code with local amendments.

This guide explains the basics in plain English. Always verify specifics with LADBS before submitting an application, because fees and procedures change.

When You Need a Permit

You generally need a permit from LADBS for:

• New construction, additions, and accessory structures (including ADUs and JADUs)
• Structural alterations, load-bearing wall changes, and foundation work
• Electrical, plumbing, mechanical (HVAC), and gas line changes
• Roofing replacement (tear-offs) and new window or door openings in exterior walls
• Swimming pools, spas, and retaining walls above a height threshold
• Demolitions and grading work
• Sign installations and certain site work

Minor cosmetic work — interior painting, floor coverings, cabinet replacement without plumbing or electrical changes, and similar repairs — is typically exempt. Check with LADBS if you are not sure, because the list of exemptions is narrower than many homeowners expect.

Permit Costs

LADBS fees have several components. Rather than a single flat number, expect a stack of charges:

• Building permit fee — calculated from the project's declared valuation (construction cost). The fee rises on a published schedule as valuation increases.
• Plan check fee — assessed when plans require review by LADBS engineers. This is typically calculated as a percentage of the building permit fee.
• Separate MEP permit fees — electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC) work each generate their own permit and inspection fees.
• Development impact fees — for new construction or added habitable area these may include school fees, park fees, sewer facility charges, and similar fees collected on behalf of other agencies.
• Issuance and processing fees — small flat fees added at issuance.

For the exact dollar amounts for your project, use the LADBS Permit Fee Calculator on dbs.lacity.gov or contact LADBS directly. Fees are updated periodically, so quotes from older projects are not reliable. Certain ADUs under 750 square feet are exempt from most development impact fees under California state law.

Typical Timeline

Timelines depend heavily on submission quality. Clean, complete drawings that address code on the first submission move fastest. Corrections and incomplete information are the most common cause of delay.

The Process

1. Zoning check — Look up your property on ZIMAS to confirm zoning, overlay districts, and specific-plan constraints before designing.
2. Prepare plans — Drawings must comply with the 2022 Los Angeles Building Code. Most non-trivial projects require plans stamped by a licensed California architect or engineer.
3. Create an Angeleno account — Required to use ePlanLA, LADBS's online plan check and permit system.
4. Submit the application — Express Permits go through PermitLA (no plan review). Anything that needs plan check goes through ePlanLA, where you upload drawings and pay initial fees.
5. Plan check — LADBS reviewers check for building, residential, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy, green, and disabled-access code compliance. Other agencies (Planning, Fire, Public Works, Urban Forestry) may review in parallel.
6. Corrections — Address comments in a resubmittal. Multiple cycles are normal.
7. Permit issuance — Once plans are approved, pay the remaining fees and pull the permit. Work can now begin.
8. Inspections — Schedule each required inspection through the LADBS online portal, LADBS Go app, or by phone.
9. Final inspection — Pass the final inspection. For new dwellings, this leads to a Certificate of Occupancy.

Inspections

LADBS conducts construction-related inspections for residential and commercial buildings. Typical inspection stages for a residential project include:

• Setbacks / site layout
• Excavation and foundation (forms, steel, holdowns)
• Underground plumbing and electrical
• Rough framing
• Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical
• Insulation
• Drywall nailing
• Lath and exterior finish (if applicable)
• Final building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical

Each stage must be signed off before the next phase of work can proceed. LADBS offers online scheduling and, for qualifying cases, virtual inspections. Always keep the job card and approved plans on site during inspections.

Common Reasons for Denial or Correction

• Plans do not meet the 2022 Los Angeles Building Code or Title 24 energy requirements
• Missing structural calculations or engineer's wet stamp
• Zoning conflicts (setbacks, height, lot coverage, FAR, Baseline Mansionization)
• Hillside Ordinance issues for properties in designated hillside areas
• Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) defensible-space or materials requirements not addressed
• Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) or Coastal Zone review not completed
• Missing clearances from DWP, Sanitation, or Public Works
• Incomplete disabled-access (ADA / CBC Chapter 11) compliance for commercial work

Official Sources and Portals

• LADBS main site: dbs.lacity.gov — fee calculator, forms, information bulletins
• LADBS Services: dbs.lacity.gov/services — plan review, permitting, inspections, code enforcement
• ePlanLA — online plan check and permitting (requires Angeleno account)
• PermitLA — Express Permits for projects that do not require plan review
• LAMC Chapter IX (Building Regulations): codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles

Always verify current rules, fees, and procedures with LADBS. This guide is informational and is not a substitute for direct confirmation from the department.