Most homeowners only deal with a building department a few times in their lives. The good news is that the process is predictable once you know the pieces: who issues the permit, how much review the work needs, and when the inspector comes out.
Which office issues your permit
Los Angeles County has dozens of separate cities, and the one you live in decides where your permit comes from. Your mailing address doesn't always tell you. Plenty of homes with a "Los Angeles" address sit in unincorporated county areas or in another city.
- City of Los Angeles. The Department of Building and Safety, known as LADBS, issues building permits and inspects the work. Planning questions, such as zoning and historic districts, go to the city's planning department.
- Unincorporated LA County. Areas outside any city, such as Altadena, East Los Angeles and parts of the foothills, use LA County Building and Safety.
- Independent cities. Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance and many others run their own building departments, with their own forms, review times and local rules.
Your property tax bill or the county assessor's records will show whether a parcel is inside a city. The building department's website is the place to confirm current requirements before you start.
What usually needs a permit
The general rule: if the work changes plumbing, electrical, gas, structure, the roof or the building's footprint, it needs a permit. Cosmetic work usually doesn't. These are typical answers for most of Los Angeles County; your city has the final say.
| Usually needs a permit | Usually doesn't |
|---|---|
| New electrical circuits, outlets or a panel upgrade | Interior and exterior painting |
| Moving or adding plumbing, such as relocating a sink or shower | New flooring |
| Replacing a water heater | Replacing cabinets in the same place |
| Re-roofing | New countertops on existing cabinets |
| Windows or doors that change size, and most window replacements | Swapping a faucet, toilet or light fixture for a similar one in the same spot |
| Removing or changing walls, beams or other structure | Replacing trim, baseboards or interior doors |
| Room additions and second stories | Wallpaper and minor drywall patching |
| ADUs, JADUs and garage conversions | Most landscaping and planting |
| Replacing a furnace or air conditioner | Replacing an appliance in the same spot, with no new gas line or circuit |
| Solar panels and battery storage | Regrouting or refinishing existing tile |
A few items surprise people. A same-size window replacement still needs a permit in many cities because new windows have to meet energy rules. Decks, pools, retaining walls and taller fences or masonry walls often need permits too, depending on their height. When in doubt, ask the building department or your contractor before work starts, not after.
Express permits and plan check
Not every permit needs drawings. Departments sort work by how much review it needs, and that decides how fast you get your permit.
Express or over-the-counter permits cover simple, like-for-like work with no plans: a water heater, a re-roof, a same-size window swap, a panel upgrade, an HVAC change-out or a standard solar system. In the City of Los Angeles and many other cities these can often be issued online the same day.
Counter plan check is for small projects with simple drawings, such as a modest bathroom layout change. A plan checker reviews the drawings in person, and many are approved the same day.
Regular plan check is for additions, ADUs, structural work and larger layout changes. You submit full drawings, often with structural calculations and energy forms, and wait for review. The first review commonly takes several weeks, and each round of corrections adds more. Larger projects can take a few months from first submittal to permit.
Review times vary a lot from city to city and from month to month. Projects in historic districts, hillside areas or fire zones usually take longer, because more departments look at them.
Title 24 and energy rules
Title 24 is the shorthand for California's building standards, and in remodeling it usually refers to the energy code. It sets rules for insulation, windows, lighting, water heating and heating and cooling, and it applies to new space and to many alterations.
In practice, this means a few things for a remodel. New windows need to meet energy performance requirements. Lighting in kitchens and bathrooms has efficiency and control requirements. Replacing or adding heating and cooling equipment generally triggers a duct leakage test by a third-party HERS rater. Additions and ADUs need energy calculations as part of the plan check package.
The energy code is updated on a regular cycle, so requirements change over time. Your designer or contractor should know which version applies when you submit.
Inspections and the inspection card
A permit isn't the finish line. Each permit comes with a set of inspections, and the work isn't legal until the last one passes.
When the permit is issued, you'll typically get an inspection card, or job card, that stays on site. Inspectors sign it, or record results online, as each stage passes. Common inspections include foundation, framing, rough plumbing, rough electrical, mechanical, insulation, drywall nailing in some cities, and the final.
The order matters. Rough inspections happen while walls are still open, so the inspector can see what's inside. If a wall gets closed up before its inspection, it may have to be opened again. Your contractor schedules inspections and should be there when the inspector arrives.
- Keep the inspection card somewhere safe and visible on site
- Ask for a copy of the final sign-off, or confirm it shows online, before the last payment
- For an ADU, expect a certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in
- Keep permit records with your house papers; you'll want them when you sell
A permit usually expires if work doesn't start, or stalls for too long without a passed inspection. If your project pauses for months, ask the building department how to keep the permit active.
Why unpermitted work matters
Skipping a permit can look like a way to save time and money. It often costs more later.
When you sell. California sellers have to disclose what they know about the property, and the standard disclosure form asks about work done without permits. Buyers' inspectors and appraisers often spot it. An unpermitted bathroom or garage conversion can lead to price cuts, repair requests, or a lender that won't count that space.
When you insure. If a fire or leak traces back to unpermitted electrical or plumbing work, the claim can get complicated. Talk to your insurance agent if you know of unpermitted work in your home.
When you remodel again. Building departments can require old unpermitted work to be brought up to code, or opened up for inspection, when you apply for a new permit that touches it.
Before you close, compare the house to its permit history. Most departments let you look up permits by address. A room or unit with no permit record is worth asking about before you buy.
Owner-builder permits
California lets homeowners pull permits for work on their own home as an owner-builder. It can make sense for small jobs you'll do yourself. It also shifts a lot of responsibility to you.
- You're responsible for the work meeting code and passing inspection.
- If you hire workers directly, you may be treated as their employer, with responsibility for workers' compensation insurance and payroll taxes.
- Owner-builder permits are meant for your own home, not for building to sell. Selling soon after the work is finished can raise questions about that.
- Some lenders and insurers treat owner-builder projects differently.
Be cautious if a contractor asks you to pull the permit as an owner-builder. It can be a sign the contractor isn't licensed for the work, and it leaves you holding the risk.
Historic districts, hillsides and fire zones
Some lots get extra review on top of the building permit.
Historic districts. The City of Los Angeles has Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, known as HPOZs, where exterior changes visible from the street need design review. Other cities, including Pasadena, have their own historic districts and landmark rules. Interior remodels are usually less affected.
Hillsides. Hillside lots can need grading permits, soils and geology reports, and sometimes limits on size and height. Retaining walls often need engineering.
Fire zones. In very high fire hazard severity zones, new construction and many additions must use wildfire-resistant materials for roofs, vents, windows and siding, and some projects need fire department review. Homes being rebuilt after recent wildfires may have special permit rules; check with your building department for what applies today.
Coastal areas. Homes in the coastal zone may also need a coastal development permit for some kinds of work.
Who pulls the permit
On most remodels, the licensed contractor pulls the permit. Their license appears on the permit, they schedule the inspections, and they're responsible for getting the work signed off. That's the arrangement we recommend. When a project needs drawings, the designer or architect usually prepares the plan check package and answers corrections, often with the contractor's help.
Put the permit in your contract. It should say who applies for it, who pays the fees, and that the final payment is due after the final inspection passes. See how to hire a contractor for more on contracts.
The cost planner includes permit fees, and design and engineering when a permit needs drawings, in every estimate.
Common questions
How long does it take to get a permit?
It varies. Express permits for simple work can be issued the same day. Small projects with drawings can sometimes be approved at the counter. Additions and ADUs going through regular plan check commonly take several weeks to a few months, depending on the city and how many rounds of corrections are needed.
Do I need a permit to replace my kitchen cabinets?
Usually not, if the new cabinets go in the same place and no plumbing, electrical or walls change. Once you move the sink, add circuits or take out a wall, you need one.
Can I get a permit for work that's already done?
Often, yes. Many departments have a process to permit existing work, but expect the inspector to ask for walls or ceilings to be opened so the work can be seen, and for anything not up to code to be fixed.
Do I have to be home for inspections?
Usually not, as long as the inspector can get in and your contractor is there. Ask your contractor how they handle access.