Long Beach building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Long Beach, California.
Last verified 2026-09-11 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 2nd Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802 - the Permit Center is at City Hall on the 2nd floor. NOTE: a page footer gives 411 West Ocean Blvd., 3rd Floor for Community Development generally; the 2nd floor is what both the Building & Safety contact block and the OTC page give for the Permit Center itself.
- Phone
- 562.570.PMIT (7648)
- Office hours
- Building & Safety: M 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, T 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, W 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, TH 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, F 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. OTC plan review appointments are Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
- Website
- Official site
Codes adopted
California publishes its building standards as Title 24, adopted by state agencies and republished on a three-year cycle. A city or county may change those standards only after its governing body makes an express finding that the change is reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions, and no change becomes operative until the finding and the change have been filed with the California Building Standards Commission.
- California Building Standards Code as adopted locally, administered through Long Beach Municipal Code Section 18.04 - the City points readers there 'For additional information regarding building permit requirements and exceptions'. NO EDITION YEAR IS ASSERTED: this record does not state the adopting ordinance's edition.
Permit types & fees
Building Permit
Long Beach requires permits broadly and says so plainly: 'most construction activities, including alterations, replacements, and repair work in dwellings require permits and inspections.'
See fee scheduleElectrical Permit
Long Beach names this permit in its own right: 'Electrical Permit is required to install or modify an electrical system'
See fee schedulePlumbing Permit
Long Beach names this permit in its own right: 'Plumbing Permit is required to install or modify a plumbing system.'
See fee scheduleMechanical Permit
Long Beach names this permit in its own right: 'Mechanical Permit is required to install or modify heating, ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning and other related systems.'
See fee scheduleAccessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Long Beach routes ADUs through its over-the-counter plan review: OTC Plan Review Permits 'can be obtained for minor construction projects requiring in-person plan reviews such as one one-story residential additions, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and relocation of 50 or less fire sprinkler heads.'
See fee schedule
Long Beach's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Long Beach yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Long Beach lands. Privacy.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-07)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All California building activity
Tips & gotchas
- PERMITS DIE ON A 90-DAY CLOCK, NOT THE 180 DAYS SOME CALIFORNIA CITIES USE: 'Permits become null and void if work authorized is not commenced within 90 days of the issuance or if such work is suspended or abandoned at any time after the work is commenced for a period of 90 days .'
- A COMBINATION PERMIT EXISTS SO A MULTI-TRADE JOB IS NOT FOUR APPLICATIONS - it covers all building, electrical, plumbing and/or mechanical work. Long Beach names the four separately AND offers the combined one; pick deliberately.
- WORKERS' COMPENSATION IS CONDITIONAL ON HAVING EMPLOYEES: 'If a contractor has employees, proof of Workers' Compensation Insurance must be shown at the time of permit issuance. Contractors working alone may waive this requirement, but must show a pocket copy of their State Contractor's License.'
- A CONTRACTOR NEEDS A LONG BEACH BUSINESS LICENCE ON TOP OF THE STATE LICENCE. A valid California State Contractor's License alone is not sufficient to pull a permit here.
- THE EXEMPTION LIST IS SPECIFIC AND CONDITIONAL - a shed must be under 120 square feet AND under 8 feet AND carry no plumbing, electrical or mechanical work. Fences to 6 feet 6 inches, retaining walls to 4 feet, decks under 30 inches, roofing up to 100 square feet on an existing roof.
- ADUs GO OVER THE COUNTER, IN PERSON, ONE PROJECT PER APPOINTMENT.
- HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND COASTAL ZONES CARRY EXTRA REQUIREMENTS under the City's Zoning Regulations.