Los Angeles building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Los Angeles, California.
Last verified 2026-09-13 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- Metro (Downtown) Development Services Center, 201 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Phone
- (213) 473-3231
- Office hours
- Los Angeles does not publish one set of counter hours. LADBS features 5 Development Services Centers, 6 Inspection and Code Enforcement Offices, and 1 Test Laboratory. The City directs readers to the individual office: 'Please be sure to check business hours for each office as they may vary.'
- 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.
- Los Angeles Municipal Code, administered by LADBS. A permit from LADBS is required for any private property construction, alteration, or repair work on buildings within the City of Los Angeles. NO EDITION YEAR IS ASSERTED HERE: this record does not state the City's adopting ordinance.
Permit types & fees
Building Permit
The general LADBS building permit. A permit from LADBS is required for any private property construction, alteration, or repair work on buildings within the City of Los Angeles.
See fee scheduleElectrical Permit (including Solar Photovoltaic)
LADBS issues electrical permits, and its own naming folds rooftop solar into this category rather than a separate photovoltaic permit.
See fee scheduleMechanical Permit (Elevator, Fire Sprinkler, HVAC, or Plumbing)
LADBS groups elevator, fire sprinkler, HVAC and plumbing work under a single Mechanical Permit rather than issuing a separate plumbing permit.
See fee scheduleExpress Permit (no plan check)
LA's route for work that needs a permit but no plan review. In the City's words: 'Permits for simple projects, which do not require plan check. Can be done on-line.'
See fee scheduleAccessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
An Accessory Dwelling Unit, is a small, separate living space on the same property as a single-family home. Los Angeles regulates ADUs under Ordinance 186,481.
See fee schedule
Property Access
Los Angeles's permit history is searchable by address
1,582,928 permits in our copy of Los Angeles's register — searchable by street address, with permit type, status, issued date and valuation where the city publishes them. This is what we hold, not a statement of everything Los Angeles has issued.
All 1,582,928 carry an issued date, running from 1988 to 2026.
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 (2026-08)
- 2,478units
399 buildings · $515.7M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 18,678units
12 of 12 months reported · #1 in California coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-08)
- 14,164units
3,332 buildings · $2,449.1M valuation
8 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 11,211units
4,368 buildings · $1,932.1M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-08 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All California building activity
Tips & gotchas
- A permit from LADBS is required for any private property construction, alteration, or repair work on buildings within the City of Los Angeles.
- Fees are estimated, not published as a table. The City's Permit Fee Calculator groups permits as Building, Electrical, Mechanical and Non-Building, and states: 'The fee amounts calculated using this application are estimates based on the current fee ordinance and are subject to change without notice. Final fees will be determined when the application is submitted.'
- Payment limits are published: 'The maximum payment amount for electronic check is $200,000. Credit card payments are subject to a 2.7% service charge.'
- Hours vary by office. LADBS features 5 Development Services Centers, 6 Inspection and Code Enforcement Offices, and 1 Test Laboratory. 'Please be sure to check business hours for each office as they may vary.'
- You must also call for an inspection before covering or concealing any work. Los Angeles states that construction is not approved until it has been inspected and accepted.