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Torrance building permits

Verified

Torrance, California — as published 2026-09-19.

Verified 2026-09-19 · Source

Codes adopted

2025 California Building Standards Code (Cal. Code Regs., Title 24) - published July 1, 2025 by the California Building Standards Commission, effective January 1, 2026. Health & Safety Code 18938(b): building standards adopted into the California Building Standards Code "shall apply to all occupancies throughout the state and shall become effective 180 days after publication."THE CITY'S OWN ADOPTING ORDINANCE WAS NOT READ FOR THIS RECORD, so no Torrance ordinance number, code edition or local effective date is asserted here. No codes page was opened.

Permit types & fees

Building Permit

Verified

Torrance went fully electronic in January 2026 and runs a numbered three-step process in which the first step is not the permit application at all - it is a separate clearance from another division, without which the application will not be accepted.

Verified 2026-09-19 · Source

Requirements

PAPER ENDED ON A NAMED DATE: "Effective January 5, 2026, all plan reviews and permit submittals must be submitted electronically. Paper plans and physical submittals are no longer accepted."
STEP 1 IS NOT THE PERMIT. "Before submitting a permit application, you must first obtain Zoning Clearance from the Planning or Environmental Division. Proof of Zoning Clearance is required with your permit application and helps avoid delays in the review process." Two divisions issue it, with separate contacts - Planning on (310) 618-5990 or PLNClearance@TorranceCA.Gov, Environmental on (310) 618-5929 or ENVClearance@TorranceCA.Gov.
STEP 2 IS AN ACCOUNT: "To apply for permits online, you must first create an account through the Citizen Access Portal." The city asks you to read its Accela Citizen Access User Guide for Building Permits first, published as a 4MB PDF manual.
STEP 3 SUBMITS THREE THINGS TOGETHER: "Once you receive Zoning Clearance, submit your permit application, zoning clearance documentation, and construction plans through the Citizen Access Portal."
TRADES ARE NOT INCLUDED AND NEED THEIR OWN APPLICATIONS: "Separate permit applications and submittals are required for trade permits, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work."

Required documents

Optional
Optional
Optional

Fee schedule

Fee type	Amount	Notes
Fee schedule	NOT PUBLISHED on the pages read for this record.	No fee schedule, valuation table or amount appeared on the Building and Safety Permits page or the inspection page. Show full citationHide No fee schedule, valuation table or amount appeared on the Building and Safety Permits page or the inspection page. The city states that fees can be paid through the online permitting system, but publishes no figure on the pages read, so no amount and no fee basis is asserted here.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-19.

City of Torrance Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division (Permit Center) — official building department

Online permit portal

City of Torrance Building and Safety Permits (the January 5 2026 electronic-only rule, the three-step process, the zoning clearance prerequisite, the separate-trade-permit rule, Permit Center address and contacts)

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

Torrance - Schedule Building Inspection (the 24/7 IVR system, what is needed before calling, the menu options and the permit-number entry format)

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Torrance building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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