Building Permit — Torrance, California · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-09-19 · Source: https://www.torranceca.gov/City-Services/Building-Property/Building-Property-Services/Online-Permit-Center-Portal/Building-and-Safety-Permits
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Building Permit in Torrance, California
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
When you need this permit
- 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
Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.
Fee schedule
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.Review timeline
Inspection process
- 1
A 24/7 automated phone system, and it is the published route
"In an ongoing commitment to improve customer service, the City of Torrance has an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for Scheduling and Canceling Inspections 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!" The line is (310) 618-5901.
- 2
Three things before you dial
"Before Calling, you will need: A touch-tone telephone; A site-specific Record (Permit) Number; A three-digit Inspection Code." The inspection codes are published as a list on the same page. Note the first item - the system is DTMF, so a phone that cannot send tones will not work.
- 3
The menu, including two things that are not scheduling
"Press [1] Schedule an Inspection; Press [2] Cancel an Inspection; Press [3] Obtain Inspection Results; Press [4] To hear Scheduled Inspection time frame; Press [5] Listen to Plan-Check Status; Press [0] Speak with an operator; Press [*] General Information." Options 3 and 5 make the line useful for checking status without scheduling anything.
- 4
How the permit number is entered, and the confirmation number
"Enter the Permit Type: for Building, press [1], or for Electrical, press [2]", then "Enter the seven-digit numeric portion of the Permit number. Ex. BLD25-00001 and press [#]. The system will confirm this permit by speaking back the site addresses (do not enter '-')." At the end "you will be issued a confirmation number", and the city recommends keeping a record of confirmation numbers against their requests.
- 5
NOT READ FOR THIS RECORD: the inspection timeframe rules
The inspection page carries a separate "Timeframe" tab alongside "Schedule or Cancel" and "Inspection Codes". Its content did not render when opened for this record, so no cut-off time, arrival window or next-day rule is recorded here - and none is inferred. Option [4] on the IVR reads back the scheduled timeframe for a booked inspection.
See the full Torrance inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- GET THE ZONING CLEARANCE FIRST - it is step 1 and it comes from a different division.
- BUDGET A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR EACH TRADE - mechanical, electrical and plumbing are not part of the building permit.
- THE INSPECTION LINE NEEDS A TOUCH-TONE PHONE, the permit number and a three-digit code.
Frequently asked questions
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-19.
Online permit portal
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
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.
Torrance's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Torrance 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.
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