Building permits in Los Angeles, California
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Los Angeles, 8 need a permit outright and 2 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Los Angeles
- Permits analysed
- 46,900
- in the last 12 months
- Typical job value
- $7,200
- declared valuation
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
- 201 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Phone: (213) 473-3231
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Los Angeles
Los Angeles permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Los Angeles
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Los Angeles, 8 need a permit outright and 2 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...graduated by declared project valuation per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A, posted base $65... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...item per the LADBS Electrical Permit Fee Schedule (rev 12/2016): minimum $55 for... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | masonry or concrete fence up to 6 ft in height may be built without a permit if it meets LADBS construction specifications in IB-P-BC2014-080; a solid masonry infill panel between pilasters may not exceed 3 ft 6 in with lightweight open material filling the remaining height; non-masonry fence height threshold not confirmed from official page | Valuation-based building permit per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...piece of equipment per LADBS Fee Sch.3 (7/2017), for example a gas furnace at $19... |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Any size | Valuation-based building permit per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | Itemized per fixture per LADBS Fee Sch.5 (7/2017), for example a toilet at $23 and a... |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...building permit with the LADBS Valuation Table pricing a concrete pool at $43 per... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | Valuation-based building permit per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A |
| Shed Permit | It depends | one-story shed under 120 sq ft and under 12 ft in height with no electrical or plumbing does not require a permit | No shed-specific valuation multiplier printed |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...with itemized per-component fees per the LADBS Electrical Permit Fee Schedule: $6... |
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Schedule an inspection in Los Angeles
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. LADBS inspection page with request-an-inspection options for permit holders.
Schedule or request a Los Angeles inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: (213) 473-3231.
How often each check passes first time here, measured from Los Angeles's own published inspection records rather than estimated:
- final 62% of 80,069
- smoke detectors 90% of 38,441
- floor/roof diaphrgm/shear wall 61% of 33,475
- interior/exterior lathing 50% of 23,574
- footing/foundation/slab 58% of 21,651
- plumbing-rough 46% of 21,349
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Los Angeles permit fees compared with nearby California localities
| California locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | ...valuation per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A, posted base $65... | ...Fee Sch.3 (7/2017), for example a gas furnace at $19... | ...Permit Fee Schedule (rev 12/2016): minimum $55 for... |
| Alameda County | ...A building permit fee table (for example, '$381.46... | ...Permit 18% of Building Permit Fees, $140.00... | ...Permit 20% of Building Permit Fees, $140.00... |
| Contra Costa County | No deck-specific flat fee is published | ...Schedule S-002 D.6, "Mechanical Permit (Other) $75.00... | ...Schedule S-002 C.6, "Electrical Permit (Other) $75.00... |
| Fresno County | No flat deck permit fee is published | ...Code Fees, FY 2026-27: Issuing each permit... | ...Code Fees, FY 2026-27: Issuing permits $42.77... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that California jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Los Angeles permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Los Angeles?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Los Angeles, 8 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 2 depend on size or scope (a fence permit, for instance). Each Los Angeles permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Los Angeles?
- Los Angeles publishes a fee for 10 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Los Angeles?
- Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issues permits in Los Angeles, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (213) 473-3231. The Los Angeles official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Los Angeles pages were verified. 10 permit types, 5 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Los Angeles is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Real permit outcomes in Los Angeles
- Typical job value
- $7,200
- declared valuation
Based on 46,900 residential permits issued in Los Angeles between 2025-07-12 and 2026-07-12: the median declared project value was $7,200;
Source: City of Los Angeles building permits (open data), fetched . Figures are medians of actual issued-permit records, not a quote.
Permitting activity in Los Angeles
In 2025, Los Angeles authorized permits for 11,211 new residential housing units (3,848 single-family, 7,363 in multi-family buildings), valued at $1.9B , up from 10,488 the year before. That works out to about 2.8 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 3,970,219.
About Los Angeles
Los Angeles has about 1,537,034 housing units. The median home is valued at $879,500, against a median household income of $80,366. About 36% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1964. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.