When undertaking a construction project in Los Angeles, you must ensure that your project complies with local building codes and property laws, or else you may be penalized and your project stopped.
To ensure compliance, LADBS offers plan review, permitting, inspection, and enforcement services, as well as access to property records and licensing programs.
Plan Review
LADBS reviews your construction plans to verify that they are up to code. For example, LADBS reviews Building Plans, MEP (Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing) Plans, and Grading Plans. There are various types of plans you can submit for review. Check our Types of Plan Review and Permits section for a more detailed description on these plans, and the required documents for submission and review.
LADBS also offers different levels of Plan Checks depending on your project’s size and complexity. Be sure that you have collected and filled out the appropriate documents specific to your plan’s type before scheduling a review.
Once you are ready, you may schedule an appointment for plan submittal, or simply upload via LADBS’s online web app, ePlanLA. If you need additional guidance on preparing your plans prior to submittal, you can apply for a Preliminary Plan Check and meet with a plan check engineer for advice.
Some simple construction projects, as listed in our Express Permit Eligibility documentation, do NOT require a plan review. For these types of projects, you can apply for permits straightaway using the web app PermitLA.
For all other permits, including permits for construction projects that do require a plan check, you can use ePlanLA.
Please note that in order to use ePlanLA or PermitLA, you first need to register for an Angeleno account. Your Angeleno account is your one account to access City of Los Angeles services, including the construction services of other City departments, such as the Bureau of Engineering and Los Angeles City Planning.
LADBS accommodates all permitting online, both those that require plans and those that don’t. These services are also available on walk-in at any of our Development Services Centers. You do not need to schedule an appointment for PermitLA or ePlanLA, but you will need to schedule an appointment for walk-ins.
Permitting
Once your plans are approved, you may proceed to permit issuance, which is your go-ahead to begin construction. Various documents and signatures are required at permit issuance. In your next steps, you will need to identify who will sign for and pay for the permit. You may obtain the permit as an Agent, an Owner, or a Contractor.
Some simple construction projects, as listed in our Express Permit Eligibility documentation, do NOT require a plan review. Because they do not require review, you can apply for permits straightaway using the LADBS web app, PermitLA.
For all other permits, including permits for construction projects that do require a plan check, you can use our online web application, ePlanLA.
Please note that in order to use ePlanLA or PermitLA, you first need to register for an Angeleno account. Your Angeleno account is your one account to access City of Los Angeles services, including the construction services of other City departments such as the Bureau of Engineering and Los Angeles City Planning.
LADBS accommodates all permitting online, both those that require plans and those that don’t. These services are also available on walk-in. You do not need to schedule an appointment for PermitLA or ePlanLA, but you will need to schedule an appointment for walk-ins.
To ensure building code compliance, LADBS offers inspection services to check that the construction work is up to code.
All construction projects are divided into several stages: excavation, foundation, framing, masonry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, exterior finishing, heating/cooling work, and waterproofing. Once each stage is completed, the work will need to be inspected and approved before covering up the work and moving onto the next stage. Schedule inspections regularly to ensure that each stage of your construction is inspected and approved.
There are associated tasks within construction projects that also require inspections, such as correct disposal of construction debris. Schedule inspections with us for those types of work as well. Inspection Services include Standard Inspection Request, Virtual Inspection Request, and Off Hour and Additional Hour Requests. See our Inspection Page for more information about these specific services.
LADBS responds to complaints about possible code violations. For example: construction done or in-progress without permits, building or property converted for another use, missing gate or fence around pool, trash and debris on private property, or overgrown vegetation. Check out our full list of possible violations, disruptions, or hazards, to see whether any of them applies to your situation. Then, report a violation, and an inspector will perform an investigation.
To learn about a property and what has been constructed with a permit, check our list of available records or use our search tools for information that may support a construction project.
The LADBS Records Section provides copies of Department-issued documents from our database including construction, permitting, inspections, and code enforcement.
LADBS Records can provide copies of documents that can assist if you are:
- Purchasing a property, to know what permits have been issued.
- Proposing construction, to obtain the knowledge of a building for assistance with drafting plans
- In the permitting process, to meet the criteria of plan check corrections
- Having a dispute on the number of residential units or commercial use
If you know what records you need, use our Search Online Building Records system, or submit a Records Research Request Form via email or by appointment.
Some construction projects require continuous inspection for time periods that LADBS cannot fulfill. For this reason, LADBS certifies Deputy Inspectors, who inspect your construction project on behalf of the Department. Be sure to acquire the services of a Deputy Inspector with the correct certifications. Otherwise, approval for the related work may not be approved later by LADBS.
Check our list of projects that will require deputy inspections.
You may hire a certified Deputy Inspector for your project, or apply to become a certified Deputy Inspector yourself. See our forms page for the different types of licensing and certification you can acquire.
The type of permits you need depend on the type of building projects you have. Select your role in the building project to learn more.
