Homeowners wishing to use a standard plan must coordinate directly with the plan author for access and to understand any associated costs. The City’s role is to provide a streamlined permitting pathway by pre-reviewing these plans for building code compliance, thereby reducing plan check times.

The City of Los Angeles is making pre-approved standard plans available as an additional resource to help property owners rebuild more quickly following the January 2025 Wildfires.

These plans are not open-source; they remain the intellectual property of the architects, engineers, designers or builders who developed them.

The City’s role is to provide a streamlined permitting pathway by pre-reviewing these plans for building code compliance, thereby reducing plan check times.

Architects, Engineers, Designers and Builders are responsible for paying the necessary plan check and permit fees required to have their designs reviewed and pre-approved for inclusion in the Standard Plan Pilot Program.

While the Pre-Approved Standard Plan Program streamlines the building and safety review process, other agency/departmental reviews and clearances may still be required depending on your specific site conditions and type of rebuild. Homeowners should be prepared to obtain additional approvals as part of the permitting process.

Homeowners wishing to use a standard plan must coordinate directly with the plan author for access and to understand any associated costs

No. The pre-approved standard plans are not free. These plans remain the intellectual property of the architects, engineers, designers or builders (design owner) who created them. Homeowners wishing to use these plans must contact the design owner to obtain access to and discuss any associated costs.

For Zoning and Building code questions, please contact our call center at 311 or (213) 473-3231 and ask to speak with the LADBS Zoning & Building Code Engineer. Some zoning information can also be found on ZIMAS.