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HOME OWNERS GUIDE

PERMIT & INSPECTIONS

FOR OWNER OCCUPIED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS

A FEW WORDS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF

PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS

This booklet provides you with the information you need to get started in the process of

obtaining permits and inspections for repair, remodeling or adding on to your single

family home.

Obtaining a permit and inspections for construction on your home is required by law and

provides important documentation in the event you sell or refinance the property.

The Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) will help you through the permit

process and provide you with valuable information on codes and ordinances,

construction practices, and property data.

Construction Service Centers

Hours: Monday through Friday

7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

except Wednesdays when the offices are

open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Metro Office: 201 N. Figueroa St., 4

Floor

South LA: 8475 S. Vermont Ave., Room 210

West LA: 1828 Sawtelle Blvd., 2

Floor

Van Nuys: 6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 251

San Pedro: 638 S. Beacon St., Room 276

Satellite Inspection Offices

Hours: Monday through Friday

7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and

2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Inspectors for Single Family Dwellings are

located in each council district. For the

location of your local inspection office and

information on contacting the inspector,

call the Department’s toll-free number

below.

Hiring a Contractor

Construction contractors in the State of California are required to be licensed by

the California State License Board (CSLB). The CSLB can provide you with

information about a contractor at their toll-free number:

(800) 321-2752

Construction Service Centers can provide you with an informative booklet called

“What You Should Know Before You Hire A Contractor”

For general information and assistance, call the Customer Call Center at:

3-1-1

(866) 4LA-CITY / (866) 452-2489

(inside L.A. County)

(213) 473-3231

(outside L.A. County)

THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

GET ZONING AND

PROPERTY INFORMATION

DESIGN YOUR PROJECT

AND

DRAW PLANS

SUBMIT PLANS TO BUILDING AND SAFETY AND COMPLETE A

PERMIT APPLICATION

PLANS APPROVED

AND

PERMIT ISSUED

CONSTRUCTION

AND

INSPECTION

FINAL INSPECTION

AND

CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY

ZONING AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

Clearances Around Your Building

Buildings have various zoning requirements, as stipulated in the Zoning Code. These

requirements vary depending on several elements such as the zone and location of the

property. In addition, certain specific areas are governed by specific plans, which often

regulate the zoning requirements. Due to the complexity of zoning laws, the only

accurate way to obtain the zoning requirements for your proposed building or addition is

to visit the Zoning counter in any of the Department’s Construction Service Centers.

This will safeguard you from unnecessary problems and expense. Basic zoning

information can be obtained on-line at www.ladbs.org

You will need the property address, legal description (tract and lot number), and a plot

plan of the proposed work. The legal description is usually included on your Property tax

records or in the deed for that individual property. Take these items to any Construction

Service Center. The code professionals at Building and Safety will check the City zoning

maps and provide you with the correct information.

DESIGN YOUR PROJECT

 Make sure your plans show all measurements to property lines.

 Check the distance between your new addition and your property lines.

 Show all door and window sizes in the new construction, and interior dimensions.

 If your construction is attached to an existing building, show the existing room

sizes and window and door sizes for the areas adjacent to the new construction.

Show any openings that are to be closed up as dotted lines on the plan.

 Attach the Type V sheet or your structural details to your plot plan and floor plan.

 Complete the marked items on the permit worksheet, including your name and

address, and the legal description of your property (see your tax bill).

 Separate plumbing, electrical, and heating permits are required for those

installations that are unrelated to the building permit.

If you have any questions, please call 3-1-1 or 452-2489 (inside Los Angeles

County) or (213) 473-3231 (outside Los Angeles County).

Gas and Electric Service Supplies

If the footprint of your construction is in the path of gas or electrical service

feeder lines, these services must be moved by the appropriate agency. For

help in locating these lines on your lot call;

The Gas Company 800-427-2200

The Department of Water and Power 800-342-5397

DRAWING PLANS

Plans must be clear, legible, and correctly show the work to be done. The minimum

plans required to be submitted are:

 PLOT PLAN of the building on the lot,

 FLOOR PLAN of the proposed work,

 FRAMING PLAN showing the size and spacing of all structural members,

 FOUNDATION PLAN, which includes floor-framing details,

 ELEVATIONS of new buildings or additions, and construction details for

stairways, chimneys, or similar improvements,

 CONSTRUCTION DETAILS that indicate the size and direction of rafters, joists

and studs,

 ENERGY CONSERVATION DETAILS, such as insulation thickness

 TYPE V SHEET ATTACHED, to serve as your plan notes.

The Department has a Type V Sheet available at any Building and Safety Public

Counter, which provides most of the structural Wood frame information you will need to

build the addition or Remodel.

The Type V sheet should be attached to your plans as a reference, and to resolve any

questions you may have regarding wood frame construction.

Examples of drawing plans can be found on the following page.

Note: If the construction was designed by an engineer,

design calculations and plans stamped & signed by the

engineer must be attached to the plans. Added

habitable area that is heated or cooled must be

insulated in accordance with Energy Conservation

requirements.

SUBMIT YOUR PLANS AND

COMPLETE THE PERMIT APPLICATION

Take your plan package to any plan check office location listed inside the front cover of

this booklet. If any portion of your construction is an engineered design, you will need to

submit the original drawings and calculations from your engineer or architect. The

Department engineers will check your plans for compliance with local codes and

ordinances. With the information you provide on the permit worksheet, the engineer will

complete your permit. Permits that do not require a plan check, known as Express

Permits, can also be obtained using the e-permit program on-line by visiting

www.ladbs.org

. A list of Express Permits available through the e-permit program can be

found at this website.

Clearances from Other Departments:

Occasionally, approvals are needed from other Departments before construction can

begin. The Department plan check professional will help guide you through this process.

Some examples of the types of approvals needed are:

Public Works, Bureau of Engineering:

Address approval – verification of the correct property address, based upon the legal

description for the property.

Driveway apron approval – required for curb cuts to install new driveways to the public

street.

Sewer availability – new public sewer connections must be approved by Public Works. If

your property is currently on a private sewage disposal system (septic tank system), you

may be required to connect to the public sewer.

Cultural Affairs Commission:

All buildings designated as city cultural or historic monuments must obtain approval from

the Cultural Affairs Commission.

City Planning:

Approval of planned construction in Specific Plan areas, or as a part of zoning variances.

Release from Owners of Easements:

If your construction crosses an easement, approval from the owner of that easement

must be obtained.

CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTION

BEGIN YOUR CONSTRUCTION:

With your approved plans and building permits in hand, you are ready to begin

construction. If you have to vary from your plan specifications during construction, re-

approval of the plan is required. Call for inspection before covering any work.

To call for inspection our customer service number is 311 or (866) 4LA-CITY / (866) 452-

2489 within L.A. County or 213-473-3231outside L.A. County. Call for inspection at least

24 hours in advance. Occasionally office workloads delay inspections an additional 24

hours.

When the work has been inspected and approved, the inspector will sign the Building

Card (B-8). Make sure this card and your approved plans are left on the site for the

inspector, an inspection cannot be made without them. If there are corrections needed

on the construction, the inspector will leave a pink correction notice (G-49). Make all the

corrections on the notice and call for inspection again.

Groundwork:

Call for inspection of footing excavations when all reinforcing steel, forms, and

groundwork plumbing and electrical have been installed, but before any concrete is

poured.

Rough:

Call for rough inspection of the construction when all framing work has been completed

and the plumbing piping, electrical wiring, and heating ducts have been installed in the

framing, but before any of the work has been covered.

FINAL INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATE

OF OCCUPANCY

Final:

Call for final inspection when the construction has been completed. All external surfaces

must be painted, or otherwise sealed, weather-stripping must be installed on all new

windows and doors, and all electrical or plumbing fixtures have been installed. Interior

painting, wallpapering, or carpeting need not be complete. Smoke detectors must be

installed in all bedrooms and in the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Certificate of Occupancy:

In some cases, the Department will send you a Certificate of Occupancy when the

inspector has signed the final approval. Not all construction work receives a Certificate

of Occupancy. Ask your inspector if your new structure will be issued one. Retain this

document for your records, along with the Building Card (B8), as proof of inspection of

your construction.

Garage Conversions and Required Parking:

Single-family dwellings are required to maintain two covered parking spaces on the

same lot as the dwelling. If your garage or carport has been converted to another use, a

carport or garage will have to be provided before your Certificate of Occupancy can be

issued.

GENERAL INFORMATION

TIME LIMITS ON PERMITS

If construction on your project does not start within six months of the issue date of the

permit the permit expires and must be renewed before work can continue. Your permit

expires two years from the date of issue on construction that has not been completed.

VARIANCES FROM CODES AND ORDINANCES

The Department has an appeal process for alternate construction methods. Be sure to

discuss any concerns you have with the plan check engineer when you first submit your

plans. Your construction Inspector can also advise you which items may be appealed

and provide you with forms for making the appeal.

Note: Reductions in required yard setbacks and zoning changes are appealed through

the City Planning process.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The Satellite Office supervisor can help resolve any disagreements or problems you may

have with your inspector. These supervisors are located in the same office as the

inspector. They will be happy to meet you on the construction site and discuss the

problem, and answer any questions you may have about Department procedures.

Please call 311 or (866) 4LA-CITY / (866) 452-2489 inside L.A. County or (213) 473-

3231 outside L.A. County for information.

Certified Licensed Contractors

This program allows some licensed contractors to self-certify replacement work.

For more information call (213) 482-6786.

LIMITS ON CONSTRUCTION NOISE

Contractors generating any construction noise are restricted by law to the following days

and times:

-NO Construction noise allowed on Sundays,

-Monday through Friday, construction noise is allowed between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm

-Saturdays and National Holidays, construction noise is allowed between 8:00 am and

6:00 pm

NOTES

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