City of Los Angeles · CA
Track Los Angeles building permits automatically from LADBS. SignedOff auto-syncs status, inspections, and expiration dates from the official California permit portal — so you never miss a deadline on a Los Angeles project.
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)
201 North Figueroa StreetThe permit categories SignedOff tracks automatically across LADBS.
Required for new single-family and multi-family construction, additions, and major remodels in the City of Los Angeles. Reviewed by LADBS plan check for building, zoning, and life-safety compliance.
Timeline: Several weeks to months for plan check review depending on project complexity
Required for new commercial construction, tenant improvements, and major commercial alterations in Los Angeles. LADBS runs a high-volume plan check operation across one of the largest construction markets in the country.
Timeline: Multi-week plan check, longer for complex structural or high-rise scopes
Required for service upgrades, panel replacements, new circuits, EV chargers, and solar interconnections. Often available over the counter or online for standalone scopes.
Timeline: Same-day to a few days for straightforward scopes
Required for HVAC installation, replacement, duct work, and heat pump conversions in Los Angeles.
Timeline: Same-day to 1 week
Required for water heater replacements, re-pipes, sewer line work, and fixture additions citywide.
Timeline: Same-day to 1 week
LADBS runs a dedicated mandatory soft-story retrofit program for qualifying wood-frame buildings with ground-floor openings, requiring an engineer-stamped retrofit plan submitted through its own workflow.
Timeline: Program-specific review; engineering letter required upfront
Required any time the occupancy classification of a building changes. LADBS requires a separate Certificate of Occupancy inspection for changes of use even when work is part of a broader building permit.
Timeline: Varies; includes zoning clearance and final CofO inspection
Example Los Angeles permit number:
23016-10000-12345
Automatic status checks — SignedOff monitors LADBS for Los Angeles permits so you don't have to log in every week.
Email alerts before your Los Angeles permit expires or an inspection is scheduled, so you never miss a deadline.
Downloadable PDF reports with QR codes for easy Los Angeles job-site verification.
LA permits can take weeks to months depending on project complexity and plan check requirements.
LADBS requires a separate Certificate of Occupancy inspection for any change of use, even when the scope of work is already covered under an active building permit — meaning a single project can involve parallel inspection tracks that both need to clear before the space can be legally occupied.
Los Angeles has a dedicated mandatory soft-story retrofit program with its own fast-track queue, but applications require an engineer-stamped retrofit letter submitted upfront — starting the process without that letter in hand is one of the most common causes of rejection.
Projects inside Los Angeles specific plan areas or historic preservation overlay zones (HPOZ) require additional zoning clearance and design review before LADBS will issue a building permit, which can add weeks or months on top of normal plan check timelines.
LADBS residential permit timelines vary widely with project complexity — standalone trade permits can be issued same-day, while plan check for new construction or additions commonly runs several weeks to a few months, and projects inside specific plan areas or HPOZ zones take longer due to additional zoning review.
LADBS permit numbers use a 15-digit format split into three 5-digit groups such as 23016-10000-12345, where the first group is year-coded and the remaining groups identify the permit category and sequence.
LADBS permit status, inspection history, and plan check progress are available through the LADBS Online Services portal at ladbsservices2.lacity.org/OnlineServices, which covers building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and grading permits issued by the City of Los Angeles.
Yes if the occupancy classification is changing — LADBS requires a separate Certificate of Occupancy inspection for any change of use, even when the work is already covered under an active building permit, and the CofO must be cleared before the space is legally occupied.
Yes — LA's mandatory soft-story retrofit program has its own dedicated workflow at LADBS and requires an engineer-stamped retrofit letter upfront, which is a prerequisite to getting into the retrofit fast-track queue rather than the standard plan check line.
SignedOff also monitors building permits in these neighboring jurisdictions.
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