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Services

LADBS presides over the permit, inspection, and code enforcement processes for construction in the City of Los Angeles.

Two construction workers in safety vests and hard hats survey the top, unfinished level of a building.
Construction-related inspections for residential and commercial buildings.
Two workers in vests and hard hats are holding up a notebook and speaking into a radio
Resources to assist with code compliance and community complaints.
A clerk pulling out documents from a filing cabinet.
Research records such as permits, site plans, and other related documents.
 An old-looking multistory building with classical architecture stands in a modern one-way street intersection.
Zoning determines the building regulations of a property.
A clerk explains a program or service to the customer sitting across from her.
LADBS offers special assistance for customers whose complex and large projects require services across multiple departments.

Not sure where to start?

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.

Smiling man marks the wall where his measuring tape is placed.
This guide can be helpful when undertaking a building project. This will provide a clear outline of the different stages of the process, making it easier to plan and budget accordingly.
Architect inspects her maquette (a small model of a building) as she holds it over her desk of blueprints.
This guide can be helpful when undertaking a building project. This will provide a clear outline of the different stages of the process, making it easier to plan and budget accordingly.
A client and contractor holding sheets of paper discuss plans.
This guide can be helpful when undertaking a building project. This will provide a clear outline of the different stages of the process, making it easier to plan and budget accordingly.
Woman in apron welcomes guests to her coffee shop.
This guide can be helpful when undertaking a building project. This will provide a clear outline of the different stages of the process, making it easier to plan and budget accordingly.

Specialized Services

Links to popular programs and services

The outside of a brick building repurposed as a cafe.
Adaptive Reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for.
A stack of steel I-beams.
Materials Control licenses fabricators and testing agencies to approve materials and assemblies for LADBS inspection Bureau.
A small, modest house sits in a peaceful backyard.
An Accessory Dwelling Unit is a small, separate living space on the same property as a single-family home. It can be attached to the main house or be a separate structure, like a converted garage or backyard cottage.
A new-looking multi-story apartment building.
We help fast-track affordable housing permits by simplifying and being flexible in the submission process.
A drone view of downtown Los Angeles in the sunrise, skyscrapers standing tall amid a sea of buildings.
The service is designed to give the public access to information in the possession of public agencies.
Old dusty pipes with peeling paint on which a red device with "local alarm" written on it is mounted.
The goal of the programs is to reduce structural deficiencies and improve the performance of buildings during earthquakes.
A sign hanging off a glass window of an establishment says, "Welcome."
Helps facilitate the approval process for all restaurants and other small businesses such as retail shops, barber shops, nail salons, etc.
A big, multi-story building under construction.
The Parallel Design-Permitting Process for major project developments allows the design process and the permitting process to run concurrently.
Three people point their pencils at something on a blueprint while discussing.
LADBS approves alternate building materials or products that meet or exceed code requirements.