Remodel Permits in Los Angeles: Who Issues Them and What Applies

Los Angeles doesn't have one permit office. The City of LA uses LADBS, while Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Calabasas, Malibu and other cities run their own building departments. Pick your community below.

Whether your bathroom remodel needs a permit, and which kind, depends on where you live and what changes. Here is how it works in Los Angeles. We confirm the exact path for your address before your estimate is final.

City of Los Angeles (LADBS)

• No structural changes: a residential bathroom remodel without structural changes is on LADBS's Express Permit list, so there is no plan check. Replacing plumbing fixtures and rewiring on existing circuits are on the list too.
• Walls or openings change: the online combined permit excludes changes to walls or openings. Those go to counter plan check with existing and proposed floor plans.
• Inspection: permitted work is inspected before walls are closed and at final.

Cities with their own building departments

Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City and Calabasas each issue their own permits, with their own rules and timelines. See your area page for local specifics.

California water-efficiency rules

• Homes built in 1994 or earlier: under SB 407 (Civil Code §1101.1 et seq.), a permitted remodel requires replacing non-compliant plumbing fixtures before final inspection. That means toilets over 1.6 gpf, showerheads over 2.5 gpm and faucets over 2.2 gpm.
• New fixtures must meet CALGreen maximums:
  • toilets: 1.28 gallons per flush;
  • showerheads: 1.8 gpm;
  • bathroom faucets: 1.2 gpm;
  • kitchen faucets: 1.8 gpm.

Your deposit is capped by law

For home improvement contracts in California, the down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less (Business & Professions Code §7159.5). Our contracts follow that rule.