Los Angeles Building Permits for Home Projects

Rules for the most common home projects in Los Angeles, California, checked against the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)'s own pages, with live permit counts from the city's open data.

30,768permits in 12 months (tracked projects)
2project types with verified rules
HVACmost common tracked project

Do You Need a Permit? Project by Project

Los Angeles Roofing Permits

Yes14,845 in 12 mo

LADBS issues re-roofs as Express Permits with no plan check, for Class A or B coverings under 6 lb/sq ft.

Los Angeles HVAC Permits

Yes15,923 in 12 mo

Replacing an A/C unit with one of the same size and type, and gas furnaces under 500,000 Btu/h, are on the LADBS Express Permit list: you still need a mechanical permit, but no plan check..

Permit Activity in Los Angeles

1864 Nov 2319 Dec 2348 Jan 2151 Feb 2684 Mar 2508 Apr 2323 May 2532 Jun 2827 Jul 2942 Aug 3431 Sep 2619 Oct
Tracked home project permits issued per month in Los Angeles. Lighter bar = current month to date.

Projects We Have Not Verified Yet

We track permit data for solar, fence, deck work in Los Angeles but have not yet verified the official rule (or there were fewer than 10 permits), so we do not publish a page for it.

Los Angeles Permit Guides

Los Angeles Contractors: Get Weekly Permit Lists

Contractors: get new permits for your trade and city every Monday. Join the waitlist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issues building permits in Los Angeles?

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

Which home projects need a permit in Los Angeles?

Roofing: yes; HVAC: yes. Each project page explains the exact rule and links the official source.

How many home improvement permits does Los Angeles issue?

Across the 2 project types we track, Los Angeles issued about 30,768 permits in the last 12 months. HVAC was the most common, with 15,923.

Written and maintained by the Home Permit Guide Editorial TeamPlaceholder profile

Reviewed by: named reviewer to be added · Last updated

This is a placeholder editorial profile. A named reviewer with verifiable experience will be added here. Until then, every rule on this page links to the official government source it was checked against. Read our editorial policy.

Sources

Official sources checked on . Rules change; confirm with the department before you start work.

  1. LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2020-003: Express Permits (dbs.lacity.gov)
  2. LADBS Cool Roof Fact Sheet and FAQ (ladbs.org)

Permit data: LADBS Building Permits Issued 2020–Present, refreshed October 30, 2026.