Remodeling Permits in Los Angeles
What needs a permit, who issues it, how long it takes, and what happens if you skip it. Written by the team that pulls these permits for our clients.
The Short Answer
Do I Need a Permit?
Usually no permit
- Painting and wallpaper
- Replacing flooring with a similar material
- New cabinets in the same layout
- New countertops at the same size, with the sink and cooktop staying put
- Tile and backsplash work
Permit required
- Moving or adding a sink, toilet, shower or gas line
- Adding electrical circuits or moving outlets and lighting
- Removing, moving or opening up a wall
- Any structural work, including beams and foundations
- New or enlarged windows and doors
- Replacing a water heater or re-roofing
- Room additions, ADUs and garage conversions
Who Issues It
Your Address Decides the Office
If your home is inside the City of Los Angeles, including Woodland Hills, Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks and Venice, permits go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). The city's ZIMAS map shows whether an address is inside city limits.
Cities such as Calabasas, Santa Monica, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and Thousand Oaks run their own building departments, each with its own forms and fees. Unincorporated areas, like Marina del Rey, go through Los Angeles County or Ventura County. We confirm the right office for your address before anything is drawn.
- Cosmetic work
- No permit needed
- Simple kitchen or bath
- In Los Angeles, often an express permit issued without plan check
- Walls or structure
- Plans and a plan check review
- Additions and ADUs
- Usually one to three months in plan check
- ADU deadline
- State law: a decision within 60 days of a complete application
How It Works
The Permit Process, Step by Step
Plans
Drawings of the work. Anything structural is engineered and stamped by the licensed engineer we work with.
Plan Check
The city reviews the plans and sends corrections. We answer them until the permit is approved.
Inspections
Inspectors check the work in stages, such as framing, plumbing and electrical, before the walls are closed.
Final Sign-Off
A final inspection closes the permit, giving you a clean record for insurance and for the day you sell.
Why It Matters
What Skipping a Permit Can Cost
California sellers must disclose known unpermitted work, and buyers often ask for a lower price or walk away. Lenders may refuse to finance a home with unpermitted additions, and insurers can deny claims tied to work that was never inspected.
If the city finds the work, it can require you to open walls for inspection, permit it after the fact, or remove it. Paying for a permit up front almost always costs less.
What ARKO handles
- Confirming which office covers your address
- Plans, with engineering where needed
- Filing the application under our license
- Answering every plan-check correction
- HOA drawings and approvals
- Scheduling and passing each inspection
Questions
Permit FAQ
Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Los Angeles?
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel?
How long does an ADU permit take in California?
What happens if I remodel without a permit?
Who pulls the permit, me or my contractor?
General guidance for Los Angeles and Ventura County homeowners, not legal advice. Rules differ by city and change over time, so we confirm the exact requirements for your address during your free consultation.
Not sure what your project needs?
Free on-site consultation. We'll tell you exactly which permits apply.