Long Beach, California Building Permits
Learn Long Beach, California building permit rules, fees, timelines, zoning checks, plan requirements, and inspections before starting your project.
Wind
ASCE 7 basic wind speed is generally low to moderate for the Long Beach coastal basin; typical Risk Category II ultimate wind speeds are about 95–110 mph depending on exact site, exposure category, height, and current ASCE hazard data. Coastal exposure and rooftop equipment anchorage should be evaluated site specifically.
Snow Load
Minimal snow load. Long Beach is a low-elevation coastal city and ground snow load is typically treated as 0 psf unless a project-specific code analysis indicates otherwise.
Flood
Long Beach includes FEMA flood hazard areas along the coast, Alamitos Bay, the Los Angeles River, the San Gabriel River, port areas, and low-lying drainage corridors. Properties may fall in FEMA Zone X, shaded X, AE, AO, or coastal high-hazard VE zones. Floodplain projects may require elevation certificates, flood-resistant materials, lowest-floor elevation compliance, and additional review under the city floodplain management regulations.
Earthquake
Seismic Design Category is typically D for most structures because Long Beach is in a high-seismic region of Southern California near major active faults, including the Newport-Inglewood fault zone. Site class, liquefaction potential, and mapped seismic hazard zones should be checked for each parcel.
Wildfire
Most of Long Beach is urbanized and has relatively limited wildland-urban interface exposure compared with hillside California cities. However, projects near parks, open space, oil fields, or mapped fire hazard areas may require enhanced fire-resistive construction, vegetation management, Fire Department access, and compliance with California Building Code Chapter 7A if located in a designated fire hazard severity zone.
Building Department
City of Long Beach Community Development Department, Building and Safety Bureau
Approval Timeline
Simple online or over-the-counter permits may be issued the same day if the scope is eligible. Residential plan checks commonly take about 2–4 weeks for the first review, with additional time for corrections. Larger residential additions, ADUs, hillside/coastal work, and historic properties can take 4–8 weeks or more. Commercial tenant improvements often take 3–6 weeks for initial review, while restaurants, assembly occupancies, change-of-use projects, fire alarm/sprinkler work, and major commercial construction may take 6–12+ weeks depending on completeness and interdepartmental reviews.
Common Requirements
Typical submittals include a completed permit application, construction drawings, site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, structural plans, Title 24 energy forms, CALGreen checklists, structural calculations when applicable, truss calculations, soils/geotechnical reports when required, product approvals, contractor information, owner authorization, and a construction valuation. ADUs and additions usually require a full site plan showing lot coverage, setbacks, parking, utilities, drainage, and existing/proposed square footage. Commercial projects typically require accessibility plans, egress/life-safety plans, occupancy classification, fire-rated assembly details, mechanical/electrical/plumbing sheets, and sometimes fire department submittals.
Zoning Information
Long Beach zoning is primarily governed by the Long Beach zoning regulations, including residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, planned development, specific plan, overlay, and coastal zoning districts. Zoning review typically checks setbacks, height, lot coverage, floor area, parking, use permissions, design standards, ADU rules, nonconforming conditions, and coastal requirements. Properties near the waterfront or in the Coastal Zone may require Local Coastal Program review and, in some cases, a Coastal Development Permit. Historic landmarks and contributing structures in historic districts may require Cultural Heritage review before building permits are approved.
Permit Costs
Long Beach permit fees are generally based on project valuation, permit type, plan check fees, inspection fees, and any required development, school, fire, public works, or technology surcharges. Simple trade permits may commonly range from about $100–$500. Small residential repairs or re-roofs may run a few hundred to over $1,000 depending on valuation. Residential remodels, additions, and ADUs often range from roughly $1,000–$8,000+ in combined permit and plan check fees, with larger new homes higher. Commercial tenant improvements and new commercial buildings vary widely and may range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands, especially when fire, accessibility, utility, or impact fees apply.
Engineering Requirements
California-licensed engineer or architect stamps are typically required for structural alterations, additions with new foundations, lateral-force-resisting system changes, retaining walls over about 4 feet or supporting surcharge, non-prescriptive decks or balconies, soft-story/seismic work, commercial projects, unusual framing, long-span beams, roof-mounted equipment with structural impacts, and projects in areas with geotechnical concerns. Single-family work that fully follows the California Residential Code may not always need a stamp, but Long Beach plan check may require structural calculations or a licensed design professional when the design is outside prescriptive code limits.
Local Code Adoption
Long Beach enforces the California Building Standards Code, including the 2022 California Building Code and 2022 California Residential Code, based on the 2021 IBC and 2021 IRC, with California amendments and local municipal amendments. The 2022 code cycle became effective statewide on January 1, 2023.
Typical Projects
Common Long Beach permit projects include ADUs and garage conversions, coastal home remodels, kitchen and bath remodels, seismic retrofits, soft-story upgrades, duplex and multifamily renovations, restaurant tenant improvements, storefront changes, solar and battery systems, EV chargers, re-roofs, window replacements, patio covers, decks, and port/industrial tenant improvements.