Development Services

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City Hall, 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 2nd Fl.
Long Beach, CA 90802
562.570.PMIT (7648)

Hours of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Permit Center is closed each day from noon to 1 p.m.

No pets allowed. Service animals are welcome.

Open for all your Building Permit Needs! 

Upon arrival, walk-in customers will be prescreened by a permit technician to determine if the project qualifies as a walk-in. Given staff and scheduling constraints, wait times for walk-ins may vary and, in some cases, customers may be asked to return to the Permit Center later the same day. To learn more, please call 562.570.PMIT (7648).

No pets allowed. Service animals are welcome. 
Per the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the City of Long Beach welcomes the ADA-qualified service animals that are individually trained to do specific work or perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support are not qualified as service animals under the ADA.

The Permit Center is open to serve more customers in-person by appointment for a variety of services such as submitting permit-related documents, requesting plan reviews, pulling building permits and finding resources for construction projects of all types, sizes and complexities. To review detailed information about services offered and the different types of project permits, how to apply for them, and to book an appointment, click the scheduling button below.




Applications and materials will be accepted as DIGITAL PDF FILES ON A USB DEVICE (memory stick).

Please note that we are limiting the number of appointments per customer to one per day. For each appointment, a limit of either one or two projects may be processed based on the service per visit.

PERMIT SERVICES

Our goal at the Permit Center is to make your visit or inquiry as seamless and productive as possible. Before starting the application submittal process, please learn about the different projects that qualify for each type of permit process:

IN-PERSON: 
For projects that do not need a plan review. These types of minor projects include window changeouts, HVAC addition and relocations, and alteration, repair, and replacement of electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems. See full list here: Bulletin IB-058 Express Permit Service

Appointments are currently available at the City Hall 2nd Floor Permit Center on Monday - Friday, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Please note that for each scheduled appointment, a limit of two (2) projects will be processed. Your project must qualify for an Express Permit process.






ONLINE:
The advantage of this process is that applicants can be issued a permit in one step. Please note that this process is available outside of normal business hours as well.
  1. Create a profile on the online portal.
  2. Submit an application for one of the three (3) specific project types: water heater changeouts, electrical panel changeouts, and reroofing of single-family dwellings and duplexes.  Please note that owners or contractor’s agents will need to attach a letter of authorization or a completed FORM-006 Owner/Builder/Contractor Permit Proxy.
  3. Once the application is approved by Building & Safety staff, payment can be made online using a credit/debit card or electronic check. Your permit will be issued automatically, and a receipt with a copy of the permit will be sent to you via email.
IN-PERSON: For select projects requiring in-person plan reviews, which include one-story residential additions, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and relocation of 50 or less fire sprinkler heads. See the detailed information immediately below.

For select projects requiring in-person plan reviews, including one-story residential additions, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and relocation of 50 or less fire sprinkler heads. See full list in Bulletin IB-002. 

The types of construction projects that qualify for this service are minor additions or alterations to single-family dwellings, minor alterations to multi-family dwellings, minor tenant improvements or alterations to nonresidential buildings with office or retail uses, or minor addition or alterations to fire sprinklers, alarms and/or hoods as determined by Plan Check staff. Please refer to Information Bulletin IB-002 for examples of construction projects that may qualify for this service and the applicable agencies involved with the plan review.

Appointments for these types of permits are available Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding holidays, and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  In order to better serve our customers, for each appointment scheduled we are limiting the number of projects that will be processed and reviewed to one (1) per visit. Please click below to book an in-person appointment.






For construction projects that do not qualify as Express Permits or Over-The-Counter Plan Review Permits, plans are required to be submitted for plan review. These must be submitted In-Person. For more information on how to submit, please visit the Plan Review Service webpage and review the Submitted Plan Review section.
Our online permitting service option is available only to registered licensed California contractors who have a pre-authorized Personal Identification Number (PIN) and frequently perform minor or simple construction projects in Long Beach. Please visit the following link for a list of projects that qualify for this service.

Contractors who are registered with this service can apply for necessary permits online. Once you submit your permit application online, within 1-3 business days an electronic invoice is sent from Development Services regarding the amount of permit fees due to complete the permit issuance process.  Upon fee payment, a confirmation email will be sent to you that includes the permit receipt.

If you do not have a pre-authorized PIN and would like to request one online, visit INTERNET PERMITTING REQUESTS APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS.

PROCESSING TIMES FOR CONTRUCTION PROJECTS

Processing times for plan submittal intake up through inspection request for construction projects will vary depending on the project type, size, and complexity. On average, the overall processing times may take 2 to 4 months for most construction projects.

The flowchart below will help you estimate the timeline for construction projects by adding up the processing times for each step of the process that applies to your project. Does not apply to Express Permits, which are processed same-day.

PLAN REVIEW STATUS, PERMIT STATUS, RECORDS REQUESTS & INSPECTIONS

To learn more about the status of your current permit application/plan review or to find out more about your property records/history, visit our special status webpage at:

Have your permit(s) and now need to schedule a building inspection? You can quickly and easily schedule one with the City of Long Beach by using the page link below. 



COUNTER SERVICES

The following are brief descriptions of the various services and counter stations provided at the Permit Center:

  • INFORMATION: This is your first stop when you visit our Permit Center. Here, the customer service need is determined, and you will be directed to the appropriate service counter for further assistance. For more information on our counter services call 562.570.PMIT (7648). You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

  • BUILDING: Permits and plans for all building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical construction on private property are issued and processed at this counter. For more information on building services call 562.570.PMIT (7648).

  • BUSINESS LICENSE: This station accepts applications for business licenses and various regulatory permits required by the Long Beach Municipal Code. Visit the City's Business License page for additional information.  For all inquiries or information, email LBBIZ@longbeach.gov or call 562.570.6211.

  • CASHIER: You can pay your fees at this station. For more information, on how to pay your fees call 562.570.PAID (7243).

  • CODE ENFORCEMENT: The Code Enforcement Bureau responds to a variety of complaints of violations, including substandard buildings, property maintenance, inoperative vehicles, weed abatement, and land use violations. For more information, please call 562.570.CODE (2633).

  • FIRE: This counter processes plan reviews for specific types of building permits, and also plan review for fire code related construction permits. For more information call 562.570.6208.

  • HEALTH: The Long Beach Health and Human Services Department, Bureau of Environmental Health is located at 2525 Grand Ave. They are responsible for reviewing food facility, public pool, and cannabis construction and/or operation plans. Also, they educate operators of health and safety regulations as they pertain to their businesses. In addition, they issue Health permits to facilities regulated under federal, state, and municipal laws. For more information, please contact Bureau of Environmental Health at 562.570.4132 or longbeach.gov/EH. 

  • PLANNING: This station provides information regarding regulations governing how a property can be used as well as the minimum zoning standards for development are supplied. For more information, please call 562.570.6194 or visit Planning Bureau for more information.

  • PUBLIC WORKS/UTILITIES: This station issues permits for road excavations, curb installations, and other construction within the public right-­of-way. This station also provides information on water, sewer, and gas line locations. Sewer connection permits are also issued at this counter. For more information on Public Works Services call 562.570.6784 or visit the Long Beach Public Works Department.

NEW OMBUDSPERSON SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE!

The Development Services Department’s new Ombudsperson is here to help our customers through the permitting process and bring resolution to concerns or complaints that may arise on individual projects. The Ombudsperson is also available to mediate service issues and facilitate process improvements for customers and staff. To learn more, please visit: longbeach.gov/OMBD.

411 West Ocean Blvd., 3rd Floor

Long Beach, CA 90802

562.570.LBDS (5237)

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