Overview
LADBS handles permitting, inspections and code enforcement inside the City of Los Angeles. Los Angeles County and neighboring cities are different authorities. The City contractor guide starts with zoning and documents, then distinguishes eligible Express projects from plan checks.
Authority
LADBS — City of Los Angeles, not County
Application route
Express for eligible scopes; plan check for others
Trades
Select a trade for its permit path, licensing, code resources, fees and filing pitfalls.
Circuits, panels and electrical equipment
LADBSApplicable Code
Use the current Los Angeles electrical requirements and relevant LADBS correction sheets.
License Requirement
CSLB C-10 electrical or another authorized license scope; owner-builder declarations do not exempt code or inspection requirements.
License Fee
CSLB application and license schedule
CEUs
Verify the specific state credential’s renewal requirements
Permit Fee
Offered December 2016 worksheet: first 10 general-use 120V branch circuits $17 each; $55/$90 minimum rules, issuance charge and 3%/6% surcharges apply. Verify today’s assessment.
Plan Review Time
Express applies only to listed eligible installations; other electrical work needs plan review.
Common Pitfalls
- Circuit unit charges are not the total invoice; apply the worksheet minimum and surcharges.
- Building approval does not substitute for the required electrical permit and inspection.
Permit-to-closeout workflow
Check zoning
Identify City jurisdiction, permitted use and site restrictions
Choose review
Check Express eligibility; otherwise prepare plan-check documents
Coordinate trades
Separate electrical, plumbing, HVAC and sprinkler scopes
Pay and issue
Use the calculator and assessed invoice, not a dated example alone
Inspect stages
Record approved partial inspections on the project job card
Complete finals
Clear corrections and required occupancy approvals
Permit fees and worked estimates
The current City fee page still offers electrical worksheets revised December 2016 and plumbing/HVAC/sprinkler worksheets dated July 2017. The following is a historical worksheet benchmark, not a current 2026 estimate or verified tariff. Verify the City calculator and actual invoice before budgeting.
| Trade | Permit fee | License fee |
|---|---|---|
| Circuits, panels and electrical equipment | Offered December 2016 worksheet: first 10 general-use 120V branch circuits $17 each; $55/$90 minimum rules, issuance charge and 3%/6% surcharges apply. Verify today’s assessment. | CSLB application and license schedule |
| Fixtures, repiping and water heaters | Offered July 2017 worksheet: new fixtures $23 each, replacements $10 each, water heater/vent $28; minimum, issuing fee and 3%/6% surcharges apply. Not certified as the current 2026 tariff. | CSLB plumbing classification schedule |
| HVAC, ventilation and equipment | Offered July 2017 worksheet lists an AC compressor up to 25 HP at $24 and a gas furnace at $19 before $55/$90 minimums, issuance and 3%/6% surcharges. Confirm current charges. | CSLB specialty classification schedule |
| Sprinklers and life-safety systems | Offered July 2017 sprinkler worksheet: 1–10 new/relocated heads $64; replacement-only 1–10 heads $28; minimums and issuance apply. These are dated components, not a complete current invoice. | CSLB classification and separate City system requirements |
| Building, alteration and project coordination | Use LADBS’s official calculator for building valuation and plan review; the fixture example below covers only the dated plumbing worksheet. | CSLB building classification schedule |
Submission checklist
Homeowner and contractor responsibilities
Use LADBS’s homeowner guidance and owner-builder documents when doing your own project. Hiring and signing as owner-builder are different responsibilities. Check the CSLB classification of each hired contractor and obtain required professional drawings when the project needs them.
Codes and amendments
Use current LADBS forms, information bulletins and correction sheets for the discipline and submission date. Some offered documents carry older revision dates. A fee worksheet dated 2017 does not establish the project’s construction-code edition.
Inspections and closeout
The contractor guide records inspections on Building Card B-8. Arrange required partial inspections, keep approved documents ready and correct deficiencies before covering work. Obtain the required final inspections and occupancy approval rather than treating the paid permit as project completion.