The City of Long Beach Building Standards Code was first enacted in 1923 by the passage of Ordinance No. C-206. The 1928 Uniform Building Code published by the International Conference of Building Officials was the first model code adopted by the City in 1930 with the passage of Ordinance No. C-927. In 1990, the City began adopting the latest edition of the California Building Code commencing with the passage of Ordinance No. C-6681. The 2006 International Building Code published by the International Code Council became the latest model code to be used by the State and was first locally adopted under Ordinance No. ORD-07-0062.

The California Building Standards Code is published in its entirety every three years, with supplements published in intervening years. The California legislature delegated authority to various State agencies, boards, commissions, and departments to create building regulations to implement the state's statutes. These building standards have the same force of law and take effect 180 days after publication unless otherwise stipulated.

There are a number of local amendments that address concerns of a local nature. The amendments consist of structural, green building standards, fire and life safety, plumbing, and administrative provisions. Most of the proposed amendments are a continuation of previously adopted amendments from prior code adoption cycles. These amendments are consistent with those adopted by other jurisdictions in the Southern California area as part of the Los Angeles Regional Uniform Code Program. These amendments are adopted to protect the community from the hazards of future earthquakes, to prevent fire-related hazards, and to require sustainable construction practices that support the Sustainable City Action Plan.

View specific sections of the City’s Building Standards Code and other helpful resources at the links found below.