The start of the plan review process being when a construction project is submitted to the City for plan review.  The construction documents are screened for completeness before it is assigned to one or more plan review staff to verify that the project meets the minimum requirements of the Codes. Comments, if any, may be issued by one or more plan review staff and returned to the applicants who submitted the project.  When comments are addressed or construction documents are revised, applicants must resubmit the project back to the plan review staff to continue or complete their reviews. Upon approval, the applicant would be informed by the plan review staff that they can schedule an in-person appointment to have their permit application issued and to pay for any outstanding fees. Please refer to the steps outlined below for additional information and instruction about the plan review process.

Depending on the scope of work proposed and the type of permit application being sought, plan review for all construction projects will fall into one of the two types of plan review services that the Bureau offers: Over-the-Counter (OTC) Plan Review or Submitted Plan Review.

The Development Permit Center offer applicants the convenience of an Over-the-Counter (OTC) Plan Review Service that may result in a more expeditious plan review and issuance of building and/or fire permits for minor construction projects.

The type of minor construction projects that qualify for the OTC Plan Review Service are minor additions or alterations to single-family dwellings, minor alterations to multi-family dwellings, minor tenant improvements or alterations to non-residential buildings with office or retail uses, or minor addition or alterations to fire sprinklers, alarms and/or hoods as determined by building or fire plan review staff. Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and/or Health plan reviews for minor construction projects, including projects located in the Port of Long Beach or projects associated with cannabis related uses, ARE NOT eligible for this service.

Please refer to Information Bulletin IB-002 Over-the-Counter Plan Review Service for Minor Projects for examples of minor construction projects that MAY QUALIFY for the service and the applicable agencies (Building, Planning and/or Fire) involved with the plan review. This service includes the recheck of minor construction projects.

1. In-Person appointments are available Monday - Friday, 8 am to 3 pm, excluding holidays, and on Wednesday from 9 am to 3 pm. In order to better serve our customers and reduce the wait time, we are limiting the number of appointments scheduled per customer to one per day. For each appointment scheduled, we are limiting the number of projects to one project per visit.
   
   
2. Please be informed that a separate submittal to the following agencies, departments or non-city entities MAY be required for projects that MAY need their reviews, approvals and/or permits. Please contact those agencies, departments and/or non-city entities separately regarding their submittal process.
   
   
   • Public Works Department
   • Water Department
   • Energy Resource Department
   • Southern California Edison
   • Park and Marine Department
   • Harbor Department
   •  Health and Human Services Department
     
     
3. When scheduling the in-person appointment, please provide the following information in the “Notes” field in Step 3 Contact Details (see figure below):
   • Address of the proposed construction project
   • Brief description of the proposed construction project
   • Indicate if this is a new review or a recheck
     
     
     
     
4. Please click on one of the two links below to schedule an In-Person appointment to request an over-the-counter Building or Fire plan review of your minor construction project.
   
   For Minor Building Plan Review/Recheck
   
   

   
   For Minor Fire Plan Review/Recheck

1. Please visit the Plan Review Requirement section on this webpage for the relevant details and instructions on how to prepare your construction documents and the pertinent information that MAY be required to be completed and/or provided during your In-Person appointment visit.
   
   
2. Complete, sign and bring the consolidated permit application as a DIGITAL PDF FILE ON A USB DEVICE to your appointment:
   • APP-001 Development Permit Application
     
     
3. Bring the following construction documents as a DIGITAL PDF FILE ON A USB DEVICE to your appointment:
   
   
   • Construction Plans
   • Technical Reports (e.g., geotechnical or energy reports, if applicable)
   • Structural Calculations (if applicable)
   • Other Relevant Information (if applicable)
     
     
4. One or more plan review staff will screen your project for completeness prior to formally accepting the submittal of your project.
   
   
5. Please be prepared to pay the required fees prior to concluding your appointment.

1. Follow the instructions in Step 1 to schedule another In-Person appointment to have your minor construction project recheck over-the-counter.
   
   
2. Follow the instructions in Step 2 regarding what to bring, if not previously provided, including the revised/updated construction documents and other requested information as a DIGITAL PDF FILE ON A USB DEVICE to your appointment.

1. Upon receiving confirmation of approval by all of the plan review staff assigned to your project, please schedule an In-Person appointment for Approved Plans Ready-To-Issue Permits service. Please refer to the Ready-To-Issue webpage for additional information and instruction.
   
   
2. Please be prepared to bring a USB DEVICE for staff to upload the DIGITAL APPROVED PDF FILE.
   
   
3. Please be prepared to pay the required fees prior to concluding your appointment.
   
   
4. To schedule an inspection on or after the issuance of your permit, please visit the Scheduled Building Inspection webpage for additional information and instruction.

The Development Permit Center is open for an in-person appointment for the submission of all type of construction projects that may require Building, Planning, Fire, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and/or Health plan reviews and approvals prior to the issuance of construction permits. An in-person appointment is available for Submitted Plan Review Service for construction projects that do not qualify for either the Express Permit Service or OTC Plan Review Service.

1. In-Person appointments are available Monday - Friday, 8 am to 3 pm, excluding holidays, and on Wednesday from 9 am to 3 pm. In order to better serve our customers and reduce the wait time, we are limiting the number of appointments scheduled per customer to one per day. For each appointment scheduled, we are limiting the number of projects to one project per visit.
   
   
2. Please be informed that a separate submittal to the following agencies, departments or non-city entities MAY be required for projects that MAY need their reviews, approvals and/or permits. Please contact those agencies, departments and/or non-city entities separately regarding their submittal process.
   
   
3. When scheduling the in-person appointment, please provide the following information in the “Notes” field in Step 3 Contact Details (see figure below):
   
   
   
   
4. Please click link below to schedule an In-Person appointment to submit your construction project.
   
   

5. If you have any questions, please contact our Permit Center staff at 562.570.PMIT (7648).

1. Please visit the Plan Review Requirement section on this webpage for the relevant details and instructions on how to prepare your construction documents and the pertinent information that MAY be required to be completed and/or provided during your In-Person appointment visit.
   
   
2. Complete, sign and bring the consolidated permit application as a DIGITAL PDF FILE ON A USB DEVICE to your appointment:
   
   • APP-001 Development Permit Application
     
     
3. Bring the following construction documents as a DIGITAL PDF FILE ON A USB DEVICE to your appointment:
   
   • Construction Plans
   • Technical Reports (e.g., geotechnical or energy reports, if applicable)
   • Structural Calculations (if applicable)
   • Other Relevant Information (if applicable)
4. One or more plan review staff will screen your project for completeness prior to formally accepting the submittal of your project.
   
   
5. Please be prepared to pay the required fees prior to concluding your appointment.

1. Upon completing the submittal process, your construction project is routed to one or more plan review staff. Projects are assigned and reviewed in the order that it was received.
   
   
2. When reviews are completed and there are comments, if any, each plan review staff will email you separate with a checklist of outstanding comments and the marked-up construction documents that will need to be addressed prior to granting their approval of your project.
   
   
3. For the few cases where construction documents are submitted and reviewed as hard copy, applicants can schedule an In-Person appointment to pick-up the marked-up hard copy plans. When scheduling your appointment, please complete the “Notes” field by including job address and project number.
   
   In-Person appointments are available Monday - Friday, 8 am to 3:30 pm, excluding holidays, and on Wednesday from 9 am to 3:30 pm.  Please click link below to schedule an in-person appointment.

4. Go to Step 4 for additional instruction to resubmit the project for rechecked after the construction documents are revised and/or updated.

5. Go to Step 5 for additional instruction if all staff has approved your project.

6. To check the current status of your project after it has been submitted or reviewed, please visit the Plan Review Status webpage.

7. For more information on our schedule for processing various types of requests, please visit the Building and Safety Bureau main webpage.

1. Applicants should email the revised/updated construction documents, other attachments, and written responses, when ready, to each of the plan review staff that reviewed the project.
   
   
2. When emailing staff, ensure the subject heading of the email reads “RESUBMITTAL” followed by the project address and project number (e.g., “RESUBMITTAL: 411 W OCEAN BLVD, BRMD123456”).
   
   
3. Alternatively, applicants can request a virtual meeting to go over the project with any of the plan review staff that reviewed the project.
   
   
4. For the few cases where construction documents are submitted and reviewed as hard copy, applicants can schedule an in-person appointment to drop-off resubmittals of hard copy plans.

5. Go to Step 3 to check the current status of your plan review.

6. Please contact the assigned plan review staff for additional information and instruction, if needed.

1. Upon receiving confirmation of approval by all of the plan review staff assigned to your project, please schedule an in-person appointment for Approved Plans Ready-To-Issue Permits service. Please refer to the Ready-To-Issue webpage for additional information and instruction.
   
   
2. Please be prepared to bring a USB DEVICE for staff to upload the DIGITAL APPROVED PDF FILE.
   
   
3. Please be prepared to pay the required fees prior to concluding your appointment.
   
   
4. To schedule an inspection on or after the issuance of your permit, please visit the Scheduled Building Inspection webpage for additional information and instruction.

The following are minimal information required to be included as part of a submitted construction document. This reflect the basic plans that are required to conduct a plan review for Building. For other plan check type (e.g., Fire, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Health, etc.) and related information to include on construction documents, refer to the Information Bulletins for additional plan submittal guidelines for each type of review group.

1. Minimum Size
• Plans must be at least 18 inches x 24 inches in size.
• Plans must be scaled to no less than 1/4 inch per foot.
• Plans must clearly indicate the location, nature, and extent of the work proposed.
• Plans must show in detail compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and codes.
  
  
2. Plot Plan
   Every permit application for a construction project must be accompanied by a plot plan, drawn to appropriate scale on a form provided by the Department. Please complete FORM-028 Plot Plan and include as part of the plan submittal. View a sample of a plot plan.
   
   
3. Site Plan
   A site plan shows the proposed or existing location of the building(s) and/or structure(s) and the proposed use(s) for a specific parcel of land(s) and adjoining use(s). View a sample of a site plan.
   
   Site plan must contain the following specifications:

• Lot lines and dimensions
• Location of existing and proposed buildings properly dimensioned from property lines
• Location of buildings and number of stories on adjoining lots
• Uses of adjoining lots
• All parking and loading facilities showing dimensions of stalls, access, circulation, docks, ramps, curb cuts, and fences
• Locations of all trash containers
• All existing and proposed easements
• All setback lines, properly dimensioned
• All contiguous and adjacent properties, street, and alleys, showing centerline and both curb lines, street widths, right-of-way lines, and street names
• Lot size, lot coverage, building area (by floor), and total floor area to lot size ratio
• Must be to scale with north arrow

4. Floor Plan
   A floor plan is a diagram that shows general layout of the building, space(s) or room(s), including the use of each space(s) or room(s). It must include but not limited to the following: proposed and existing walls, partitions, doors, windows, and utility related fixtures or equipment. View a sample of a floor plan.
   
   
5. Roof Plan
   A roof plan is a drawing that depicts the roof pitch, roofing material, drainage pattern, eave overhang, and gutters, as appropriate.
   
   
6. Elevation Plan
   An elevation plan is a drawing showing the exterior sides of a building or structure to reflect the exterior wall finish, finish floor elevations, plate heights, adjacent grade elevations, dimensioned from the roof peak to ground, and generally includes all sides of the building or structure, as appropriate. View a sample of an elevation.
   
   
7. Landscape Plan
   A Landscape Plan consists of two parts:
   • Planting plan: Shows the species, sizes, and locations of all plants
   • Irrigation plan: Shows the layout of the sprinkler system and includes the sizes of pipes and spacing of sprinkler heads.
     
     
8. Foundation Plan
   A foundation plan is a drawing that depicts the proposed or existing continuous and pad footings, the size and location of anchor bolts and hold downs, and other relevant structural information to show the support of the building or structure.
   
   
9. Framing Plan
   A framing plan is a drawing that depicts the size and spacing of proposed or existing roof rafters, ceiling joists, floor joists, beams, columns, shear walls and other relevant structural information to show how roof and floors are supported to resist gravity and lateral loads.
   
   
10. Cross Section Plan
    A cross section plan is a drawing that depicts the interior elevation of a building or structure, reflecting the full height and width of the building or structure, and cross reference information related to the framing, roofing and foundation details.
    
    
11. Schedules 
    A plan that provide specification of the size and type of all doors, windows, roof and floor diaphragms, shear walls, and other pertinent equipment, hardware or devices to be installed.
    
    
12. Details
    A detail plan is a drawing that depicts all the construction details of how something is connected or assembled, cross-references where details are used throughout the floor, framing, foundation and/or cross section on the plans.
    
    
13. General Notes and Material Specifications
    A plan that provides all the pertinent notes and material specifications.

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Relevant Information Bulletins

For other permit application type (e.g. Fire, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechancial, Health, etc.), refer to the information bulletins noted below for additional information.  Please visit the Information Bulletins webpage for a more comprehensive list of bulletins for additional guidelines or other relevant information. 

1. • IB-045 Plan Submittal Guideline for One- and Two-Family Dwellings
   • IB-010 Wood Frame Prescriptive Provisions for Residential Construction
   • IB-015 Plan Submittal Guideline for Electrical Projects
   • IB-057 Plan Submittal Guideline for Plumbing Projects
   • IB-013 When a Registered Design Professional is Required

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Relevant Plan Review Checklists

The following standard plan review checklists noted below provides a list of typical requirements for various types of projects. Please visit the Forms and Applications webpage for a more comprehensive list of standard plan review checklist for additional guidelines or other relevant information.

• • Plan Review - Commercial Plan Review Checklist
  • Plan Review - Commercial Accessibility Checklist
  • Plan Review - Electrical Checklist
  • Plan Review - Fire Checklist - Group A
  • Plan Review - Fire Checklist - Group B
  • Plan Review - Fire Checklist - Group M
  • Plan Review - Mechanical Checklist
  • Plan Review - Multi-Family Checklist
  • Plan Review - One- and Two-Family Checklist
  • Plan Review - Plumbing Checklist
  • Plan Review - Residential Accessibility Checklist
  • Plan Review - Structural Design General Checklist

The following additional information or technical documents that may be required in order to show compliance with the Codes or to substantiate a design or analysis includes, but not limited, to the following:

1. Title 24 Energy
   This document should be provided to reflect a prescriptive compliance or performance calculations by a registered design professional along with CF-1R and MF1-R forms.
   
   
2. Title 24 Accessibility
   The State’s accessibility requirements should be reflected on the construction documents (e.g., site plan, floor plans, elevations, construction details, etc.) as applicable.
   
   
3. Structural Calculations
   This document should be provided to reflect the design, analysis and calculation of a building’s or structure’s vertical and lateral systems by a licensed and registered design professional.
   
   
4. Soil/Geotechnical Reports
   This document should be provided to reflect the condition of the soil in supporting the weight of buildings or structures and the recommendations of a licensed and registered geotechnical engineer.
   
   
5. Stormwater Management Program
   The NPDES, SUSMP and LID requirements should be reflected on the construction documents (e.g., civil, landscape, and/or grading plans), as applicable.

Plan review applications are valid for one year (12 months) from the date of application for permit pursuant to Section 18.05.060 of the Long Beach Municipal Code.

EXCEPTION: The Building Official MAY consider granting one or more extensions of time for additional periods not exceeding one hundred eighty (180) days each. Sufficient evidence should be provided to explain the circumstance beyond the applicant’s control that prevented action to secure the permit within the allotted time. Financial hardship, contracting issues with design professionals or contractors, or seasonal weather conditions alone are typically not adequate reasons for the granting of an extension.  Requests should be made at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the plan review application. The extension shall be requested on FORM-002 Plan Review Extension Request and submitted to the Bureau along with a filing fee.

To check the current status of your project, please visit the Plan Review Status webpage.

Any changes or revisions, either prior to permit issuance or during construction, to the approved plans should be approved by the plan review staff that approved the project. Depending on the nature and scope of the change or revision, it can be reviewed as an In-Person appointment Over-The-Counter, by email, or resubmitted for further review with an additional plan review fee. Please contact the plan review staff responsible for your project to determine how the changes or revisions should be handled and for any additional information or instruction.

The assessment of additional plan review fees depends on whether further plan review is required and if it is due to changes to the plans prior to or after the construction documents are approved.

Further Plan Review of Construction Documents Prior to Approval:
When construction documents that HAVE NOT been approved are changed or revised to address plan review comments made by the Department’s plan review staff, additional plan review fees ARE NOT assessed.  However, when construction documents that have not been approved and revised by the applicants for reasons other than plan review comments, the applicant MAY be required to pay additional plan review fee due to the need for further plan review.

Further Plan Review of Construction Documents After Approval:
When construction documents that HAVE been approved are changed or revised before or after permit issuance, additional plan review fees WILL BE assessed due to the need for further plan review. However, when extremely simple/minor changes or revisions, as determined by the plan review staff, are made that does not warrant any further plan review, the additional plan review fees MAY be waived.

Unlicensed individuals such as, but not limited to, homeowners, contractors, etc. are permitted to prepare construction documents (e.g., plans) for the renovation or expansion of 1-story single-family dwellings that are in compliance with the Department’s Wood Frame Prescriptive Provisions for Residential Construction. For more information, please refer to Information Bulletin BU-010 Wood Frame Prescriptive Provisions for Residential Construction. However, any work beyond the scope of the Information Bulletin BU-010 will require a licensed professional to prepare construction documents.

Generally, all construction documents (e.g., plans, specifications, technical documents, etc.) submitted for permit applications are required to be signed, stamped and prepared by a registered design professional (e.g., Professional Engineers, Registered Architects, etc.) licensed in the State of California except as allowed pursuant to the California Business and Professions Code Sections 5537, 5538, 6737, and 6745.  For more information on when a registered design professional is required, please refer to Information Bulletin IB-013 Policy on When a Registered Design Professional is Required.

In most cases, they are not. A mechanical or electrical engineer would be practicing outside of their area of expertise and beyond the scope of work authorized by their license. Generally, a registered architect or a professional engineer such as a civil or structural engineer would be the appropriate registered design professional to perform this scope of work and service.

An exception is permitted for scope of work related to the renovation or expansion of 1-story single-family dwellings that are in compliance with the Department’s Wood Frame Prescriptive Provisions for Residential Construction. For more information, please refer to Information Bulletin BU-010 Wood Frame Prescriptive Provisions for Residential Construction.

In-Person appointments are available Monday - Friday, 8 am to 3:30 pm, excluding holidays, and on Wednesday from 9 amto 3:30 pm. In order to better serve our customers and reduce the wait time, we are limiting the appointments scheduled per customer to one per day. For each appointment scheduled, we are limiting the service time to 30 minutes per visit.

When scheduling the In-Person appointment, please provide the following information in the “Notes” field in Step 3 Contact Details (see figure below):

• Address of the proposed construction project, if applicable
• Brief description of the proposed construction project, if applicable
• List the type of building code questions you may be asking, if applicable

Please click link below to schedule an In-Person appointment to get your building code questions answered.


If you have any questions, please contact our Permit Center staff at 562.570.PMIT (7648).

In-Person appointments are available Monday - Friday, 8 am to 3:30 pm, excluding holidays, and on Wednesday from 9 am to 3:30 pm. In order to better serve our customers and reduce the wait time, we are limiting the appointments scheduled per customer to one per day. For each appointment scheduled, we are limiting the service time to 30 minutes per visit.

When scheduling the In-Person appointment, please provide the following information in the “Notes” field in Step 3 Contact Details (see figure below):

• Address of the proposed construction project, if applicable
• Brief description of the proposed construction project, if applicable
• List the type of fire code questions you may be asking, if applicable

Please click link below to schedule an In-Person appointment to get your fire code questions answered.

If you have any questions, please contact our Permit Center staff at 562.570.PMIT (7648).

For other frequently asked code questions, please visit the FAQ webpage for a comprehensive list of other code questions.