Appointments are currently available at the City Hall 2^nd 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 as an Express Permit. See Information Bulletin IB-058 Express Permit Service for a list of minor construction projects that qualify for this service.

If you qualify for this service, please click below to schedule an in-person appointment for Express Permit Service. 

This permitting option is limited to these minor projects: water heater changeouts; electrical panel changeouts; and, reroofing of single-family dwellings and duplexes. You can apply and pay for these projects through our Online Portal. 

The advantage of this process is that applicants can apply for and be automatically issued a permit in one step. Please note that this process is available outside of normal business hours as well. To get started, follow the instructions listed below:

1. Create a profile on the Online Portal.
2. Submit an application for one of the minor project types.  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, 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.

Our Internet Permitting Request 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.

On Tuesday, June 22, 2021 the scheduling of appointments will begin for in-person Over-the-Counter Plan Check Service for minor construction projects. The service will start on Monday, June 28, 2021 for these types of projects: minor additions or alterations to single-family dwellings; minor alterations to multi-family dwellings; and, 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 Over-the-Counter Plan Check Service for examples of minor construction projects that MAY QUALIFY for this service and the applicable agencies involved with the plan check process.

Appointment times will be 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, we are limiting the number of appointments scheduled per applicant to one (1) per day. For each appointment scheduled, we are limiting the number of projects that will be processed and reviewed to one(1) per visit.

If you qualify for this service, please click below to schedule an appointment on or after June 22, 2021:

For construction projects that do not qualify for the in-person Over-the-Counter Plan Check Service, application materials can be submitted as PDF files by email for regular plan check service.

To begin the plan submittal intake process, a completed consolidated permit application along with the construction documents (e.g., plans, calculations, reports, etc.) must be converted into PDF (less than 75MB) and emailed to DV-BuildingSafety@longbeach.gov. For relevant details and instructions on how to submit projects through the EOTC process, please go to Project Plan Submittal and Review Service.

For relevant details and instructions on how to prepare your construction documents and pertinent information that is required for plan check, please go to Plan Review Services.

City staff will be available to coordinate the pickups and will be adhering to social distancing guidelines. Masks are required.

Plans from other Departments will not get bundled together for pickup unless requested by the applicant.

LOCATION: Long Beach Civic Center Plaza, 411 W. Ocean Blvd. 

PICKUP STATION DAYS/TIMES: Appointments must be scheduled 24 hours in advance.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 562.570.7648 (PMIT) during business hours.

To check the status of your building permit, you may search the City’s Permit Status or contact the Development Permit Center at (562) 570-5237.

The Building and Safety Bureau works to safeguard public health, safety, and property through the plan check, permit, and inspection processes. To find out if a permit is needed for your building, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical project, go to the Do I need a permit? page or contact us at (562) 570 (5237). 

A permit is not required for any type of fence under four feet in height above grade pursuant to Section 18.04.020 of the Long Beach Municipal Code. Please note that even though a permit may not be required, all fences must comply with the requirements of the Long Beach zoning regulation. 

More information on constructing or installing fences and walls.

Building permit fees are calculated based on the valuation of a project. For information on how permit fees are accessed, refer to Section 18.06.010 of the Long Beach Municipal Code.
Development Services Fee Schedule.

A grading permit shall be obtained from the City’s Building Official for any grading work, except as specified in the following cases:

• Grading in an isolated, self-contained area, provided there is no danger to the public, and that such grading will not adversely affect adjoining properties.
• An excavation below finished grade for basements and footings of a building, retaining wall, or other structure authorized by a valid building permit.
• Cemetery graves.
• Refuse disposal sites controlled by other regulations.
• Excavation for wells or tunnels or utilities which do not provide vertical or lateral support for buildings, or adversely impact the safety or stability of private or public properties.
• Mining, quarrying, excavating, processing or stockpiling rock, sand, gravel, aggregate or clay controlled by other regulations, provided such operations do not affect the lateral support of, or significantly increase stresses in, soil on adjoining properties.
• Exploratory excavations performed under the direction of a registered design professional.
• An excavation which is less than two feet in depth, or does not create a cut slope greater than five feet in height and steeper than a 50% slope. This exception shall not apply to cut which exceeds 50 cubic yards or which changes the existing drainage pattern.
• A fill less than one foot in depth and placed on natural terrain with a slope flatter than 10%. This exception shall not apply when the fill exceeds 50 cubic yards or when the fill changes the existing drainage pattern.
• Excavation for caissons or piles under buildings or structures, swimming pools, or underground structures that are authorized by valid building permits.

A permit is valid for two years from the date issued, provided that any permit shall expire after 180 days from the the date of issuance if the work has not commenced, or when the City’s Building Official determines the work authorized by any permit has been suspended, discontinued or abandoned for a continuous period of 180 days.

Plan check applications expire 12 months after the plan check fees are paid, pursuant to Section 18.05.060 of the Long Beach Municipal Code.

A Plan Check Extension Form, can be filed to extend a permit application within 30 days of its expiration. Applicants must provide sufficient evidence that circumstances beyond their control prevented action to secure the permit within the allotted time and submit a filing fee of $241.55 in person at the Development Permit Center.

Financial hardship, contracting issues with design professionals or contractors, or seasonal weather conditions are typically not adequate reasons for the granting of an extension. 

To request copies of building permits for your property, you may search the City’s Building Permit Records, or contact the Development Permit Center at (562) 570-5237.

In a post-disaster situation, Building and Safety's Disaster Assessment staff is responsible for evaluating buildings and businesses for safety, serviceability, and occupancy.

Learn more about emergency preparedness.