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Permits in Long Beach: What Needs One, What the Zoning Adds, How the Process Runs

Checked against the city's pages: October 2026 By Dana Castellano 14 min read

Photo by Arthur Reeder on Unsplash

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In brief

A project in Long Beach can meet three separate layers: the building permit, which exempts minor work such as a shed to 120 square feet, a fence to 6 feet 6 inches and re-roofing to 100 square feet in 12 months; the zoning rules, which apply even when the building permit is exempt; and the coastal zone and 18 historic districts, which add their own approvals. Work done without a permit is priced at 100 percent of the permit fee, never less than $482, as of October 2026.

  • Building permit: most construction, alteration, replacement and repair work in dwellings needs one, and every exemption carries the condition that the work does not violate the zoning regulations16.
  • Zoning: a fence up to 6 ft 6 in needs no building permit, but a residential front-yard fence is limited to 3 ft, and “In all cases” Planning approves location, height and material2.
  • Constraint checks: any exterior change in a historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness “even if a building permit is not required”; development in the Coastal Zone needs a coastal permit or an exclusion37.
  • Process: three in-person routes (express, over-the-counter, submitted plan review) and an online route; the city publishes no plan-check turnaround, and a permit expires on the 90th day without work or an inspection896.
  • Owner-builder: an owner may pull a permit by signing one of three declarations under the city’s bulletin IB-02910.

The city’s permit rules sit in at least four places: the Permit Center’s “Do I need a permit?” page, the municipal code’s building chapter, the Planning Bureau’s zoning rules, and two overlay programs for the coastal zone and historic districts. Each answers a different question, and a project can pass one and fail another. This page puts the questions in the order a property owner meets them, gives the one-line answer to each with its source, and sends you to the article that holds the detail.

The city’s Master Fee and Charges Schedule changed on October 1, 2026: the page states that updates approved by City Council on “Sept. 8, 2026” take effect that day11. Every fee on this page is from a schedule marked effective October 1, 2026, and is described as of October 2026. This is not legal advice, and the Building Official decides each case.

The short answer

If you are… Do this
Building a shed, fence, retaining wall or deck Check the exemption thresholds first, then the zoning height and setback rules, because the exemption does not cover zoning12. See What Needs a Building Permit in Long Beach and Fences and Walls in Long Beach
Remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, or replacing windows Use the express route, which needs no plan submission; replacement windows and replacing sinks, toilets or dishwashers are not on the exempt list81. See How a Long Beach Building Permit Runs
Adding a room or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) An addition goes to submitted plan review; ADUs are listed for over-the-counter review; in the Coastal Zone an ADU application needs an administrative coastal permit, $1,984 base as of October 20268312. See ADUs in Long Beach
Changing what a space is used for Treat it as a certificate of occupancy question, which the business section covers: Certificate of Occupancy and Change of Use in Long Beach
Holding work that was done without a permit The code requires a special investigation before a permit is issued, and the fee schedule adds a penalty of 100 percent of the permit fee, never less than $48265. See Unpermitted Work in Long Beach
Working in the Coastal Zone or a historic district Check the address on the city’s maps first: the Coastal Zone needs a coastal permit or an exclusion, and a district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes37. See the coastal zone and historic districts
Decision tree from project type to route in Long Beach: minor work such as a shed or fence needs no building permit but still meets zoning; a replacement or minor remodel goes the express route unless it is in the Coastal Zone or a historic district; an addition goes to plan review; work already done without a permit draws a special investigation and a penalty fee.
The route a Long Beach project takes, by project type, with fees as of October 2026.

What is exempt from a building permit

A shed to 120 square feet, a fence to 6 feet 6 inches and re-roofing to 100 square feet in 12 months need no building permit on the city’s current page.1

The city’s wording is that most construction work in dwellings requires permits, and that listed minor installations “may be exempt”, as determined by the Building Official1. The list covers a shed or playhouse up to 120 square feet and 8 feet high with no plumbing, electrical or mechanical work, a fence up to 6 feet 6 inches, a retaining wall or planter up to 4 feet, and a deck or driveway up to 30 inches above grade1. Patio covers, gazebos, replacement windows, and replacing sinks, toilets or dishwashers are not exempt1.

The municipal code carries its own exemptions, including work valued at $750 or less that does not touch life safety, structure or an accessible route6. Every exemption is conditional: the work must not violate the zoning regulations, and historic districts and the coastal zone add requirements16.

Official pages disagree The city’s current “Do I need a permit?” page gives 120 square feet for a shed and 100 square feet for re-roofing; the city’s older permit FAQ prints 64 square feet and 500 square feet113. The pages do not say which governs, and the page’s own framing leaves the decision to the Building Official1.

The full list, with the differences between the pages, is in What Needs a Building Permit in Long Beach. Smaller jobs that fall between exempt and express are planned in Re-Roofs, Water Heaters and Small Jobs in Long Beach, and the pool and deck rules in Pools, Spas and Decks in Long Beach.

The zoning layer

A building-permit exemption never settles the zoning rules for the same structure, and Planning’s review of a fence’s location, height and material is required “in all cases”.2

The clearest example is the fence. Building and Safety exempts a fence up to 6 feet 6 inches, yet the city’s fence bulletin limits a residential front-yard fence to 3 feet, other yard areas to 6 feet 6 inches, the corner cut-off to 3 feet, and a fence abutting nonresidential property, an alley or a major arterial to 8 feet2. A fence height exception costs a base fee of $1,177 as of October 2026, before the city’s 12 percent surcharge12. The detail by yard is in Fences and Walls in Long Beach.

The zoning layer also decides the larger questions: whether a second unit, a garage conversion or a lot split is allowed on a given lot. The city publishes its zoning, coastal zone and historic district layers on its Zoning and Land Use maps14. How to read them is planned in Reading the Long Beach Zoning Map, and the three housing routes in ADUs in Long Beach, Converting a Garage in Long Beach and SB 9 in Long Beach. For a business tenant the same check comes before the lease; see The Zoning Check Before You Sign a Long Beach Lease.

The constraint checks: coastal zone, historic district, permit history

Three checks sit outside the building permit counter’s own checklist. Each can be made from the address alone, before any money is spent.

Check What it adds Fee as of October 2026
Coastal Zone A local coastal development permit (LCDP) or a coastal permit categorical exclusion (CPCE), issued before work starts and in addition to any building permit3 CPCE $302 base, $338.24 with the city’s 12 percent surcharge; LCDP $2,675 base with another Planning permit, $5,812 alone12
Historic district A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for exterior changes, “even if a building permit is not required”7 Paint and re-roof COAs carry no fee; a minor COA for windows and doors on a single-family house starts at $697 base in the fee year that begins October 1, 2026712
Permit history A record of what was permitted and finaled at the address, which shows what the city has on file for the address15 No fee stated on the city’s lookup page15

Source:12 for every fee in the table.

Is the property in the Coastal Zone?

The Coastal Zone covers “over 3,100 acres, stretching from the Los Angeles River to the San Gabriel River”, and any development inside it needs a coastal permit or an exclusion.3

The city divides the zone into three areas: green, where the city decides; yellow, where the city decides and appeals go to the city and the Coastal Commission; and red, where the Coastal Commission decides directly3. Any application that includes an ADU needs an administrative LCDP, $1,984 base as of October 2026, with no hearing312. The city’s pages publish no processing time for either coastal approval3. See Is My Property in the Long Beach Coastal Zone?.

Is the property in a historic district?

Long Beach has 18 city-designated historic districts, designated between 1982 (Bluff Park) and 2019 (Grant Neighborhood), and the city also counts over 150 historic landmarks.416

A COA covers windows and doors, repairs and additions, repainting, re-roofing and solar; interior work and ordinary maintenance with no exterior change do not need historic review7. Major projects, such as a second story or an addition over 250 square feet, go to the Cultural Heritage Commission, which meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m.717. The Mills Act application window for 2026 has closed, and the next opens in early January 202718. See Is My Property in a Long Beach Historic District? and the planned Mills Act in Long Beach.

What does the permit history show?

The city’s Permit Status / Records page holds three tools: plan review status by project number, permit status and history by address, and archived construction records.15

The history lists the project number, project description and inspection final dates15. Architecturally drawn plans are not online; they can be viewed, not copied, at the Permit Center15. The city warns that “NOT ALL street addresses or permit statuses are available” in the search19. Construction documents that were not microfilmed “are discarded 1 year after the completion of the work”20. A record that cannot be found online can be requested through a Public Records Act request15. See How to Look Up a Long Beach Property’s Permit History.

Where to check Start with the city’s Zoning and Land Use maps, which carry the zoning, Coastal Zone and Historic District layers, and the separate Historic Districts & Landmarks map147. Permit history and plan status are on the Permit Status / Records page15. The Permit Center is at 411 West Ocean Boulevard, 2nd floor8. A combined address check is planned in Check a Long Beach Address.

The process: express, online, plan check, inspections, expiry

A building permit runs one of three in-person routes (express, over-the-counter plan review, submitted plan review) or an online route, and the city publishes no plan-check turnaround.89

The Permit Center describes express as “Plan submission not required: window replacements, bathroom repairs, kitchen remodels and more”; over-the-counter review covers accessory dwelling units, residential patios and minor storefront alterations; submitted plan review covers new construction, additions and alterations821. Online, one- and two-family homes can have solar, storage and EV charging, water heaters, panel changeouts, re-roofs and minor repairs issued in one step, including outside business hours22.

On timing the city says only: “Project reviews will be assigned in the order they are received. Processing times will vary depending on the number of projects currently ahead”9. A plan review application is valid for one year23.

Fee Amount as of October 2026
Building permit fee, valuation up to $1,000 $116
Building permit fee, valuation $2,001 to $20,000 $149 plus $16 per $1,000
Processing fee $119 per application

Source:5.

Inspections are scheduled online only, and the inspection cost “is included in the permit fee”2420. A permit expires on the 90th day if work has not started or been inspected, and again after 90 days without an inspection6. The sequence, step by step, is in How a Long Beach Building Permit Runs. Solar and EV charger permits have their own planned page, Solar and EV Charger Permits in Long Beach.

Owner-builder

An owner can pull a permit by signing one of three declarations under the city’s bulletin IB-029, and the city verifies workers’ compensation coverage or a signed exemption before it issues any permit.10

The first declaration is that no improvement is “intended or offered for sale” and the owner or the owner’s wage employees do the work. The second is that the owner contracts directly with licensed contractors for the trades. The third is a homeowner declaration for a principal residence before sale, with 12 months of residence and use “only twice in three years”10. A contractor needs a state license and an active City of Long Beach business license10. The Contractors State License Board states that “It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project which requires a building permit, or employee labor is used or the project is valued at $1,000, or more”25. See Pulling Your Own Permit in Long Beach and the planned Checking a Contractor Before You Hire in Long Beach.

Unpermitted work

When work starts without a permit, the code requires “a special investigation” before a permit may be issued, and the fee schedule prices the penalty at 100 percent of the permit fee, never less than $482.65

The investigation fee is charged “whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued” and may be waived for emergency work6. Code Enforcement can also cite the property, with fines not exceeding $100, then $200, then $500 for successive violations within a year and “$1,000 for illegal garage conversions”26. The city’s permit and enforcement pages set out no separate legalization application and no processing time; the Permit Center is the contact89. See Unpermitted Work in Long Beach and the planned Long Beach Code Enforcement.

Guides in this section

Written guides, in the order a project meets them:

Planned guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to build a fence in Long Beach?

Not a building permit for a fence up to 6 feet 6 inches on the city’s current page, but Planning still approves location, height and material, and a residential front-yard fence is limited to 3 feet12.

What projects do not need a building permit in Long Beach?

The city lists a shed to 120 square feet, a retaining wall to 4 feet, a deck to 30 inches above grade and re-roofing to 100 square feet in 12 months as work that “may be exempt”, as determined by the Building Official1.

Does a replacement window need a permit?

Yes. The city’s page lists replacement windows, along with patio covers, gazebos and replacing sinks, toilets or dishwashers, as not exempt1.

How long does Long Beach take to review a building permit?

The city publishes no processing time; reviews are assigned in the order received and times “will vary depending on the number of projects currently ahead”9.

How do I find out whether my address is in the Coastal Zone or a historic district?

Use the city’s Zoning and Land Use maps, which carry both layers, or the separate Coastal Zone and Historic Districts & Landmarks maps3147.

What happens if I built something without a permit?

The code requires a special investigation before a permit is issued, and the fee schedule adds a penalty of 100 percent of the permit fee, never less than $482, as of October 202665.

Can a homeowner pull their own building permit?

Yes, by signing one of the three owner declarations in IB-029; the city also verifies workers’ compensation coverage or a signed exemption10.

Sources

  1. Permit Exemptions: Do I Need a Permit? — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  2. Information Bulletin BU-041: Fence and Garden Wall (rev. 05-29-2018) — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  3. Coastal Planning — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  4. Historic Districts — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  5. Building Permit & Plan Review Fees, effective October 1, 2026 — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  6. Long Beach Building Standards Code, Title 18 (2023 compilation, sections 18.04.020, 18.04.060 and 18.06.070) — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  7. Certificate of Appropriateness — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  8. Permit Center — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  9. Project Review Status — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  10. Information Bulletin IB-029: Eligibility to Obtain a Construction Permit (rev. 07-27-2026) — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  11. Fee Schedule Information for October 1, 2026 — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  12. Planning Bureau Fee Schedule, effective October 1, 2026 — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  13. Permit Frequently Asked Questions — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  14. Zoning and Land Use Maps — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  15. Permit Status / Records — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  16. Historic Landmarks — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  17. Cultural Heritage Commission — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  18. Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  19. Permit Status Inquiry / Permit History — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  20. Inspection Frequently Asked Questions — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  21. Information Bulletin IB-058: Express Permits (rev. 07-9-2025) — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  22. Online Permits — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  23. Plan Review Service — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  24. Building Inspections — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  25. What Is Illegal Contractor Activity? — Contractors State License Board. Accessed 2026-10-01.
  26. Code Enforcement Fines — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-01.