Los Angeles Building Permits Guide for Homeowners and Sellers

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team. Information comes from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS); sources are listed at the end.

Building permits for homes inside the City of Los Angeles come from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, known as LADBS. It also keeps the permit and records search you can use to see what work has been permitted at an address, which is the quickest way to find out whether past work on a house was done with a permit before you sell it.

Los Angeles building permits at a glance

Who issues building permits in Los Angeles?

Inside the City of Los Angeles, LADBS issues building permits. Homes in other cities within Los Angeles County, and in unincorporated county areas, are handled by those cities or by the county, not by LADBS. A “Los Angeles” mailing address does not always mean the home is in the City of Los Angeles, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply or search records.

How do I get a building permit in Los Angeles?

LADBS runs two online systems. Simple construction projects that do not need a plan review go through PermitLA; LADBS lists these as express permit projects. Everything else, including projects that need a plan check, goes through ePlanLA. LADBS Development Services Centers handle in-person help.

1. Confirm the jurisdiction. City of Los Angeles or another city or county area.
2. Check whether the work is eligible for an express permit. LADBS publishes its Express Permit Eligibility list.
3. Apply in PermitLA or ePlanLA and pay fees online.
4. Schedule inspections and make sure the permit receives its final sign-off.

How do I look up the permit history on a Los Angeles house?

Use LADBS’s Permit & Records Information Search Module, called PRISM, to search permits and records by address. Read the history for three things: permits that were opened and never finalized, work you know was done that has no permit, and permits with a completed final inspection. A permit without a final is an open permit, and it is the one buyers and their lenders ask about.

What happens to permit problems when you sell a Los Angeles house?

LADBS responds to complaints about possible code violations, including construction done without permits. If a violation is on record, LADBS says the current property owner is responsible for complying with the order, even if previous owners or tenants did the unpermitted work. That means a problem you did not create can still become yours at closing, and buyers know it.

In California, sellers generally have to disclose known problems on the transfer disclosure statement, including work known to have been done without a permit.

On a traditional listing the usual choices are to finish the open permit, apply for a permit after the fact, cut the price, or let the buyer take on the problem.

LADBS also has a streamlined process for permitting an unpermitted dwelling unit as an ADU or junior ADU under state law AB 2533, which may be worth a look if the house has a converted garage or back unit.

How to sell a house in Los Angeles with unpermitted work or open permits

1. Pull the permit history first in PRISM, so you know what the city shows.
2. Write down what you know: who did the work, when, and whether you have receipts or plans.
3. Compare your options: fix it, sell with a price credit, or sell as-is to a cash buyer who prices the risk in.
4. Disclose honestly. A cash offer does not change what you must disclose, but it removes the repair and inspection steps that cause delays.

We buy Los Angeles houses as they are, with no permit clean-up, repairs or showings. See how we buy houses in Los Angeles. If the house has been cited, read our Los Angeles code enforcement guide, and for tax questions see the Los Angeles County property tax guide.

Not sure what your permit history means for a sale? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. There is no cost and no obligation.

Choosing the right LADBS path

LADBS splits permit work into tracks, and knowing which one a past project used helps you read the record. Simple projects that need no plan review go through PermitLA, the express permit track. Anything else, including work that needs a plan check, goes through ePlanLA.

In person, the Development Services Centers handle counter service. Fees for permits, inspections and records can be paid online through LADBS.

When a seller says work was permitted, ask which track it used and whether the permit shows a final inspection, because an express permit that was never finalized looks the same as any other open permit to a buyer’s lender.

Reading a PRISM record

LADBS’s Permit and Records Information Search Module (PRISM) lets you look up permit history by address. Look for three things. First, permits with no final or certificate of occupancy sign-off.

Second, work you know was done, such as a room addition, new electrical service or a water heater replacement, that has no matching permit. Third, permits that were issued long ago and never closed.

A permit opened by a previous owner is now your problem to close or disclose, so run the search before you list rather than after an offer.

Why Los Angeles sellers run into permit trouble

A large share of Los Angeles housing is older, and decades of garage conversions, enclosed porches and added bathrooms were built without permits. Many of those were never flagged until a sale. If you inherited the house, ask the family whether work was done and who did it, and check the record before assuming the house matches what the city has on file.

Your three paths at sale

• Close the permit. Ask LADBS what inspections or corrections are required, then schedule them. This is the cleanest option but takes time and money.
• Sell with a credit. List with the issue disclosed and give the buyer a price adjustment to handle it.
• Sell as-is for cash. A cash buyer takes the house as it stands and prices the cost of legalizing or removing the work.

Our California guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work explains how disclosure works for each route, and the Los Angeles code enforcement guide covers what happens if LADBS has already issued an order.

Los Angeles building permits FAQ

Can I sell a house in Los Angeles with an open permit?

Yes. An open permit does not legally stop a sale, but it can slow a traditional one because buyers and lenders ask for it to be finalized. A cash buyer can purchase the house with the permit still open.

Where can I look up permits for a Los Angeles address?

LADBS provides the Permit & Records Information Search Module (PRISM) for searching permits and records by address.

What is the difference between PermitLA and ePlanLA?

LADBS says PermitLA is for simple construction projects that do not need a plan review, and ePlanLA is for all other permits, including projects that need a plan check.

Who is responsible for unpermitted work done by a previous owner?

LADBS says the current property owner is responsible for complying with an order, even if previous owners or tenants did the unpermitted work.

How do I sell a house in Los Angeles with unpermitted additions?

Disclose the work, then choose between permitting it, discounting the price, or selling as-is to a cash buyer who accounts for the risk in the offer.

What is the difference between PermitLA and ePlanLA?

LADBS lists PermitLA for simple projects that need no plan review and ePlanLA for everything else, including projects that need a plan check.

How do I see permits on a Los Angeles address?

Use LADBS’s Permit and Records Information Search Module (PRISM) and look for permits without a final sign-off.

Sources

• LADBS: Home Page
• LADBS: Code Enforcement Complaints & Compliance
• LADBS: Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules change; confirm requirements with LADBS.