Belmont Shore Homeowner Guide: Coastal Zone, Permits and ADUs

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Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.

Belmont Shore is part of the City of Long Beach and sits in the city’s Coastal Zone, where development projects face a different set of approval criteria and a Local Coastal Development Permit can be required before a building permit. This guide explains who regulates Belmont Shore properties, how the Coastal Zone changes remodels and ADUs, how Long Beach handles permits and code enforcement, and what to check before you sell. Confirm your address with Long Beach Planning before you act.

Belmont Shore at a glance

Jurisdiction	City of Long Beach, Community Development Department
Coastal Zone	Belmont Shore is described as Area D in the city’s Local Coastal Program; the city says projects in the Coastal Zone have different approval criteria
ADU rules	Long Beach applies state ADU law directly while a local ordinance is in development
Zoning questions	Planning Bureau, 562.570.6194
Building permits	Permit Center, 411 West Ocean Blvd. (562.570.PMIT); Building and Safety Bureau 562.570.7648
Code enforcement	Code Enforcement Bureau, 562.570.CODE (2633)

What makes Belmont Shore different

Belmont Shore is a beach neighborhood within Long Beach, not a separate town. Its shape came from the 1920s and 1930s, and its coastline was reworked after a 1939 tropical storm damaged the shoreline badly enough that the Works Progress Administration built a retaining wall of roughly 1,900 feet along Ocean Boulevard.

The city’s Local Coastal Program describes Belmont Shore as an intensely developed residential area with a special beach community atmosphere, a shopping district that draws a lot of walk-in and bike-in trade, and ocean and bay beaches that make traffic and parking a constant issue.

For an owner, that means tight lots, older cottages and duplexes, and rules that put extra weight on parking, height and coastal access.

The Coastal Zone and what it means for remodels

The city’s mapping page says development projects in the Coastal Zone have a different set of approval criteria than other projects.

In Long Beach’s code, a Local Coastal Development Permit is required for projects that need additional discretionary review, such as a Site Plan Review, and some projects sit in an area where the city’s decision can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission.

The city also says properties in the Coastal Zone need an administrative, no-hearing Local Coastal Development Permit before submitting a building permit application for an ADU. Whether a given remodel needs that step depends on the project and the parcel, so ask Planning early.

Confirm the parcel is in the Coastal Zone. Check the city’s Coastal Zone map layer or call the Planning Bureau at 562.570.6194.
Ask what review your project needs. A small repair may need none, while an addition or a unit may need a Local Coastal Development Permit.
Get the coastal approval first. It comes before the building permit application.
Apply at the Permit Center. Bring the application and plans to 411 West Ocean Blvd., or contact the Building and Safety Bureau at 562.570.7648.

If a past owner built something in Belmont Shore without the coastal approval, the paperwork may have a gap even when a building permit exists. Ask whether the work was approved at the time.

ADUs, junior ADUs and garages

Long Beach says it applies state ADU law directly because a local ordinance is still in development. A junior ADU may be no more than 500 square feet and must be created from existing space in a single-family home or an existing attached garage.

The city also runs a Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit program, and lists SB 9 units and urban lot splits as related programs. Because Belmont Shore lots are small and parking is tight, check how parking rules apply to your lot before planning a unit, and remember the coastal approval step. Our Long Beach zoning and ADU guide covers the citywide rules.

Building permits

Building permits come from the Permit Center. Bring the permit application and a complete set of plans, saved as a PDF on a USB drive, according to the city’s ADU page, and contact the Building and Safety Bureau about fees, plan submittals and permit records.

Before you list, look for permits opened and never finalized, work you know was done without a permit and additions that do not match the original plans. Our Long Beach building permits guide explains how to check the record.

Code enforcement

Long Beach’s Code Enforcement Bureau investigates non-compliant buildings, enforces zoning and land use regulations and responds to reports of abandoned vehicles. The Permit Center’s Code Enforcement counter takes complaints about substandard buildings, property maintenance, inoperative vehicles, weed abatement and land use violations.

If you get a notice, read it for the deadline and call 562.570.CODE (2633). The Bureau works with the Board of Examiners, Appeals and Condemnation. Our Long Beach code enforcement guide explains what to expect.

Selling in Belmont Shore

Buyers here care about condition, parking and coastal-zone status, and lenders care whether additions and units were permitted. California sellers generally must disclose known problems, including work known to have been done without a permit.

A cash buyer can purchase a Belmont Shore house with an open permit, a missing coastal approval or deferred repairs and price those facts into the offer.

See our statewide guides on selling as-is with unpermitted work and seller closing costs, and the tenant-occupied home sale guide if the property is rented.

How to sell a house in Belmont Shore

Ask Planning whether the parcel is in the Coastal Zone and whether any past project needed a Local Coastal Development Permit.
Collect permits, plans and final inspection records for every addition and unit.
Ask the Code Enforcement Bureau whether any case is open.
Compare the cost and time of fixing paperwork gaps with selling as-is.
Request a no-obligation cash offer, choose your closing date and close with no repairs or showings required.

More local pages: We Buy Houses in Belmont Shore, Long Beach and the Los Angeles County hub.

Own a Belmont Shore home with open permits or coastal paperwork gaps? Sell as-is for cash.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Belmont Shore in the Coastal Zone?

The city’s Local Coastal Program describes Belmont Shore as an area within its coastal planning, and the city says projects in the Coastal Zone have different approval criteria. Confirm your parcel with the Planning Bureau at 562.570.6194.

Do I need a Coastal Development Permit for an ADU in Belmont Shore?

The city says properties in the Coastal Zone must obtain an administrative Local Coastal Development Permit before submitting a building permit application for an ADU.

Does Long Beach have its own ADU ordinance?

The city says it applies state ADU law directly while a local ordinance is in development.

How big can a junior ADU be in Long Beach?

No more than 500 square feet, created from existing space in a single-family home or an existing attached garage.

Who handles code complaints in Belmont Shore?

The Code Enforcement Bureau of the Long Beach Community Development Department, reachable at 562.570.CODE (2633).

Can I sell a Belmont Shore house with unpermitted work?

Yes. You can disclose the work and sell as-is, including to a cash buyer.

More guides

Sources

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, fees and hours with the city.