Beverly Hills Building Permits Guide for Homeowners

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

Beverly Hills runs permits through the Building & Safety Division of the Community Development Department, with a Permit Center that offers both in-person and online plan review, and most permit work is paid for and tracked in the city’s CitySmart portal. This guide explains what needs a permit in Beverly Hills, how long plan check applications and permits stay valid, how inspections are scheduled, and how permit history affects a sale.

Beverly Hills updates forms, hours and fees, so confirm current details with the division before you start work.

Beverly Hills permits at a glance

Department	Building & Safety Division, Community Development Department, City of Beverly Hills
Main phone	(310) 285-1000
Mailing address for payments	City of Beverly Hills, CDD, 455 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Walk-in hours	Monday through Thursday, 8 to 10 a.m., or by appointment
Plan check application validity	545 calendar days (18 months) from payment of the plan check fee
Permit validity	One year (365 days) from issuance, extended 180 days after the last successful inspection
Inspection scheduling	Up to ten days in advance; a limited number of next-day slots open at 9 a.m. each weekday
Approved construction hours	Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; none on holidays

What the Building & Safety Division does

The city’s Building & Safety page describes a Permit Center that offers in-person and online plan review and permitting for numerous development-related permits, along with a Permit Center guide. Permit records, payments and many inspections run through CitySmart, the portal where you can access and pay for Planning, Building and Safety, Public Works, Fire Department and special event permits.

Fees vary with project valuation, meaning the size, scope, labor and materials of the work. General contractors also pay a Contractor’s Business Tax Registration fee of 0.2125 percent of project valuation. The city says fees can be paid by credit card in person or through CitySmart up to $99,999.99, by check at the counter or by mail, or by wire transfer.

What needs a permit in Beverly Hills

The city’s FAQ cites Section 9-1-107 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code: no building, structure or building service equipment may be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, installed, improved, removed, converted or demolished without a separate, appropriate application and permit, and no grading may occur without a grading permit.

The page lists many specific permit types, including demolition, electrical, mechanical, roofing, solar photovoltaic, seismic retrofit, fire sprinkler and fire alarm, electric vehicle charging, tree removal, synthetic turf, water efficient landscaping, excavation and sewer lateral, driveway approach and public right-of-way use.

Because roofing, electrical and mechanical work are all on the list, a Beverly Hills house with decades of upgrades may have several permits on file, or several that were never pulled.

Step by step: a Beverly Hills permit

1. Confirm what you need

Call Community Development at (310) 285-1000 or visit during walk-in hours, and ask whether your project needs Planning, Public Works or Fire approval in addition to a building permit.

2. Prepare and submit plans

Use the Permit Center guide and the residential submittal requirements the city publishes. Plan review is offered in person and online, so ask which route fits your project.

3. Plan check

A plan check application stays valid for 545 calendar days from the date you pay the plan check fee, and a permit must be issued within that window.

4. Pay fees and pull the permit

Fees depend on project valuation. The amount that applies to your job is the one the division quotes at submittal.

5. Build and request inspections

After downloading approved plans, you can call the assigned inspector directly about inspection questions or to set an appointment.

Inspections and permit expiration

The city says inspections may be scheduled up to ten days in advance, and a limited number of next-day inspections open each weekday beginning at 9 a.m. Private property inspections can be scheduled or canceled in CitySmart, and construction documents for inspections go to the building inspector at fieldreports@beverlyhills.org. Public Works pre-construction meetings must be scheduled at least five business days before the planned start date.

A building permit is valid for one year from issuance. The expiration date is extended by an additional 180 days after the date of the last successful inspection, so steady progress keeps a permit alive.

Approved construction hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and construction is not authorized on holidays. A lapsed permit is a common problem on a house about to be listed, so ask the division where yours stands.

Permits and selling a Beverly Hills house

Buyers and lenders ask about permit history, and California sellers generally disclose known unpermitted work on the Transfer Disclosure Statement. Our statewide guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work explains what disclosure involves, and the seller closing costs guide shows what else to budget. If tenants live in the home, read the tenant-occupied home sale guide.

When a Beverly Hills home has an open permit, an expired one, or work done without a permit, you generally have three options: finish and finalize the permit before listing, disclose the work and negotiate on the open market, or sell as-is to a cash buyer who takes the house in its current condition. Use this checklist:

• Ask the city’s building division for the permit record on your address.
• List every addition, garage conversion, enclosed patio or outbuilding, and note which have permits.
• Gather final inspection records, plans and contractor invoices.
• Ask what plans, fees and inspections it would take to permit each unpermitted item.
• Compare that cost and time with a no-repairs cash sale. New construction can also be reassessed for property tax, which our Prop 13 guide explains.

Questions to ask the Beverly Hills building division before you start

• Does my project need Planning or Engineering approval in addition to a building permit?
• Is there an exemption that applies, and what conditions come with it?
• What plan-check deposit and fees apply, and how long will review take right now?
• What inspections will be required, and in what order?
• Can an existing unpermitted structure be legalized, and what would that involve?

Common permit mistakes homeowners make

The most common problems are starting work before the permit is issued, letting a permit expire, skipping a required inspection, and assuming a contractor pulled a permit when none exists. Each one can surface years later when a buyer’s agent, appraiser or lender asks for records.

A lapsed or never-finalized permit is easier to resolve while you still own the home and can answer questions from the city. If you are not planning to stay, decide early whether finishing the permit or selling the house as it stands makes more sense.

If you hired a contractor, ask for a copy of the permit and the final inspection record and keep them with your closing documents. A finaled permit is the clearest evidence that the work was inspected. Our capital gains guide also explains how improvement costs may matter when you sell.

How to sell a house in Beverly Hills

1. Ask the Building & Safety Division for the permit record on your address.
2. Collect permits, final inspection records and any city notices.
3. Request a no-obligation cash offer for the house as it stands.
4. Choose your closing date.
5. Close with no repairs, permit cleanup or showings required.

See also our Beverly Hills page, the Beverly Hills as-is sale page, the Beverly Hills cash offer process and the Los Angeles County hub.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I get a building permit in Beverly Hills?

Through the Building & Safety Division of Community Development. The Permit Center offers in-person and online plan review, and permits are paid for and tracked in the CitySmart portal. The main number is (310) 285-1000.

How long is a Beverly Hills plan check application valid?

545 calendar days (18 months) from payment of the plan check fee, per the city’s FAQ.

How long is a Beverly Hills building permit valid?

One year from issuance. The expiration date is extended 180 days after the last successful inspection.

How do I schedule an inspection in Beverly Hills?

Inspections can be scheduled up to ten days ahead, and limited next-day slots open at 9 a.m. each weekday. Private property inspections can be scheduled in CitySmart.

What are the approved construction hours?

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Construction is not authorized on holidays.

Can I sell my Beverly Hills house with unpermitted work?

Yes. You can disclose it and sell as-is, including to a cash buyer. Our statewide guide explains the disclosure rules.

More guides

• We Buy Houses in Beverly Hills
• We Buy Houses in Los Angeles County
• Los Angeles County Property Tax Guide
• Beverly Hills Code Enforcement Guide
• Beverly Hills Zoning and ADU Guide
• Sell a Beverly Hills House As-Is
• Beverly Hills Cash Offer Process
• Sell My Beverly Hills House Fast
• All California Guides

Sources

• City of Beverly Hills: Building & Safety
• City of Beverly Hills: Building & Safety FAQs
• City of Beverly Hills: Guidelines, Permits, & Plan Check

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