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Building
Permits
(Los Angeles Municipal Code
Section 91.106)
The
following information has been summarized from the Los Angeles
Municipal Code to make it easier to understand the intent
of the code.
A
permit is required to build, construct, remodel, repair, demolish,
remove or move any building or structure (including garages,
patios, fences, accessory buildings, car ports,.., etc).
A
permit is also required for any sandblasting, liquid washing,
compressed air cleaning or steam cleaning of exterior surfaces
of any building or structure.
A
separate permit is required for each separate building or
structure except that a group of temporary structures erected
on one site for a limited period of time may be included on
one permit.
The
building permit does not cover any grading, plumbing, electrical,
HVAC, fire sprinkler, pressure vessel, or elevator work that
needs to be performed on the building or the site. A separate
permit shall be obtained for each of those items.
Examples
of work that requires a permit: roofing, stucco, window and
door change-out, drywall replacement, installation of security
bars, fire damage repairs, chimney repairs, and anchor bolting/bracing
foundation.
Building
Permit Not Required:
A building permit is not required for the following (however,
please be advised that all work must still comply with the
requirements of the City of Los Angeles Zoning Code):
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1.
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Where
the work is valued at $300 or less, unless it affects
the structural stability of the house, or public safety,
or is done to change the occupancy. The value of the work
is the industry standard cost of material and labor for
the type of work being performed. |
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2.
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Flag
poles and towers not erected upon a building and not more
than 15 feet high. Radio and television antennae towers
which do not exceed 45 feet in height or light standards
which do not exceed 30 feet in height. |
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3.
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Construction
sheds, construction trailers and sidewalk protection canopies
built pursuant to Chapter 33 of the 1999 Los Angeles Building
Code. |
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4.
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Painting,
papering, carpeting and similar work. |
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5.
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Sandblasting,
liquid washing, compressed air cleaning, and steam cleaning
of houses outside of Fire Districts Nos. 1 and 2 and those
exterior surfaces of houses which are located more than
20 feet from pedestrian walkways in dedicated streets.
To find out in which fire district you property is located,
please contact our Customer
Call Center. |
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6.
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Platforms,
walks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade
and not over any basement or story below. |
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7.
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Exhibits,
booths, partitions and display counters for temporary
use not exceeding 30 days in conjunction with an exhibit
or show and not exceeding 12 feet in height above the
floor. |
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8.
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Outdoor
tents or cloth structures for temporary use not exceeding
30 days and not exceeding 12 feet in any dimension, provided
such tents are accessory to an indoor or outdoor assembly
use on the site. |
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9.
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Swimming,
bathing and wading pools not exceeding 24 inches in depth
or having a surface area not exceeding 250 square feet. |
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10.
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Canopies
or awnings located outside of Fire Districts Nos. 1 and
2 extending not more than 4 feet from the exterior wall
of the house. To find out which in fire district you property
is located, please contact our Customer
Call Center. |
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11.
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Impact
glazing pursuant to Section 2406.7 of the 1999 Los Angeles
Building Code. |
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12.
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Work
performed by certified licensed contractors in accordance
with Section 108.12.1
of Los Angeles Building Code. |
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13.
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Any
work performed on buildings or structures owned by the
United States of America, by the State of California,
or Los Angeles County. |
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14.
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Masonry
or concrete fences not over 3 ½ feet high, and
other fences not over 10 feet high. |
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15.
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Tanks
for storage of combustible liquids, if resting upon the
surface of the ground and surrounded by an impounding
basin conforming to the requirements of Article 7, Chapter
V, of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (Fire Code). |
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16.
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Waterproof
painting of joints in masonry or veneer, also cleaning
with detergents which are not injurious to clothing or
skin of persons and are not removed by liquid washing,
provided work is done from safely enclosed scaffolding
which will collect any dust, debris or dropped tools and
materials in use. |
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17.
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Cases,
counters and partitions, not over 5 feet 9 inches high. |
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The
following items do not require a Building Permit and are not
within the scope of the Building Code (Section 91.0101.5):
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1.
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A
building accessory to a dwelling and not located in Fire
District No. 1 or 2, provided the building is not more
than 64 square feet in area or 8 feet in height and does
not contain any heating, plumbing or electrical installation,
and is located as permitted by the Los Angeles Zoning
Code. |
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2.
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Oil
derricks. |
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3.
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Towers
or poles supporting public utility communication lines,
antennas, or power transmission lines. |
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4.
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Retaining
walls which are not over 4 feet in height, measured from
the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless
supporting a surcharge or sloping earth, or impounding
flammable liquids. This exemption shall not apply to retaining
walls of any height built on slopes steeper than I unit
vertical in 5 units horizontal (20% slope). |
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5.
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Water
tanks supported directly upon grade if the capacity does
not exceed 5,000 gallons and the ratio of the height to
diameter or width does not exceed 2 to 1. |
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6.
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Motion
picture sets when not supported by any portion of any
building. |
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7.
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Pergolas
and lath houses, both of which shall be outside of any
fire district, not over 400 square feet in area, and not
supported by or attached to any portion of any building. |
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8.
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Work
in a public way, dams and drainage structures constructed
by or under contract with the Board of Public Works, the
Department of Water and Power, and the County Flood Control
District, unless the structure forms a portion of the
support for a building or a structure coming within the
jurisdiction of the Department of Building and Safety. |
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9.
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Portable
amusement devices and structures, including merry-gorounds,
ferris wheels, rotating conveyances, slides, similar devices,
and portable accessory structures whose use is necessary
for the operation of such amusement devices and structures;
any portable accessory structure included in the provisions
of this section shall be limited to a cover or roof over
each device, but shall not include any storage building
or detached structure which is not an integral part of
the device. |
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10.
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Isolated
buildings not larger in area than 16 square feet, including
roof projections, and not more than 8 feet in height,
if separated by a distance of 20 feet or more. |
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11.
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Nothing
in this code shall apply to any excavation, removal, fill
or deposit of any earth or other materials from individual
interment sites, underground crypts or burial vaults within
a property which is dedicated or used for cemetery purposes,
provided that such work does not affect the lateral support
or increase the stresses in or pressure upon any adjacent
or contiguous property not owned by the cemetery authority. |
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12.
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The
surface mining of minerals in a "G" Surface
Mining District as established and provided for in Section
13.03 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, or where permitted
by order of a court of competent jurisdiction. |
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13.
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The
depositing of rubbish or other material at any dump operated
by the City of Los Angeles, or by any person pursuant
to the provisions of Section 66.15 or 66.25 of the Los
Angeles Municipal Code. |
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14.
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Nothing
in this code shall apply to grading in an isolated, selfcontained
area if the department finds that by reason of such isolation
and self-containment no danger to private or public property
can now or thereafter result from grading operations. |
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15.
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Any
portable metal hangar less than 2,000 square feet in size,
located on a city-owned airport, used for the parking
of aircraft only, and bearing evidence of approval by
the Department of Motor Vehicles of the State of California
for movement on any highway. Such structure shall, as
an integral part of its basic construction, be equipped
with a hitch or coupling device for towing. It shall accommodate,
without further major structural change, wheel and axle
assemblies which will provide such structure with a safe.
means of portability. No water or sanitary facilities
shall be permitted in such structure and it shall be equipped
with permanent ventilation as required for Group S, Division
3 Occupancies. |
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16.
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Tents
and trailers used for office or shelter purposes accessory
to a Christmas tree sales lot during the month of December
only, provided the aggregate area of all tents and trailers
does not exceed 600 square feet (55.7 m2) for each sales
lot. (Such tents are regulated by the Fire Department
under Article 7, Chapter V, of the Los Angeles Municipal
Code.) |
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17.
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Tents
accessory to a dwelling and not exceeding 450 square feet
(41.8 m2) in area. |
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18.
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Signs
not exceeding 20 square feet in area, placed upon the
surface of the ground, no part of which extends more than
6 feet 6 inches above the underlying ground, which have
no mechanical or moving parts or to which no electricity
or other source of illumination or power are attached
or made a part thereof. Such signs shall be separated
from each other a minimum distance of 15 feet. |
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19.
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Boards
and signs used exclusively to display official notices
issued by any court or public officer in the performance
of a public duty or by a private person in giving legal
notice. |
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