From plan check to a permit ready to issue in Los Angeles

A building permit in Los Angeles is ready to issue when plan check is approved and every department has signed its clearance on the LADBS clearance worksheet. The clearances move in parallel with plan check, and the slowest one sets the date.

Plan check

Building and Safety reviews the plans for building, zoning, fire and life safety, accessibility and energy compliance, returns corrections and approves the set. LADBS offers expedited review for an additional plan check fee.

The clearances

• Fire Department: hydrants and access, and LAFD plan check for apartments over two stories or over 15 units.
• Bureau of Engineering: address, driveway and sidewalk permits, sewer availability, and street dedication and improvement where LAMC 12.37 applies.
• Sanitation: Low Impact Development for 2,500 SF or more of new or replaced impervious area.
• Urban Forestry: work within 15 ft or the dripline of a street tree or a protected native tree.
• LADWP: work near power lines or easements flagged in ZIMAS.

Affordability and replacement

Where units are restricted, the Los Angeles Housing Department records the affordability covenant before the permit; the Department states 16 to 24 weeks after a complete package. Where protected units exist or were removed in the last five years, its Replacement Unit Determination comes first; the Department states 12 to 16 weeks. Restricted units are covenanted for 99 years from the certificate of occupancy, with stated exceptions (LAMC 16.61).

Fees before issuance

The city collects its fees before the permit issues, among them the park fee and the affordable housing linkage fee where they apply. No permit issues without the school district's certificate that its developer fee is paid; the Los Angeles Unified School District's Level 1 fee is $5.38 per SF of residential area, effective 11 August 2026.

Questions

What does ready to issue mean for a Los Angeles building permit?

Plan check is approved and every department has signed its clearance on the LADBS clearance worksheet, with the fees paid, so the permit can be issued.

How long does the LAHD affordability covenant take?

The Los Angeles Housing Department states about 16 to 24 weeks after it receives a complete package.

Sources