Building permits in Unincorporated Los Angeles County, CA
Unincorporated Los Angeles County follows California's statewide codes, but runs its own permit intake, forms, fees, and review timelines through its building department. Here's the general picture for the trades — and where to confirm the specifics.
Los Angeles County Building and Safety, managed by LA County Public Works, provides building services to unincorporated communities; the Public Works Service Locator shows which office serves an address. Plans for typical projects can be reviewed at a Building and Safety office or submitted through EPIC-LA, which also handles permit fees, applications, Express Permits, and inspection requests. Title 26 adopts the 2025 California Building Code with County amendments for projects with an application date on or after January 1, 2026, while rebuilds after the 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires may comply with the 2022 code under conditions, and qualifying owners rebuilding single-family homes can have fees deferred or refunded.
Verified local data — Unincorporated Los Angeles County
Every fact below is sourced from a public Los Angeles County document or portal page. Each carries the source URL and the date we last verified it. Full dataset last re-verified .
- Permit portal
- EPIC-LA (Electronic Permitting and Inspections for the County of Los Angeles)
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source · Building and Safety's online portal for the unincorporated areas: submit plans, specifications, and supporting documents for review and approval, pay permit fees, and apply for a permit. Contract cities use the separate Building and Safety Online Plan Check System (BSOP)
- Submission methods
Online · In-person
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source · Typical projects can be reviewed at a Building and Safety office — at the counter, or by appointment for more complex projects — or electronically via EPIC-LA for unincorporated areas
- Adopted code edition
2026 County of Los Angeles Building Code (Title 26), adopting the 2025 California Building Code with County amendments
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source · Title 26 Sec. 100 adopts the 2025 California Building Code by reference, except as changed or modified in Title 26 (Ord. 2025-0047). Per Public Works' codes page, the 2026 County codes took effect January 1, 2026 for projects with an application date on or after that date — https://pw.lacounty.gov/building-and-safety/general
- Fee schedule
- Building and Safety fee schedules (County section, 2026-27) — building permit fees effective July 1, 2026 in unincorporated Los Angeles County
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source · The County's Building Code Fee Schedule (Title 26) PDF sets building permit fees in the unincorporated territory effective July 1, 2026; the 2026-2027 County public notice announces a 3.4% increase effective July 1, 2026 — https://pw.lacounty.gov/bsd/lib/fp/fees/County/2026-2027%20County%20Public%20Notice.pdf. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, grading, and valuation tables are listed on the same index page
Other local notes
Los Angeles County Building and Safety, managed by LA County Public Works, provides building services to unincorporated communities at the Public Works headquarters (900 S. Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91803) and at Building and Safety District Offices.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
The Public Works Service Locator (https://pw.lacounty.gov/general/servicelocator/) shows the Building and Safety office that serves an address; if a County Building and Safety office does not serve the property, it shows the jurisdiction that does.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
A permit can only be issued to a contractor with the appropriate license(s), to the property owner in certain cases, or to an authorized agent representing one of these two permittees.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
Inspections for permits in the unincorporated areas are requested online through the permit holder's EPIC-LA account, at least 24 hours in advance.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
Express Permits — for standalone work or projects whose building permit is already issued — are submitted online only through EPIC-LA; once all required fees are paid, the permit is issued automatically.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
Wildfire rebuilds: projects to repair, restore, demolish, or replace residential structures substantially damaged or destroyed in the 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires may comply with the 2022 Building Standards Code as adopted by the County, provided the plans meet the 2025 fire and public safety requirements and National Flood Insurance Program minimum elevation requirements (Title 26 Sec. 100).
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
Wildfire rebuilds: LA County runs One-Stop Permit Centers in the Eaton and Palisades fire burn areas — Altadena (464 W Woodbury Rd. Suite 210, Altadena, CA 91001) and Calabasas (27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250) — and offers free virtual rebuild appointments for County unincorporated-area residents.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
Wildfire rebuilds: the Board of Supervisors approved deferring and refunding fees for qualifying owners rebuilding single-family homes in unincorporated Los Angeles County after the Eaton and Palisades wildfires; applicants must show they both owned and lived on the property before January 7, 2025, and the fees will not be collected from property owners.
verified Sep 13, 2026 · source
Official building department
Los Angeles County Public Works — Building and Safety DivisionVerified Unincorporated Los Angeles County specifics are shown above. For project-specific fees, timelines, and counter staff, this department is the authority.
Permits by trade in Unincorporated Los Angeles County
Electrical permits
Service panel upgrades · Rewires and circuit additions · EV charger installs →
Plumbing permits
Water heater replacement · Repipes · Sewer line repair →
HVAC permits
AC / furnace changeouts · Heat pump installs · Mini-split systems →
ADU permits
New detached ADU · Garage or accessory-structure conversion · Junior ADU (JADU) within the existing home →
Solar permits
Rooftop solar PV systems · Battery energy storage (ESS) · Solar + storage retrofits →
Roofing permits
Full roof replacement (tear-off) · Re-roof / overlay where allowed · Structural sheathing or deck repair →
Common jobs in Unincorporated Los Angeles County
Each job below is combined with Unincorporated Los Angeles County's verified permit data — portal, fee schedule, and adopted code edition.
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