Who issues my building permit?
In Los Angeles County the answer depends on the parcel, not the ZIP code. Find your neighborhood below.
Permit offices by neighborhood.
| Neighborhood or city | Who issues building permits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Agoura Hills | City of Agoura Hills Building & Safety | |
| Altadena | LA County Public Works | Unincorporated; Eaton Fire rebuilds have a dedicated county process. |
| Arcadia | City of Arcadia Building Services | |
| Bel Air | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside ordinance; much of it is a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. |
| Beverly Hills | City of Beverly Hills Building & Safety | Many "Beverly Hills 90210" addresses north of Sunset are actually City of LA. |
| Brentwood | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Baseline Hillside Ordinance on hillside lots. |
| Burbank | City of Burbank Building & Safety | |
| Calabasas | City of Calabasas Building & Safety | Not the county's Calabasas-Malibu office, which serves unincorporated areas. |
| Culver City | City of Culver City Building Safety | Own transfer tax. |
| El Segundo | City of El Segundo Building & Safety | |
| Encino | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside ordinance south of Ventura Blvd. |
| Glendale | City of Glendale Building & Safety | |
| Hancock Park | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Historic district (HPOZ): exterior changes need City Planning review. |
| Hermosa Beach | City of Hermosa Beach Building & Safety | Coastal-zone projects need coastal approval. |
| Hidden Hills | City of Hidden Hills (contract staff) | Gated city; HOA approval is part of the submittal. |
| Hollywood Hills | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside ordinance; Very High fire zone common; some addresses near Sunset are West Hollywood. |
| Holmby Hills | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Not Beverly Hills, despite nearby addresses. |
| La Cañada Flintridge | City of La Cañada Flintridge Building & Safety | No longer handled by LA County since October 2024. |
| Ladera Heights | LA County Public Works | Unincorporated. |
| Los Feliz | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside ordinance in the hills above Los Feliz Blvd. |
| Malibu | City of Malibu (Environmental Sustainability Dept.) | Entirely coastal zone; some "Malibu 90265" addresses are unincorporated county. |
| Malibu-area canyons (Monte Nido, Malibu Bowl, upper Las Flores, Malibu Lake) | LA County Public Works (Calabasas-Malibu office) | Unincorporated even with a Malibu address; lower Las Flores near PCH is City of Malibu. |
| Manhattan Beach | City of Manhattan Beach Building & Safety | Coastal-zone lots need a city coastal permit. |
| Mar Vista | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | |
| Marina del Rey | LA County Public Works (the Marina itself) | Nearby "Marina del Rey" addresses on the Peninsula and in Del Rey are City of LA. |
| Pacific Palisades | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Coastal zone on many lots; fire rebuild fast-track. Edges near Topanga and Castellammare vary. |
| Palms | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | |
| Palos Verdes Estates | City of Palos Verdes Estates Building & Safety | Palos Verdes Homes Association approval for most projects. |
| Pasadena | City of Pasadena Building & Safety | Many historic districts and landmark homes. |
| Playa Vista | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | |
| Rancho Palos Verdes | City of Rancho Palos Verdes Building & Safety | Whole city is a Very High fire zone; special rules in landslide areas. |
| Rolling Hills | City of Rolling Hills approves; LA County issues building permits | Gated city with its own site plan review. |
| San Marino | City of San Marino Planning & Building | |
| Santa Monica | City of Santa Monica Building & Safety | Coastal zone near the beach; own transfer tax. |
| Sherman Oaks | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside ordinance on the south-of-Ventura slopes. |
| Silver Lake | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside lots common. |
| South Pasadena | City of South Pasadena Building Division | |
| Studio City | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Hillside lots south of Ventura Blvd. |
| Toluca Lake | Mostly City of LA (LADBS); part is Burbank | Check the parcel. |
| Topanga | LA County Public Works (Calabasas-Malibu office) | Unincorporated; Santa Monica Mountains coastal program in the coastal portion; septic review. |
| Venice | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) | Coastal permit and Venice Coastal Specific Plan review; some areas also need the Coastal Commission. |
| View Park (View Park-Windsor Hills) | LA County Public Works | Unincorporated. |
| West Hollywood | City of West Hollywood Building & Safety | Its own city, not the City of LA. |
| Westlake Village | LA County Public Works, under contract to the city | Part of the Westlake community is in Ventura County. |
| Westwood | City of Los Angeles (LADBS) |
No match. Try the city name, or look the address up in the tools below.
Mailing addresses and ZIP codes don't decide jurisdiction; the parcel does. Confirm yours with the lookup tools below before you plan around it. Last checked October 2026.
Three agencies, one confusing map.
Los Angeles County has 88 cities and more than 120 unincorporated communities. Neighborhoods like Brentwood, Bel Air, Encino and Pacific Palisades are part of the City of Los Angeles, so permits come from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Separate cities such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu and Pasadena run their own building departments. Unincorporated areas such as Altadena, Topanga and Marina del Rey are handled by LA County Public Works.
Mailing addresses blur these lines. Many "Beverly Hills 90210" homes north of Sunset, including Beverly Park, are in the City of LA. Some "Malibu" addresses are in unincorporated canyons. Rules, fees, timelines and even transfer taxes change with the jurisdiction, so it is the first thing to confirm before design starts.
The jurisdiction also decides which overlays apply: the Coastal Zone, hillside ordinances, historic districts and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones each add review steps. Our guides cover the big ones: coastal permits, hillside construction, fire rebuilds and ADUs.
Selling instead? Transfer taxes also follow the city line; see the remodel or sell calculator.
Official lookup tools.
ZIMAS
City of LA parcels: zoning, hillside, HPOZ, coastal and fire overlays.
LA County GIS-NET
Zoning for unincorporated LA County.
Fire Hazard Severity Zones
State Fire Marshal maps and address lookup.
Coastal Zone maps
California Coastal Commission boundary maps.
LA historic districts (HPOZ)
City of LA Historic Preservation Overlay Zones.
LA County Building & Safety
Permits for unincorporated areas and contract cities.
Questions about permit jurisdiction.
Is Pacific Palisades in the City of Los Angeles?
Yes. Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, so building permits come from LADBS. Many lots are also in the Coastal Zone.
Who issues building permits in Altadena?
Altadena is unincorporated, so permits come from LA County Public Works Building & Safety. Eaton Fire rebuilds have a dedicated county process.
Is Bel Air part of Beverly Hills?
No. Bel Air and Holmby Hills are neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles. Beverly Hills is a separate city with its own building department.
My address says Beverly Hills 90210. Which city am I in?
It depends on the parcel. Much of the 90210 ZIP code north of Sunset, including Beverly Park, is in the City of Los Angeles. Look the parcel up in ZIMAS to confirm.
Who issues permits in Malibu?
The City of Malibu, through its Environmental Sustainability Department. Some canyon areas with Malibu addresses, such as Monte Nido and upper Las Flores Canyon, are unincorporated and handled by LA County.
How do I check my exact parcel?
For the City of Los Angeles, use ZIMAS. For unincorporated areas, use LA County GIS-NET. Both show zoning and overlays such as hillside, coastal and historic districts.
Know your jurisdiction? Start the design.
We design remodels, new homes and ADUs across LA County and plan around each city's rules from day one.