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Do you need a permit for a deck in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles’s published wording does not name decks separately. The wording it does publish is quoted below1; ask the building department whether your deck needs a permit before you start.

Last checked

On this page
  1. Which permits you need
  2. Limits and conditions in Los Angeles's rule
  3. Zoning rules: separate from the building permit
  4. What to submit
  5. Who can apply
  6. Deck permit fees in Los Angeles
  7. Inspections
  8. Who to ask
  9. Deck permit rules in other cities
  10. Sources

General rule only

Los Angeles's published wording

“Platforms, walks and driveways not more than 30 inches (762 mm) above grade and not over any basement or story below.”1

City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing), LAMC 91.106.2 item 5

Which permits you need

PermitRequired whenThe city’s wording
Building permitDeck/platform more than 30 inches above grade or over a basement or story belowPlatforms, walks and driveways not more than 30 inches (762 mm) above grade and not over any basement or story below.1

Limits and conditions in Los Angeles's rule

Each limit sits next to the sentence it comes from; the conditions in that sentence are part of the rule.

RuleValueThe city’s wording
Exempt up to this height above grade (the wording covers platforms)30 inchesPlatforms, walks and driveways not more than 30 inches (762 mm) above grade and not over any basement or story below.1
Exempt up to this project value (the wording covers all work under this value)$2,500Work regulated by this Code that is valued at $2,500 or less, unless it impacts the structural stability of a building, affects public safety, is performed to comply with a Department order, or involves a change in the use or occupancy.1

Zoning rules: separate from the building permit

A project can be exempt from one and still need the other (zoning vs building permits).

Zoning ruleValueThe city’s wording
Zoning approval needed even without a building permit?Yes: exemption from building permit does not authorize violations of other City ordinances (e.g. zoning)Exemptions from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of the City of Los Angeles.1

What to submit

  • Site plan (plot) with each permit application1
  • Two sets of plans for plan check1

Who can apply

  • Homeowner (owner-builder) or licensed contractor2
  • Contractors must be licensed by CSLB2

Deck permit fees in Los Angeles

Fee lines as Los Angeles's schedule states them. A minimum or base fee is not the whole price when the line says the fee grows with project value.

FeeTypeAs the schedule states it
Building permit feeBased on project valuationAs shown in Table No. 1-A for the total value of all construction work3

All of Los Angeles's fee lines are on the Los Angeles permit page.

Inspections

  1. Foundations4
  2. Wood framing4
  3. Final4 Request one day in advance before 2 PM; weekdays 7 AM-3:30 PM2

Who to ask

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)7

Building permits

Phone
311 (within the City); (213) 473-3231 (outside Los Angeles)5
Address
201 N. Figueroa St. (Express Permit, Records, Plan Check) and 221 N. Figueroa St. (Inspection), Los Angeles, CA 90012
6
Inspections
Request online (LADBS Online Services, service=rfi) or via 311; one day in advance before 2 PM; inspections weekdays 7 AM-3:30 PM2

Deck permit rules in other cities

Rules differ from city to city. Compare Los Angeles with 18 other cities on the national deck permit guide, or go straight to one:

Sources

  1. SEC. 91.106. PERMITS. (LAMC Ch. IX, Art. 1, Div. 1)City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing)Checked November 7, 2026
  2. Homeowner Step-By-Step | LADBSCity of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)Checked November 7, 2026
  3. SEC. 91.107. FEES. (LAMC Ch. IX, Art. 1, Div. 1)City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing)Checked November 6, 2026
  4. SEC. 91.109. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY (page also renders SEC. 91.108 INSPECTION)City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing)Checked November 7, 2026
  5. Building & Safety | City Directory | lacity.govCity of Los Angeles (lacity.gov City Directory)Checked November 7, 2026
  6. Metro (Downtown) | LADBSCity of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)Checked November 6, 2026
  7. Ordinance No. 188797 (Council File 25-1217): amending LAMC Chapter IX to incorporate the 2025 California Building…City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk (Council File 25-1217)Adopted December 24, 2025Checked November 7, 2026