Los Angeles County, California building code

Los Angeles County enforces 2025 CBC, T24 Pt 2 based on 2024 IBC with 3 local amendments on top. The amendments are the part that gets sets corrected. The state edition is only the floor.

Current edition
2025 Title 24
Prior edition
2022 Title 24
Code authority
LA County Dept. of Public Works: Building & Safety

Edition changeover: Projects with a complete application on or before 2025-12-31 may still be reviewed under the 2022 Title 24.

Adopted code and local amendments by discipline

Adopted code editions and local amendments by discipline
DisciplineAdopted codeLocal amendment
Building2025 CBC, T24 Pt 2 based on 2024 IBCLA County Building Code: County Code Title 26
Residential2025 CRC, T24 Pt 2.5 based on 2024 IRCn/a
Existing buildings2025 CEBC, T24 Pt 10 based on 2024 IEBCn/a
Fire2025 CFC, T24 Pt 9 based on 2024 IFCLA County Fire Code: County Code Title 32
Electrical2025 CEC, T24 Pt 3 based on 2023 NECn/a
Mechanical2025 CMC, T24 Pt 4 based on 2024 UMCn/a
Plumbing2025 CPC, T24 Pt 5 based on 2024 UPCn/a
Energy2025 Energy Code, T24 Pt 6n/a
Green / sustainability2025 CALGreen, T24 Pt 11n/a
Accessibility2025 CBC Ch 11A/11B, T24 Pt 2n/a
Wildland-urban interface2025 CA-WUIC, T24 Pt 7 based on 2024 IWUICn/a
Historical buildings2025 CHBC, T24 Pt 8n/a
Administrative2025 CAC, T24 Pt 1n/a
ZoningNo state-adopted codeLA County Zoning Code: County Code Title 22Local text supersedes the state code

Unincorporated communities Los Angeles County reviews

These communities have no city building department of their own. The county is the authority having jurisdiction, so this page's code stack is the one that applies.

Altadena · East Los Angeles · Marina del Rey · Topanga · Agoura · Old Agoura · La Crescenta-Montrose · Hacienda Heights · Rowland Heights · Stevenson Ranch · Castaic · Val Verde · Quartz Hill · Willowbrook · Ladera Heights · View Park-Windsor Hills · West Athens · Westmont · Florence-Graham · Walnut Park · East Rancho Dominguez · Lennox · Del Aire · Alondra Park · West Whittier-Los Nietos · South Whittier · West Puente Valley · Avocado Heights · Charter Oak · Citrus · East San Gabriel · South San Gabriel · Whittier Narrows · Universal City · Kagel Canyon · Lake Los Angeles · Littlerock · Sun Village · Acton · Agua Dulce · Leona Valley · Green Valley · Lake Hughes · Elizabeth Lake · Juniper Hills · Pearblossom · Llano · Valyermo · Antelope Acres · Del Sur · Neenach · Gorman · Three Points · West Rancho Dominguez · Rancho Dominguez · East Compton · Athens · Firestone Park · Bandini Islands · City Terrace · East Pasadena · San Pasqual · Kinneloa Mesa · Sierra Madre Villa

What Los Angeles County actually amended

Quoted from the adopted ordinance. These are the provisions that differ from the state code, which is where most correction lists come from. Excerpts, not the whole ordinance. Follow the source link for the full text.

707.18.8 · 707.18.8

UL 3703-2015 Solar Trackers (with revisions through April 7, 2020) Electrical Table 802.2.1 UL 3730-2014 Photovoltaic Junction Boxes (with revisions through June 11, 2021) Electrical Table 802.2.1 HOA.103795022.3 79 UL 3741-2020 Photovoltaic Hazard Control Electrical Table 802.2.1 UL 4703-2014 Photovoltaic Wire (with revisions through August 11, 2020) Electrical Table 802.2.1 UL 6703-2014 Connectors for Use in Photovoltaic Systems (with revisions through June 10, 2021) Electrical Table 802.2.1 UL 7103-2019 Outline of Investigation for Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Roof Coverings Electrical Table 802.2.1 UL 8703-2011 Outline of Investigation for Concentrator Photovoltaic Mod- ules and… […]

3114.8.5.3 · 3114.8.5.3

Climatic, Geologic The greater Los Angeles/Long Beach region is situated over a vast array of earthquake fault systems capable of producing major earthquakes, including, but not limited to, the recent 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The region is further impacted by construction of buildings and structures utilizing traditional construction materials that impact the amount of energy, air quality, greenhouse gas emission and construction waste in the area. […]

SECTION J103 · SECTION J103

PERMITS REQUIRED J103.1 Permits required. Except as exempted in Section J103.2, grading shall not be performed without first having obtained a permit therefor from the bBuilding oOfficial. A grading permit does not include the construction of retaining walls or other structures. A separate permit shall be obtained for each site and may cover both excavations and fills. Any engineered grading as described in Section J104.2.3 shall be performed by a contractor licensed by the State of California to perform the work described hereon. […]

SECTION J105 · SECTION J105

INSPECTIONS J105.1 General. Grading Iinspections shall be governed by Section 110, Chapter 1, Division II of this code108 and as indicated herein. Grading operations for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the Building Official. In addition, professional inspection of grading operations shall be performed by the Field Engineer, the Geotechnical Engineer, and the Engineering Geologist retained to provide such services in accordance with this Section for engineered grading and as required by the Building Official for regular grading. J105.2 Special and supplemental inspections. […]

SECTION J104 · SECTION J104

PERMIT APPLICATION AND SUBMITTALS J104.1 Submittal requirements. In addition to the provisions of Section 105.3 and 1.8.4, as applicable106.4, the applicant shall state the estimated quantities of excavation and fillfollowing: 1. The estimated quantities of excavation, fill, borrow, removal, or combination thereof. 2. The proposed land use for the site on which the grading is to be performed. HOA.103781425.2 89 J104.2 Site plan requirements. […]

SECTION J110 · SECTION J110

SLOPE PLANTING AND EROSION CONTROL HOA.103781425.2 115 J110.1 General. The faces of cut and fill slopes shall be prepared and maintained to control erosion. This control shall be permitted to consist of effective planting, erosion control blankets, soil stabilizers, or other means as approved by the Building Official. Exception: Erosion control measures need not be provided on cut slopes not subject to erosion due to the erosion-resistant character of the materials, as approved by the Project Consultants to the satisfaction of the Building Official. . . . J110.3 Planting. […]

SECTION J107 · SECTION J107

FILLS HOA.103781425.2 104 J107.1 General. Unless otherwise recommended in the geotechnical report, fills shall comply with the provisions of this sSection. Exception: The Building Official may permit a deviation from the provisions of this Appendix for minor fills not intended to support structures, where no geotechnical report has been prepared. J107.2 Surface Preparation. Fill slopes shall not be constructed on natural slopes steeper than 2 units horizontal to 1 unit vertical (50 percent slope). […]

SECTION J109 · SECTION J109

DRAINAGE AND TERRACING J109.1 General. Unless otherwise recommended by a registered design professionallicensed Civil Engineer and approved by the Building Official, drainage facilities and terracing shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of this sSection J109.2 for all cut and fill slopes 3 units horizontal to 1 unit vertical (33-percent slope) and steeper. HOA.103781425.2 111 EXCEPTION: Drainage facilities and terracing need not be provided where the ground slope is not steeper than one unit vertical in three units horizontal (33-percent slope). […]

SECTION 28. · SECTION 28

Appendix S is hereby added to read as follows: APPENDIX S SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS S 1.0 General. In addition to the requirements of this Appendix, the provisions of this Code and Title 29 – Mechanical Code – of the Los Angeles County Code shall apply to the erection, installation, alteration, relocation, replacement, addition to, use, maintenance and repair of solar thermal energy systems, including, but not limited to, equipment and appliances intended to utilize solar thermal energy for water heating and swimming pool heating. S 2.0 Definitions. For the purpose of this Appendix, certain terms, words, phrases, and their derivatives shall be construed as set forth in this Section. […]

SECTION 58. · SECTION 58

Section J102.1 is hereby amended to read as follows: J102.1 Definitions. The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this appendix, have the meanings shown herein. Refer to Chapter 2 of this code for general definitionsFor the purposes of this Appendix, the terms, phrases, and words listed in this Section and their derivatives shall have the indicated meanings. APPROVAL. When the proposed work or completed work conforms to this Appendix, as determined by and to the satisfaction of the Building Official. AS-BUILT. See Section J105.12. BEDROCK. […]

Source: dpw.lacounty.gov · dpw.lacounty.gov

Overlays that can apply

Mapped hazard and district overlays stack on top of the adopted code. These are the overlays recorded for Los Angeles County. They apply by parcel, not jurisdiction-wide, so confirm the parcel before assuming one is in play. Check CAL FIRE's fire hazard severity viewer and FEMA's flood map service.

  • Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone
  • Hillside / slope overlay
  • Methane hazard zone
  • Liquefaction hazard zone
  • California Coastal Zone
  • FEMA mapped flood hazard area

State law that overrides local zoning here

When one of these applies, the state statute governs over a conflicting local standard. This is the most common reason a local rule someone quotes you turns out not to be enforceable against a project.

  • Gov. Code 66310 et seq.

    State ADU law preempts local zoning that would preclude a conforming ADU/JADU.

    Applies when: project includes an ADU or JADU

  • Gov. Code 65915

    State Density Bonus Law concessions/waivers override local development standards.

    Applies when: project requests a density bonus

  • Gov. Code 65852.21 / 66411.7

    SB 9 urban lot split / two-unit ministerial approval preempts conflicting local standards.

    Applies when: project is an SB 9 lot split or two-unit development

Sources

Common questions

What building code does Los Angeles County use?

Los Angeles County enforces 2025 CBC, T24 Pt 2 based on 2024 IBC, the edition adopted statewide in California, amended locally in 3 disciplines.

Does Los Angeles County amend the California code?

Yes: building, fire, zoning.

Where do I confirm the code edition for a Los Angeles County permit?

With the county building department that will review the permit. Adoption ordinances are amended on a local schedule, and a set submitted days apart can fall under different editions during a changeover.

Nearby jurisdictions in Los Angeles County

Statewide

Check a plan set against Los Angeles County code

Knowing the adopted edition is the easy half. Architechtura reads your drawings, resolves which of these provisions actually apply to the project, and returns the corrections a plan checker would write up, each one cited to the section it came from.

Your first check is free, no card required.

Compiled from published state and municipal adoption ordinances. Local governments amend their codes on their own schedule, and a pending ordinance can change what applies to your permit. Confirm the governing edition with the building department before you submit. This page is reference information, not a code determination.