Long Beach’s Community Development Department coordinates most building and land-use approvals through its Building and Safety and Planning bureaus. Building and Safety handles construction permits, plan review, inspections, and trade permits, while Planning reviews zoning compliance, development entitlements, historic preservation, and coastal requirements. The City also provides LB Services for selected online permit and planning applications.
Zoning should be checked early because allowed uses, building height, density, parking, setbacks, and other development standards vary by property. Projects requiring discretionary approval may go through Site Plan Review, Conditional or Administrative Use Permits, or other entitlement processes before construction permits can be issued.
Long Beach’s coastal location creates a particularly important additional review layer. Development within the Coastal Zone generally requires either a Local Coastal Development Permit or a Coastal Permit Categorical Exclusion in addition to other City approvals. Some coastal properties are also within areas where City decisions can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission, while other locations fall directly under Coastal Commission jurisdiction.
Historic landmarks and properties within designated historic districts require a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes, even when the work would not otherwise require a building permit. Public Works separately regulates construction, excavation, utility installations, and other activity within streets and public right-of-way. Applicants should therefore confirm zoning, coastal and historic status, and any Public Works requirements before beginning design or construction.