Permit Application in Long Beach, CA

Permit Application in Long Beach, CA

Getting an ADU permit approved in Long Beach typically takes 8 to 16 weeks, depending on plan check backlog at the Development Services Department and how complete your submittal package is on day one. Ellery ADU Studio handles ADU Design & Permitting as part of our single-contract design-build model, so the package that lands on the city’s desk reflects the finished construction drawings, not a preliminary sketch dressed up to look like one. If you have questions before we start, call us at (562) 414-4842 – a live person picks up, every time.

Permit application sits inside our broader ADU Design & Permitting in Long Beach service. It’s the stage where months of design work get translated into a formal submittal: architectural sheets, structural calculations, Title 24 energy compliance, site plans, and the supporting forms Long Beach’s Planning Bureau requires before any plan check begins. Most homeowners who’ve tried to hire a designer separately from a contractor hit problems right here – the drawings are incomplete, the engineer’s stamp is missing, or the energy compliance report was calculated for a different climate zone. Because Ellery handles design and construction under one contract at one written price, the permit set is built for the project we’re actually going to build – not a generic template with your address typed in.

We’ve prepared and submitted permit sets for more than 900 ADUs since 2015, which means we know what Long Beach plan checkers flag, what they pass without comment, and which neighborhoods carry zoning overlays that require extra documentation before the counter will even accept a submittal.

When You Need Permit Application

• You’re ready to convert your garage in Belmont Shore or Wrigley and the design is done, but nothing has been submitted. A completed design set sitting on your desktop earns nothing until it’s logged with the city. Long Beach requires an active permit before any structural work begins, and retroactive permits cost significantly more – when they’re approved at all.
• You received a stop-work order or a notice of unpermitted construction. Long Beach code enforcement has increased its ADU inspections in neighborhoods east of the 710, particularly in Los Altos and Lakewood Village. If you’ve received written notice, the clock is running – a formal permit application is usually the required first step toward resolution.
• A previous designer or drafter submitted plans that came back with plan-check corrections you don’t know how to resolve. Correction letters from Long Beach’s plan checkers can run three to five pages and reference specific CBC sections; interpreting them and resubmitting correctly is not a DIY task.
• You purchased a home in Bixby Knolls or California Heights that has an existing unpermitted structure you want to legalize as an ADU. Senate Bill 897 (effective January 2023) created a streamlined legalization path, but it still requires a full permit set that documents existing conditions and brings the structure into compliance.
• You’re working with a prefab unit – an Abodu or a Plant Prefab module – and the factory’s standard permit documents don’t match Long Beach’s local amendments. We reconcile factory documentation with the city’s current code requirements and submit a coordinated package rather than two sets of drawings that contradict each other.
• Your project is on a coastal or Coastal Commission-adjacent lot. Properties within the Coastal Zone boundary in Long Beach require both a city building permit and, in some cases, a Coastal Development Permit. Missing the second application is one of the most expensive oversights we correct for incoming clients.

Our Permit Application Process

1. Written Scope and Price Before Anything Moves
   Under Haven Standard Clause 1, every project starts with a written price. Before we prepare a single sheet, you receive a written quote covering design development, the full permit set, and the permit application filing fees that Ellery advances on your behalf. There is no “call for a quote” step – the number is in writing, signed by both parties, before work begins. This applies to permit application work whether it’s part of a full design-build contract or a stand-alone permit set for a project already in design.
2. Site Conditions Documentation
   We visit the property and produce a documented photo record of existing conditions: the lot dimensions confirmed against the assessor’s parcel data, the setbacks from all structures to the property lines, the location of utilities (gas meter, electrical panel, sewer cleanout), and the physical state of any existing structure being converted. You receive a copy of this record – it becomes part of the project file, not an internal note. In areas like Signal Hill (which has its own municipal code separate from Long Beach) or near the Port, utility conflicts and easement setbacks affect what the permit set has to show.
3. Permit Set Preparation
   Our drafting and engineering team produces the full document package: architectural floor plans and elevations, a site plan showing all setbacks and utility connections, foundation plan and structural details, a California Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance report, and the Long Beach Building and Safety forms required for submittal. For projects using James Hardie siding or other specified cladding systems, the product’s fire-rating documentation is included in the permit set rather than left for the field inspector to chase down.
4. Pre-Submittal Completeness Review
   Long Beach’s Development Services counter will reject a package that’s missing required sheets or forms – and that rejection resets your place in the queue. Before we submit, we run the package against the current city checklist. This is particularly important for projects in the Midtown or DTLB corridors, where mixed-use zoning sometimes triggers additional Planning Department sign-off before the building permit application is accepted.
5. Formal Submittal and Plan Check Tracking
   We submit the package – in person or through Long Beach’s online portal, depending on which pathway is currently moving faster – and track the application through plan check. When correction letters arrive, we respond to each flagged item in writing, revise the drawings if required, and resubmit. You receive a copy of every correction letter and every response. Nothing happens behind you.
6. Permit Issuance and Pre-Construction Handoff
   When Long Beach issues the approved permit, we do a documented handoff: the approved plan set is logged, the inspection card schedule is noted, and the construction phase begins under the same single contract. Because the field crew builds to the permitted drawings – and the 365-Day Done Right Promise backs that in writing – the permit set doesn’t get filed and forgotten. It’s the document the crew works from, every day.

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Permit Application Pricing in Long Beach

Long Beach permit application costs for an ADU split into two buckets: the fees the city charges, and the professional fees Ellery charges to prepare and manage the submittal. Both are included in your written quote before any work begins.

City of Long Beach Fee Ranges (2024-2025 Schedule)

• Plan Check Fee (Building): $800 – $2,400, depending on valuation. Long Beach uses a project valuation model, so a larger or more complex ADU carries a higher plan check fee.
• Building Permit Fee: $600 – $1,800 at issuance, again valuation-based.
• Planning Review (where required): $200 – $600 for standard ADU review; more if a variance or conditional use permit is needed.
• State Strong Motion Instrumentation and School Fees: Typically $150 – $500 combined, assessed at permit issuance based on square footage and use.
• Coastal Development Permit (Coastal Zone lots only): $500 – $1,500 depending on the project scope and whether a hearing is required.

Total city fees for a straightforward Long Beach ADU permit application typically land between $1,800 and $5,200. Projects requiring a variance, Coastal Commission coordination, or that fall within a specific plan area (like the Long Beach Airport Influence Area in areas near the South Bay) run toward the higher end or above it.

Ellery Professional Fees for Permit Application

When permit application is part of a full design-build contract, it’s included in the all-in written price rather than billed as a separate line item. For stand-alone permit set preparation and application management (for clients who already own design development drawings and need only the permit-ready document set and filing), fees typically run $3,500 – $8,500 depending on project complexity and how much revision is required to bring existing drawings to permit-ready standard.

Every quote is in writing before any work begins – Haven Standard Clause 1 is not a marketing line. If you have a written estimate from another firm and want a second set of eyes on the scope and numbers, our Free Second Opinion is available at no charge. Call (562) 414-4842 to schedule it.

FAQs – Permit Application

How long does an ADU permit application take in Long Beach?

A standard Long Beach ADU permit application currently takes 8 to 14 weeks through plan check, assuming the submittal is complete on the first attempt. An incomplete package that comes back with a correction letter can add 4 to 8 weeks per correction cycle. Long Beach is required by state law (Government Code Section 65852.2) to complete plan check for ADUs within 60 days, but the clock resets when corrections are issued. A permit set prepared to the city’s current checklist – with all required sheets, a current Title 24 Energy Compliance report, and properly calculated setbacks – moves through substantially faster than one that gets flagged. Call (562) 414-4842 if you want to talk through where your project currently sits in the timeline.

What documents does Long Beach require for an ADU permit application?

Long Beach’s Building and Safety Division requires a Site Assessment and site plan showing the property boundaries, existing structures, and all setback dimensions; architectural floor plans and exterior elevations of the proposed ADU; a foundation plan with structural details (engineered if the ADU is over 750 square feet or on a raised foundation); a California Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance report; and completed permit application forms including a property owner statement. Projects on lots within the Coastal Zone also require a Coastal Development Permit application submitted concurrently. If the project involves a prefab system like an Abodu unit, the factory’s engineering documentation and product approvals need to be included in the package – we coordinate that directly with the manufacturer. Every document in the set is listed in your written scope before we begin preparation.

Can Ellery handle the permit application if I already have drawings from another designer?

Yes, with conditions. We review the existing drawings first and provide a written assessment of what’s needed to bring them to permit-ready standard for Long Beach. Drawings produced for a different city, drawn to an older code cycle, or missing required sheets (a common issue with drawings produced by residential drafters rather than licensed architects) typically require revision before we can submit them. That review is part of the Free Second Opinion we offer on written estimates – bring whatever documentation you have and we’ll tell you exactly what it includes and what it lacks. We don’t charge for that conversation. Call (562) 414-4842 to set it up.

Does the ADU permit application cover all inspections, or is that separate?

The permit application covers the right to build and establishes the inspection schedule – it doesn’t pay for or guarantee passing those inspections. Long Beach requires inspections at foundation, framing, rough MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), insulation, and final. Because Ellery’s construction phase operates under the same contract as the permit set, the field crew builds to the approved drawings, which means inspection sign-offs proceed without the typical disconnect between what the plans show and what the builder actually did. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is the written backstop: if the finished ADU is not built to the permitted drawings, we make it right. That commitment is in the contract before construction starts, not offered after the fact if something goes sideways.

Key Takeaways

• Long Beach ADU permit plan check currently runs 8 to 14 weeks for a complete, first-attempt submittal.
• City fees typically total $1,800 to $5,200; Coastal Zone lots carry additional permit costs.
• A complete permit set – architectural, structural, Title 24 energy, and required forms – filed without missing items moves through plan check faster and with fewer correction cycles.
• Ellery’s written price covers permit application as part of the full design-build contract, with no separate billing surprise at submittal time (Haven Standard Clause 1).
• If you already have drawings from another designer, a free review is available before you commit to any filing fees.
• The 365-Day Done Right Promise means the permitted drawings are the construction documents – not a filing exercise separate from what gets built.

Talk to Ellery ADU Studio About Your Long Beach Permit Application

If you’re ready to move a Long Beach ADU project from design into permit review, or if you have a permit set that’s been sitting in correction limbo, the next step is a straightforward conversation. We’ll look at what you have, tell you exactly where it stands relative to what Long Beach requires right now, and give you a written price for the work needed to get it submitted. No vague estimates, no verbal commitments that shift later. That’s how Ellery ADU Studio has operated since 2015, and it’s what the Haven Standard requires on every project.

Call (562) 414-4842 to speak with someone directly. A live person answers – not a voicemail queue with a promise of a callback that may or may not materialize. If you have a written estimate from another firm and want a second opinion on the scope or the numbers, bring it. The review is free, it’s thorough, and it comes with no obligation to hire us.

Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Long Beach, serving Long Beach.