City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety

Municipal Building and Safety Servicesdbs.lacity.gov

The City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) is a municipal department issuing construction permits, conducting plan reviews, performing inspections, and enforcing building codes for homeowners, contractors, design professionals, business owners, and developers across Los Angeles city limits.

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety does

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) is a municipal government department of the City of Los Angeles, California, operating with approximately 1,129 employees across five bureaus (Permit and Engineering, Inspection, Code Enforcement, Resource Management, Technology Services) and 11 geographical service locations. Its statutory function is construction-permit issuance, plan review, building inspection, code enforcement, and maintenance of comprehensive property and zoning records within Los Angeles city limits. The department is led by General Manager Osama Younan and reports within the City of Los Angeles municipal structure.

LADBS operates a suite of in-house digital platforms that front its regulatory workflow: ePlanLA for electronic plan submission and review, PermitLA for express (no-plan-review) permits, ZIMAS (Zone Information Map Access System) and Atlas for property/zoning mapping, NavigateLA for office lookup, the LADBS Go mobile application for on-the-go service access, and the Invoice Tracking System (IVTS) for payments. The department also maintains a Universal Cashiering System and publishes data via the City of LA Open Data portal. Underlying data assets include a long-history property records database, GIS layers, and a centralized permit-tracking system. Specialized programs address Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), affordable housing (Executive Directive 1), the Restaurant & Small Business Express Program, and mandatory seismic retrofit programs for non-ductile concrete and soft-story buildings.

LADBS does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through the City of Los Angeles municipal budget and user fees (permit fees, plan check fees, inspection fees, trade license fees, property records fees, and code enforcement fees). Customer segments are horizontal and include homeowners, licensed contractors, design professionals (architects/engineers), business owners (with restaurant and small-business express programs), developers (including affordable-housing developers), and real estate professionals. Service is delivered through multiple channels — in-person at Development Services Centers (some co-located with Bureau of Engineering, LA City Planning, and LA Housing Department), online self-serve (ePlanLA, PermitLA), mobile (LADBS Go), phone (311), and via social media. The firmographic founding date of 1781 corresponds to the City of Los Angeles's founding year rather than the department itself.

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety firmographics

Firmographics

Name: City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
Legal name: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
Website: https://dbs.lacity.gov
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) is a municipal department issuing construction permits, conducting plan reviews, performing inspections, and enforcing building codes for homeowners, contractors, design professionals, business owners, and developers across Los Angeles city limits.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety industry classification

Industry

Product category: Municipal Building and Safety Services
NAICS: Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Building Inspection Services (54135), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYBPAIACAE
Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement
Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration
SECONDARYBPAIANAF
Building Codes, Permitting & Inspections (Building Safety)
Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development
SECONDARYHSAPAMAG
ADU Permitting, Zoning & Code Compliance
Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Garage Conversion & ADU Construction

Keywords

Building permits
Plan review
Building inspections
Code enforcement
Municipal regulatory services

Where City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Los Angeles
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Permit and Plan Check Fees: LADBS generates revenue through fees collected for permit applications, plan reviews, inspections, and related construction services. Fees are collected at various stages of the permitting process including permit issuance and modification fees. The department also offers a Permit Fee Calculator for applicants to estimate costs upfront.
Trade License Fees: Fees collected for Deputy Inspector licensing, trade license renewals, and certification of inspectors who perform continuous onsite inspections on behalf of the Department.
Property Records and Research Fees: Revenue from providing copies of department-issued documents including construction records, permits, inspections, and code enforcement documents.
Code Enforcement and Violation Fees: Fees associated with resolving orders to comply, complaint processing, and code enforcement actions including billboard and sign enforcement.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Express Permit - Simplified projects that do not require plan review
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Standard Plan Check and Permit - Projects requiring full review
One time/ perpetual license	Annual	Deputy Inspector Licensing

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is the sole municipal authority within the City of Los Angeles responsible for issuing building, sign, grading, and related construction permits; reviewing construction plans for compliance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code; conducting field inspections of building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and elevator work; and enforcing building, zoning, and habitability codes through proactive and complaint-driven code enforcement actions. The Department collects permit and inspection fees, manages specialized compliance programs (seismic retrofit, accessibility, home-sharing, rent stabilization), and operates the publicly accessible ZIMAS and NavigateLA information systems used by property owners, real estate professionals, and the public to look up zoning, permit history, and code information.

Product overview

LADBS operates as a unified municipal services platform offering both core regulatory services and digital tools. The core services include Plan Review & Permitting, Inspection, Code Enforcement, Property Records, Licensing, and Zoning. These are supported by a suite of web and mobile applications including ePlanLA for online plan submission, PermitLA for express permits, LADBS Go mobile app, and mapping tools Atlas, NavigateLA, and ZIMAS. The organization also maintains an Invoice Tracking System (IVTS) for payment management. The digital products work together with the regulatory services to provide end-to-end permit and inspection management for construction projects in Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

ePlanLA: Online electronic plan review and submission system for construction permits
PermitLA
LADBS Go
Atlas
ZIMAS

Products and services

Building Permits

Companies that use City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety

Customer profile

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Bureau of Engineering (City of Los Angeles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located services at Development Services Centers throughout Los Angeles. Integrated permitting workflow where LADBS and Bureau of Engineering services are available at the same locations, streamlining the permitting process for construction projects that require both agency approvals.
Los Angeles City PlanningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located services at Development Services Centers enabling integrated processing of permits requiring both LADBS plan review and City Planning entitlements. Customers can access zoning verification and planning approvals at the same locations as building permits.
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAFD provides required agreement for equivalency determinations under LADBS's Request for Modification process. Fire department approval is required for certain building ordinance modifications to ensure fire safety compliance.
LA Housing DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located services at Development Services Centers. LAHD public counters operate alongside LADBS for affordable housing projects and related housing department services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections: Municipal regulator of construction, land use, and code compliance for the City of Seattle. Issues building, mechanical, and electrical permits and conducts inspections — directly analogous in mission and service mix to LADBS.
Phoenix Planning and Development Department: Municipal department handling planning, permitting, and inspections for the City of Phoenix. Comparable in providing exclusive building permit issuance and code enforcement within a large, fast-growing US city.
New York City Department of Buildings: Municipal building department for the largest US city. Performs plan review, permitting, inspections, and code enforcement for construction within New York City, operating a comparable regulatory monopoly and digital platform suite (e.g., DOB NOW).
San Jose Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement: Municipal department combining planning, building permitting, and code enforcement for the City of San Jose. Directly comparable as a California municipality with integrated building and zoning services.
Chicago Department of Buildings: Municipal building and safety regulator for the City of Chicago. Issues building permits, conducts inspections, and enforces building codes within city limits — directly comparable in scope and function to LADBS.
San Diego Development Services Department: Municipal development services department serving the City of San Diego. Combines building permitting, planning, and code enforcement for construction projects, comparable to LADBS in California jurisdiction and function.
San Francisco Department of Building Inspection: Municipal building department for the City and County of San Francisco. Performs permitting, plan review, inspections, and code enforcement — operates the same exclusive-jurisdiction model within a large California city.

Others

OpenGov: Government technology vendor serving permitting, asset management, and budgeting functions for state and local agencies. Adjacent as a technology partner in the broader municipal building-regulation software stack.
Accela: Vendor of government technology platforms for permitting, licensing, and code enforcement used by many municipal building departments. Relevant as the underlying software ecosystem that increasingly powers LADBS-adjacent digital platforms.

Broad incumbents

Houston Public Works Department: Larger municipal agency in Houston that includes building regulation alongside broader public works functions. Overlaps with LADBS on permitting and inspections but covers a wider infrastructure portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety

What does City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety do?

Is City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety a public or private company?

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety founded?

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety based?

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.

How does City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Permit and Plan Check Fees are the primary driver. The others are trade License Fees, property Records and Research Fees and code Enforcement and Violation Fees.

Who are City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Phoenix Planning and Development Department, New York City Department of Buildings, San Jose Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, Chicago Department of Buildings, San Diego Development Services Department and San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. Others are OpenGov and Accela. Houston Public Works Department is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety have an API?

No public API is recorded for City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

What industry is City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety in?

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety's product category is Municipal Building and Safety Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAE, Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement, with a secondary code of BPAIANAF, Building Codes, Permitting & Inspections (Building Safety). Its NAICS code is 9251.