How Long Beach Handles Building Safety: A Practical Guide

Long Beach maintains 185 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with building safety. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Long Beach falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Electrical Permits

Long Beach requires an electrical permit for new wiring, alterations and most equipment operating above 25 volts or 50 watts, under LBMC § 18.04.010(C), enforced through the City's own adopted 2025 California Electrical Code. A defined list of minor, low-voltage or portable work is exempt.

Key details: Governing section: LBMC § 18.04.010(C). Adopted code: 2025 California Electrical Code, LBMC § 18.42.010. Voltage/wattage trigger: >25 volts or capable of >50 watts. Smoke-detector exemption: Licensed contractor swap, no electrical permit needed (§18.04.020(D)(10)). Penalty: Unpermitted structure/installation, misdemeanor.

Electrical work performed without a required permit creates an unpermitted structure or installation under LBMC § 18.09.070, exposing the responsible party to misdemeanor prosecution under Title 18's general penalty clause, and the Building Official may de-energize or order removal of noncompliant wiring until it is permitted and inspected.

Plumbing Permits

Long Beach requires a plumbing permit before any plumbing, water piping, gas piping or water heater work under LBMC § 18.04.010(D), enforced under the City's own adopted 2025 California Plumbing Code. A short list of minor repairs is exempt from the permit under § 18.04.020(E).

Key details: Governing section: LBMC § 18.04.010(D). Adopted code: 2025 California Plumbing Code, LBMC § 18.43.010. Demolition requirement: Sewer, water, gas service must be capped and inspected. Minor-repair exemption: Leak stops, faucet/trap swaps, short gas runs (§18.04.020(E)). Fees: Set by City Council resolution, § 18.06.010(D).

Plumbing work performed without the required permit is an unpermitted structure violation under § 18.09.070 and is enforced by the Building Official as a misdemeanor under Title 18's general penalty clause; the Building Official may also order correction of noncompliant work before granting final approval or a certificate of occupancy.

Green Building Code

Long Beach adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code by reference as its own Green Building Standards Code under Chapter 18.47, then layers local amendments -- rerouting construction-waste compliance through the City's own recycling chapter and requiring separate utility submetering for every residential and nonresidential use in mixed buildings.

Key details: Code adopted: 2025 CALGreen, Title 24 Part 11. Local name: Long Beach Green Building Standards Code. Waste diversion: Routed to local Chapter 18.67, not state form. Mixed-use submetering: Separate meters per residential & nonresidential use. Adopting ordinance: ORD-25-0019, effective 2025.

Projects that skip the Chapter 18.67 waste-reduction routing required by Section 18.47.020, or fail to install the separate residential/nonresidential submetering required by Section 18.47.040, are out of compliance with the Long Beach Green Building Standards Code and can be held at plan check or final inspection until the CALGreen amendments are met before a certificate of occupancy issues.

Building Permits

Long Beach requires a permit before any building, grading, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or sign work begins. LBMC § 18.04.010 bars erecting, altering, remodeling, moving, converting or demolishing any building or structure, or changing its occupancy, without a permit issued first by the Building Official in the Department of Community Development.

Key details: Permit categories: building, grading, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign. Grading permit trigger: >100 cu yd or >5 ft deep cut. Application section: LBMC § 18.04.030. Issuing authority: Building Official, Dept. of Community Development. Combination permit: available for 1-2 family dwellings, § 18.04.010(F).

Doing any of the seven categories of permitted work without first obtaining the required permit is a Municipal Code violation under § 1.32.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction capped at $1,000, with each day of unpermitted work a separate offense. The Building Official may also issue a written stop-work order under § 18.03.020(H) and treat the unpermitted condition as a public nuisance subject to summary abatement.

Door Locking Hardware

Long Beach can force a motel to install deadbolt locks, peepholes, window locks, and door chains or swing bars on every guest room door. Municipal Code Section 5.57.030(A)(4) makes this one of the corrective measures a nuisance-designated motel must adopt to keep its business license under Chapter 5.57.

Key details: Trigger: Motel deemed a nuisance site. Requirement: Deadbolts, peepholes, window locks, chains. Decided by: City Interdepartmental Team. Correction window: 30 days after written notice. Enforcement: Chapter 9.65 citation or 9.37 abatement.

Failure to install the required deadbolts, peepholes, window locks, or door chains after a nuisance finding lets the City issue an administrative citation under Chapter 9.65 or pursue nuisance abatement under Chapter 9.37; continued noncompliance can result in suspension or revocation of the motel's business permit under Chapter 5.06 or loss of its conditional use status under Title 21.

Fire Sprinkler Requirements

Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.48.440 amends California Fire Code § 903.2.8 to require automatic fire sprinklers in every new multi-family building of three or more units, hotels, motels and similar occupancies, and, going further than the state model code, in every new single-family dwelling and duplex built in the city.

Key details: Governing section: LBMC § 18.48.440 (amends CFC § 903.2.8). Single-family/duplex: Sprinklers required in all new construction. Multi-family threshold: 3+ units, hotels and motels require sprinklers. Commercial threshold: 2+ exits or over 3,000 sq ft. Partial systems: Not allowed except behind a fire wall.

Building without required sprinklers is enforced like any other Building Code violation: under § 18.03.020.H the Building Official can issue a stop-work order until the system is installed, and under § 18.03.020.I can cancel a Certificate of Occupancy if the deficiency isn't corrected in the time given. Beyond that, § 1.32.010's general penalty applies, a misdemeanor of up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction, with each day a separate violation.

This is one of the stricter rules in Long Beach's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Lead Paint

Long Beach's own Community Lead Hazard Control chapter, LBMC § 8.27, requires removal of lead hazards once the City Health Officer confirms a child under six has an elevated blood lead level, reaching any dwelling, hotel, child care facility, yard or soil where children live or gather. It's also unlawful citywide to apply or sell paint exceeding 0.06% lead by weight on any child-accessible surface.

Key details: Governing chapter: LBMC § 8.27, Ord. C-7367 (1995). Trigger: child under 6 with elevated blood lead level. Elevated level: 20 µg/dL, or 15 µg/dL twice within 3 months. Scope: dwellings, hotels, child care facilities, yards, soil. Paint threshold: unlawful over 0.06% lead by weight.

Refusing to abate an ordered lead hazard, disturbing installed abatement or interim controls, letting dangerous lead levels stay accessible to children, or selling, applying or maintaining paint over 0.06% lead on a child-accessible surface is "unlawful and a misdemeanor" under LBMC § 8.27.050; only State-certified workers may lawfully perform the abatement or removal, per § 8.27.080.

Compared to other cities, Long Beach takes a harder line on lead paint. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Building Inspections

Every permitted building project in Long Beach runs through a fixed inspection sequence under LBMC § 18.07.050, footing and foundation, framing, energy efficiency and a final inspection before occupancy, each one requiring the Building Official's written approval before work can proceed to the next stage.

Key details: Notice before inspection: at least 1 working day, § 18.07.030(A). First required inspection: footing and foundation. Last required inspection: final inspection, before occupancy. Approval required: written sign-off before covering work, § 18.07.040. Special inspectors: required for listed CBC Ch. 17 work, § 18.07.080.

Covering or concealing work before the required inspection is a Code violation under § 1.32.010: a misdemeanor with up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction, each day a separate offense. The Building Official can order exposure of concealed work under § 18.03.020(G) at the responsible party's expense, and stop further work under § 18.03.020(H).

The Bottom Line

Long Beach is tougher than many cities when it comes to building safety. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Long Beach, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Long Beach can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.