Long Beach, CA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.07.050(A) lists the staged inspections the Building Official must make on any permitted building project, each triggered by written notification from the permit holder under § 18.07.030(A), which requires at least one working day's notice. The sequence starts with the footing and foundation inspection, made after footing excavations are complete and reinforcing steel is placed, followed in turn by the concrete slab and under-floor inspection, a methane gas mitigation system inspection where applicable, a lowest-floor-elevation check in flood hazard areas, the frame inspection once roof deck, framing, fire blocking, bracing and rough utilities are in and approved, and inspections for lath/gypsum board, fire- and smoke-resistant penetrations, and energy efficiency compliance with the California Energy Code adopted in Chapter 18.46.

Work may not proceed past any of these stages without the Building Official's written approval under § 18.07.040: nothing that is inspected may be covered or concealed until it is signed off. Certain work additionally requires a registered special inspector under § 18.07.080 for the categories listed in Chapter 17 of the California Building Code. The sequence ends with the final inspection, made after all permitted work is complete and before occupancy, and required before the Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy under § 18.08.010. Parallel inspection sequences apply to electrical, plumbing, mechanical and grading work under § 18.07.050(B) through (E).