Long Beach, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Below 8 feet
- Encroachment prohibited, § 14.48.040(A)
- Above 8 feet
- 1 inch out per 1 inch of clearance
- Maximum above-grade projection
- 4 feet at 12-foot clearance
- Below-grade footings
- Max 12 inches beyond lot line
- Permit required
- Yes, § 14.48.050, all encroachments
Summary
Long Beach bars building encroachments into the public right-of-way below eight feet, but allows awnings, canopies, signs and balconies above eight feet if clearance and setback formulas are met, and every encroachment requires a City permit under Chapter 14.48.
A. Encroachments into the public right-of-way above grade and below eight feet (8') in height are prohibited... All existing encroachments into a street or alley must be remedied as part of a new development. [...] B. Encroachments into the public right-of-way above eight feet (8') in height above a sidewalk are allowed for awnings, canopies, signs, architectural features, balconies, and windows. These improvements can encroach over the property line one (1) inch for each additional one inch (1") of clearance above eight feet (8'). The maximum encroachment shall be four feet (4') at a minimum clearance height of twelve feet (12').
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
040(A) prohibits encroachments into the public right-of-way above grade and below eight feet in height, including doors, windows, gates and other movable objects that can open or project into the right-of-way, and requires existing violations to be remedied as part of any new development, with narrow exceptions for existing fenestrations and existing steps, ramps or architectural features in a sidewalk if a City-approved warning device is installed. 040(B) allows encroachments above eight feet for awnings, canopies, signs, architectural features, balconies and windows, permitting one additional inch of horizontal encroachment for each additional inch of clearance above eight feet, up to a maximum four-foot encroachment at a minimum twelve-foot clearance height.
040(D)). 08. 050 requires a City permit for every right-of-way encroachment, with the applicant submitting plan drawings showing dimensions relative to the property line and adjoining public infrastructure and paying all applicable fees. 020 before any improvement permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or maintaining an encroachment below eight feet without a qualifying exception, exceeding the one-inch-per-inch above-grade formula or the four-foot maximum projection, or performing right-of-way work without the § 14.48.050 permit and, where applicable, an executed Installation and Maintenance Agreement, is a violation subject to remediation as a condition of any new development and to the permit fees and enforcement mechanisms administered by the City under Chapter 14.08.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a balcony that overhangs the Long Beach sidewalk?
Do underground footings need a permit if they cross my lot line in Long Beach?
What has to happen to old doors that swing into the Long Beach right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle encroachment permits.