The Firm
Precision. Expertise.
Unhurried confidence.
Founded in 2021, Ocean Permits & Development was built on a simple premise: the permit process doesn't have to be a black box of delays and confusion.
As a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise, we bring a fresh, highly professional approach to a traditionally opaque industry. We serve as an extension of your architecture firm or development team, representing your interests at the city counter with competence and grace.
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The Difference
The Ocean Permits Difference
Zero Clutter
Every submittal is meticulously reviewed for code compliance before it ever reaches the city.
Proactive Strategy
We identify potential roadblocks early and address them, preventing costly resubmittals.
Clear Communication
You will never have to guess the status of your project. We provide regular, transparent updates.
Our Story
Built in Los Angeles.
Grounded in expertise.
Ocean Permits & Development was founded in 2021 by Katherine Amaya with a clear mission: to provide architects, contractors, and developers with a permit expediting partner who brings the same precision and professionalism to the permitting process that they bring to design and construction.
Katherine built the firm after years working across the Los Angeles development ecosystem — observing how permit delays disrupted otherwise well-managed projects, and how much of that lost time was preventable with better preparation and more direct agency engagement. Ocean Permits was founded to close that gap.
Today, the firm operates as a boutique practice — deliberately kept small enough to maintain the personal engagement and quality control that define our work, while actively managing projects across California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Our team combines direct experience with LADBS, Santa Monica Building & Safety, LA County Building & Safety, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, and a wide range of other Southern California jurisdictions with a documented process that scales to multi-location rollout programs without losing the detail that matters.
As a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), we bring a professional standard to an industry that has historically operated with less transparency. Our clients — architecture firms, general contractors, national retail brands, real estate developers, and homeowners — choose us because we communicate clearly, prepare thoroughly, and deliver results they can rely on.
Mission & Values
The permit process should work for your project.
Our mission is to make the building permit process predictable and efficient for every client we serve. We do this by applying rigorous preparation before every submittal, maintaining direct relationships with plan checkers across our active jurisdictions, and responding to problems in hours — not days.
We believe that transparency is not optional. Every client receives a clear scope assessment at project outset, regular status updates throughout, and honest communication when something is taking longer than expected. We do not disappear into the permit queue and resurface when results are convenient.
Preparation over reaction
The best way to avoid a correction cycle is to anticipate what the reviewer will flag before the application is filed.
Direct agency engagement
We communicate with plan checkers directly — not through intermediaries — so technical questions get resolved in days, not weeks.
Honest scope assessment
We tell you what your project requires before you invest in drawings based on an incorrect assumption about permit requirements.
Boutique quality control
Every submittal package is reviewed by a senior team member before filing. Completeness is a standard, not a goal.
Who We Serve
Built for the professionals who build Los Angeles.
Architects & Design Professionals
We handle the permit track so design teams stay focused on design. From first submittal through correction responses and final approval, we eliminate the administrative overhead that pulls architects away from billable work.
General Contractors
Your crews can't start without the permit. We compress the timeline between plan approval and permit issuance — so you can mobilize on schedule, make confident commitments to clients, and avoid the idle-crew cost of a permit held up in queue.
Real Estate Developers
We engage from the entitlement stage through building permit and construction inspection coordination. For developers with multiple active projects across different jurisdictions, we provide a single permitting partner with consistent tracking and reporting across the portfolio.
National Retail & Restaurant Brands
Multi-location permit programs require a different operating model. We coordinate rollout permits across California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida with centralized documentation, standardized processes adapted to local requirements, and one consolidated status report covering every market.
Commercial Tenants & Landlords
TI permits determine opening dates. We conduct a pre-submittal scope review to identify every required agency and every permit trigger — so your GC has a clear roadmap before demolition begins.
Homeowners
Remodels, ADUs, and fire rebuilds are complex for anyone encountering the permit process for the first time. We explain exactly what's required, manage the agency relationship on your behalf, and flag issues before they become delays.
See our full industries page for client-specific detail, or explore our services to understand the permit types we manage.
Certification
Women-Owned Business Enterprise
Ocean Permits & Development is a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE). Katherine Amaya is the founder, principal, and majority owner of the firm. Our certification reflects our ownership structure and our commitment to a professional standard that this industry has not always maintained.
For public agency and private clients with diversity procurement requirements or WBE/WOSB subcontracting targets, we are available to provide certification documentation upon request.
Where We Work
Service Area
Common Questions
About the firm.
When was Ocean Permits & Development founded?
Ocean Permits & Development was founded in 2021 by Katherine Amaya. The firm was built on the premise that permit expediting should be transparent, strategic, and client-centered — not a black box of delays and confusion. Since founding, we have grown to serve architects, contractors, developers, and national brands across California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida.
Is Ocean Permits a Women-Owned Business?
Yes. Ocean Permits & Development is a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE). Katherine Amaya founded and leads the firm. Our WBE certification reflects both our ownership structure and our commitment to bringing a professional, client-first approach to an industry that has historically been dominated by less transparent operators.
What makes Ocean Permits different from other permit expediters?
Three things: scope clarity, quality control, and communication. Before any application is filed, we identify every required agency, every permit trigger, and every potential roadblock — in writing, for your review. Every submittal is reviewed for code compliance before it reaches the counter. And you always know the status of your project — we provide regular updates without you having to chase us. We function as an extension of your team, not as a processing service.
What cities and jurisdictions does Ocean Permits work in?
Our primary market is Los Angeles and the surrounding municipalities — LADBS, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, and LA County unincorporated areas including Altadena. We also actively serve Orange County, San Diego, and municipalities across California. Outside California, we manage permits in Arizona (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe), Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston), and Florida (Miami, Orlando, Tampa). For multi-state rollout programs, we provide centralized coordination across all markets.
How does Ocean Permits handle plan check corrections?
We respond to plan check corrections within 24–48 hours in most cases — far faster than the week-plus response time common when applicants handle corrections themselves alongside other project responsibilities. We communicate directly with the plan checker assigned to your file, identify the root cause of each correction, and prepare a comprehensive response that addresses every comment in a single resubmittal. Minimizing the number of correction cycles is one of the most significant ways we compress total permit timelines.
Does Ocean Permits handle fire rebuild permits in Pacific Palisades and Altadena?
Yes. Following the January 2025 wildfires, we established a dedicated rebuild expediting practice for properties in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. We navigate LADBS's accelerated rebuild pathways for City of Los Angeles properties, and LA County Building & Safety's separate process for Altadena (which is unincorporated county territory). We also manage Coastal Development Permit requirements for Palisades properties in the Coastal Zone.
Featured In
Our founder, in conversation.
Katherine Amaya on building a women-owned firm in a male-dominated industry, the strategy behind permitting, and turning pressure into an edge.
Meet Katherine Amaya
Balancing assertiveness with collaboration and continually demonstrating value is how women thrive in industries where they are often the minority.Read the Interview
Story & Lesson Highlights with Katherine Amaya
Permit expediting is misunderstood as just paperwork. In reality, it is a highly strategic and technical process — foresight, accuracy, and advocacy at every step.Read the Interview