Frequently
Asked Questions

A permit expeditor coordinates permit applications, plan check comments, city department communication, resubmittals, and approval tracking to help construction projects move through the permitting process faster. Instead of architects or contractors spending hours navigating city bureaucracies, we prepare the application packages, route them to the correct departments (Building & Safety, Planning, Fire, etc.), address reviewer comments, and aggressively track progress to secure approvals with fewer delays.

Permit timelines in Los Angeles vary based on project scope, location (e.g., hillside or coastal zones), and the current backlog at LADBS. Simple tenant improvements may take a few weeks, while complex ground-up commercial developments can take several months. Our value is ensuring your submittal does not face unnecessary delays due to incomplete formatting, missed clearances, or routing errors — significantly reducing the overall timeline.

A permit expeditor focuses on moving an existing permit application through the municipal process — managing submittals, tracking approvals, and resolving city comments. A permit consultant provides advisory services earlier in the process, including feasibility analysis, code research, and entitlement strategy. Ocean Permits & Development does both: we can advise during design and then shepherd the permit through to approval.

Most ADU permits in Los Angeles are processed under a ministerial (streamlined) approval pathway, which bypasses discretionary hearings. Standard plan check at LADBS typically takes 4 to 8 weeks for over-the-counter review, though complex ADUs or projects in special zones may take longer. Engaging a permit expeditor early — before plans are finalized — can identify and resolve code compliance issues before submittal, preventing costly resubmittals and delays.

The most common causes of permit rejections and delays in Los Angeles include: incomplete or inconsistent plan sets, missing departmental clearances (Planning, Fire, Public Works, etc.), zoning non-compliance, insufficient documentation for special conditions (hillside, coastal, historic), and incorrect fee calculations. Our pre-submittal review process identifies these issues before they reach the plan checker, reducing the chance of a correction notice.

Yes. We specialize in managing permit rollouts for national retail brands and restaurant chains across California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. We provide centralized management and standardize the process across varying local jurisdictions, reducing the administrative burden on your internal team and accelerating your store opening schedule.

The earlier, the better. We offer Pre-Submittal Consulting during the design phase to review architectural plans against local municipal codes. Catching potential compliance issues before final drawings are complete prevents costly and time-consuming resubmittals later. For entitlement projects, early engagement allows us to develop a strategic approval roadmap before you invest in full construction documents.

Yes. We assist property owners who need to legalize unpermitted work or resolve active code violations. This involves assessing the existing conditions, determining the correct permit pathway, coordinating with the city inspector, and guiding the project through to final sign-off. Resolving violations promptly is essential before refinancing, selling, or renovating a property.

We primarily serve the Greater Los Angeles area, including the City of Los Angeles (LADBS), Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, and surrounding cities. We also manage projects in Arizona, Texas, and Florida for rollout clients. Contact us to confirm coverage for your specific jurisdiction.

Yes, Ocean Permits & Development is a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), founded in 2021 by Katherine Amaya.

Permit expediting fees in Los Angeles are typically scoped to the complexity of the project rather than a flat rate — a simple over-the-counter residential permit costs far less to expedite than a commercial tenant improvement with multiple department clearances, or a discretionary entitlement requiring a Planning Commission hearing. Most clients pay either a flat project fee or an hourly rate depending on scope. We provide a specific, written quote after a free consultation where we review your plans, project type, and jurisdiction — so there are no surprise fees once work begins.

It depends heavily on the permit type and submittal quality. A straightforward Express Permit for simple electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work can be issued the same day. Standard plan check for a residential addition or ADU typically runs 4 to 8 weeks. Commercial tenant improvements and larger projects can take 2 to 4 months, and discretionary approvals requiring a public hearing can add several more months. The single biggest factor within your control is submittal completeness — a package that's missing a clearance or has inconsistent drawings goes to a correction cycle, which is where most avoidable delay happens. We prepare and pre-check every submittal to minimize that risk.

Yes. ADU and JADU permits — including detached new construction, attached additions, and garage conversions — are one of our most common project types. Most ADUs in California qualify for a ministerial (non-discretionary) review pathway, which is faster than a standard permit, but the plans still have to satisfy setback, height, parking, and fire-separation requirements specific to the jurisdiction. Garage conversions add their own wrinkles around existing foundation conditions and utility relocation. We review plans against local ADU ordinances before submittal to prevent the most common causes of rejection.

Yes. We regularly manage tenant improvement (TI) permits for restaurants, retail, medical and dental offices, and general commercial space across Los Angeles and surrounding cities. Commercial permits typically involve more departments than residential work — Building & Safety plan check, Fire Department clearance, health department coordination for food service, and sometimes Planning sign-off for signage or use changes. We coordinate all of these tracks in parallel rather than sequentially, which is usually the difference between a TI that opens on schedule and one that slips by months.

We help property owners resolve active code violations and legalize unpermitted work — a common issue that surfaces during a sale, refinance, or insurance review. The process starts with an assessment of what was built without permits, followed by determining the correct legalization pathway (which sometimes requires opening walls or providing engineering documentation to confirm code compliance), coordinating with the assigned code enforcement inspector, and carrying the case through to final sign-off. Addressing a violation proactively is almost always faster and less costly than waiting for the city to escalate it.

Yes — this is an active focus of our practice following the January 2025 wildfires. Pacific Palisades rebuilds go through LADBS as part of the City of Los Angeles, while Altadena rebuilds go through LA County Building & Safety, since Altadena is unincorporated County land — two entirely different agencies with different portals and review processes. We help homeowners in both areas use the expedited rebuild pathways, fee waivers, and (where a Coastal Development Permit applies in Pacific Palisades) coordinate that review concurrently with the building permit. See our dedicated rebuild guide for the full process.

The free consultation is a working session, not a sales pitch. We review your project scope, property address, and any plans you already have, identify which jurisdiction and departments will be involved, flag likely complications (zoning overlays, Coastal Zone, Fire Hazard Severity Zone, historic districts, HOA requirements), and give you a realistic timeline and fee estimate before you commit to anything. Most clients come away from the call with a clear next step, whether or not they decide to engage us.

We're based in Downtown Los Angeles and serve the greater Los Angeles area — including the City of Los Angeles (LADBS), Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Culver City, Long Beach, West Hollywood, and the fire-affected communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena — plus multi-state rollout programs for retail and restaurant brands in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. See our full locations page for city-specific detail, or contact us to confirm coverage for your address.