Entitlements and permits in Los Angeles City and County

 

Los Angeles County has 88 cities and a huge unincorporated area, and each one runs its own planning and permit process. IPG works across all of it: the City of Los Angeles, the County's unincorporated communities, and cities like Santa Clarita, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Pomona, Arcadia and Alhambra.

 

The City of Los Angeles alone has City Planning, the Zoning Administrator, Area Planning Commissions, LADBS, LADWP, the Bureau of Engineering and neighborhood councils. We have worked inside that system for more than 20 years.

 

How IPG helps

• City of Los Angeles: zone changes, general plan amendments, conditional uses, variances, State Density Bonus and the City's housing incentive programs, LADBS plan check and clearances.

• Unincorporated LA County: Regional Planning entitlements, Building and Safety through EPIC-LA, Public Works, Fire, fuel modification and Public Health.

• The other cities in the county: every one has its own code, and we know how to read it and who to call.

• Neighborhood council and council office outreach early, before it becomes opposition.

 

IPG in the area

• A zone change and general plan amendment for a medical office in Koreatown.

• A 75-unit mixed-use building in South Pasadena on a site zoned for 50, with 18 ADUs to follow.

• A national restaurant brand's new drive-through in Valencia with nine County reviews running at once.

• Multifamily projects in Los Angeles and Pomona, a conditional use permit in unincorporated Kagel Canyon, an industrial site in Sylmar, and fire rebuild permits in Altadena.

 

If your project is in Los Angeles County, the question is not whether it can be done but which path gets it done fastest.

 

Common questions

Do I need a zone change, or can I build by right in Los Angeles?

It depends on the zone, the general plan designation and any overlays or specific plans on the site. Many projects can use state housing laws or the City's incentive programs instead of a zone change. We check all of it up front.

 

Is unincorporated LA County different from the City of Los Angeles?

Yes. Unincorporated areas go through LA County Regional Planning and County Building and Safety, with different rules, fees and timelines than the City.

 

Where we work: all of California, with most of our projects in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Fresno counties.

Have a site or a project stuck in the city process? Call 661-600-1265, email mike@ipgworks.com, or use the form below. We will tell you straight what your site can do and what it will take.