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Permitting Tools & Tips

Los Angeles Retail Permits: A Complete Guide

Building codes keep everyone safe and permits ensure everyone plays by the same, established rules. If you’re building out your new retail space, these rules will apply to you, whether in a mall, shopping plaza, or a standalone building. We’ve consolidated our decades of experience expediting the building permit process for new Los Angeles retail locations. The whole process is outlined within this resource, from who’s involved to timelines to costs. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a clear understanding of your responsibilities as a tenant, the timeline and potential costs of obtaining your permit, and how to get the ball rolling. So let’s get into it. If you have any questions or need any help, please let us know. Sincerely, Mike Robinson President, Permit Place Table of Contents Parties involved Departments involved Types of retail LA retail permits needed Exterior signage LA retail permitting process LA retail permitting timeline LA retail permitting costs Who Is Involved In Retail Construction & Permitting? There are typically three parties involved in the retail construction and permitting process—The tenant, the landlord, and the agency who has jurisdiction over the location. Let’s discuss each one and their responsibilities. 1. Tenant If you’re

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June 9, 2021

What Is A Permit Expediter

What Is A Permit Expediter? A quality building permit expediter is a multi-disciplined professional that specializes in the submittal and permitting process and local building codes of specific areas of the country.  Professional permit expediters can advise on local ordinances, special overlay zones and codes and advise the owner’s, architects and engineers on how to get their building projects approved more quickly.  Building permit expediters will go to City Hall and wait for their clients to see City Officials and discuss blueprint revisions with plan examiners.  Permit expediters can also have extensive Planning experience and can represent their clients at zoning, architectural review and variance hearings.   The permit expediter role is typically that of a facilitator between the City’s staff and how staff may interpret their local building and zoning codes and the owner or the owner’s consultants such as Architects.  The building permit expediter may even work on behalf of the owner’s architect rather than the architect themselves as it often represents a cost savings to the owner and helps keep their architect’s overhead costs down.   Rather than keep an expensive Land Use Planner and Code Consultant on staff, an architect can simply hire a building permit expediter’s

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June 8, 2021

Thinking of Remodeling Your Hotel?

Receiving a San Diego Hotel Building Permit Using San Diego Hotel Permit Expediter If you own a hotel, you know that the industry that you are competing in is one that you have to keep your establishment updated and attractive in order to stay competitive. Because you know this, you may be planning on remodeling your hotel in order to make it more attractive to potential guests, but you may also know that remodeling a hotel requires permits. And permits require a lot of time and energy. Benefits of Using a Hotel Permit Expediter In San Diego, Hotel permits need floor by floor permits, permits from the fire department, health, human services and mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits.  You may need a beer and wine licenses to serve your guests. Getting the right permits, can make all the difference. At Permit Place, our San Diego hotel building permit experts are local guides to walk you through the San Diego permti process.  San Diego Hotel Building Permits Building permits are required  to make sure that your establishment is safe, secure, and within zoning regulations. Permit Place can help because we specialize in hotel permit services with local staff in San Diego.  We help

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May 26, 2021

How to Prepare for LA Restaurant Site Inspections

  This resource is an expert from our Complete Guide to Los Angeles Restaurant Permits. Visit this page for everything you need to know about getting permits reviewed and approved quickly. After you obtain a permit for your restaurant renovations and begin construction work, requesting and completing site inspections is the next step in moving towards ultimately opening your restaurant to diners. Before your restaurant can open for business, inspections need to be passed and final permits rewarded. Construction work is generally inspected and approved in succession throughout the building process, which means no work may continue beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the inspector’s approval. Why does this matter? If another part of the project will conceal the work that needs to be inspected, you are required to get it inspected before the concealment work is started. Otherwise, you’ll have an unexpected demolition detour.   What Happens During a Building Inspection? Los Angeles’ Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) conducts plan check reviews and inspections via two different parts of the department, so you won’t be working with the same person who was with you for your plan check. During the inspection, an inspector

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February 18, 2021

6 Departments Key To Opening A Restaurant in Los Angeles

  This resource is an expert from our Complete Guide to Los Angeles Restaurant Permits. Visit this page for everything you need to know about getting permits reviewed and approved quickly. Have you had your sights set on opening a restaurant in Los Angeles? After much dreaming, planning, and late nights, it’s time. You’re ready to get started. Congratulations! An unavoidable part of the next several months of your journey will be attaining the proper permits to build and operate your restaurant. Having a clear understanding of who you’ll need to work with and their role can help smooth out the process and potentially avoid delays.   Primary LA Permitting Departments In an ideal society, you’d have one point of contact for your new restaurant or cafe — one permitting department to do things like: Get your building plans reviewed. Get all permits approved. Get all inspections passed. Unfortunately, LA isn’t quite there yet. Instead, there are two primary departments you’ll be working with: The Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety (LADBS) The County of Los Angeles Public Health   1. Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety (LADBS) The Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety, or LADBS,

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February 18, 2021

How Long Does It Take to Get a Restaurant Building Permit in LA?

  This resource is an expert from our Complete Guide to Los Angeles Restaurant Permits. Visit this page for everything you need to know about getting permits reviewed and approved quickly. Staying on-time and on-budget is critical when building a new restaurant in Los Angeles. To ensure your project stays on track, you need to know how long the process takes. While both the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) and County of Los Angeles Public Health are staffed by good people who want to see good things happen in their neighborhoods, they have a lot of other projects to manage. It is your responsibility to make their job as easy as possible and have everything they need ready when they need it. Generally speaking, expect the process from plan submission to ready-to-issue (RTI) permit to take between two and four months, but it’s a good idea to plan for more.   The Process and Timing of Getting Your Permits Here’s a quick look at the high-level steps in this process and how long each one tends to take. Preliminary Plan Review: This step is not a required one, but conducting a preliminary plan review is recommended since

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February 17, 2021

California Liquor Licenses: Types, Costs, Timeframes and How to Get One

To sell any type of alcohol in California, you must hold the proper liquor license. The tricky part is there are roughly 80 different types of liquor licenses available, each specific to the type of facility, sale and form of alcohol as well as where it is consumed. Understanding details like each license’s overall purpose, the fees and how to acquire it can help you choose the right license for your premises. But, you must choose wisely. As the true license will bring you time and fortune, a false license will take it from you. Unlike this infuriatingly unhelpful knight, Permit Place can guide you through the process and the decisions you’ll have to make (or manage the whole process for you). We wrote this resource to explain: The types of California liquor licenses available. How to choose the right one for your business. The associated fees and timeframes. We also provide answers to some frequently asked questions near the end. Getting a California liquor license can be a complicated crusade (sorry, last reference), but our team has done it hundreds of times. We are here to help should you have questions. Sincerely,– Mike Robinson (not named after the family

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December 22, 2020

Blueprint copies from City of Los Angeles Building and Safety.

Blueprint Copies from LADBS Blueprint copies of site plans on a property from the City of Los Angeles are sometimes necessary when you are applying for permits.  To obtain copies of site plans from the City of LA Building Department (LADBS) you need three things up front: A release letter from the current owner. A copy of the current owner’s grant deed. A release letter from the architect and engineer whose stamp is on the plans.  Letters must be on Letterhead and have engineer/architect’s stamp and signature. Things to know… Not all properties have plans on file with LADBS.  Prior to 1978, no plans are available for single family homes or commercial buildings 3 stories and under. However, both new construction and alteration/improvement plans can be retrieved. Not sure who the architect and engineer are?  The original signature and seal can be obtained by viewing the plans on the microfilm reels at City Records. All original architect/engineer’s indicated on the plans must provide a release letter on company letterhead, not just one designer or the other.  In the case of a deceased architect/engineer, proof must be provided that they are no longer alive to release the plans.  An example is an article about their

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July 31, 2020

Ready to issue permit in LA…what is it?

Ready to Issue Permits in LA Ready to issue permits in LA are called RTI’s.  The City of LA issues all permit applications and issued permits at the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Plan Check and Inspection System (PCIS). Permit Submittal When you submit for a permit through the City of LA, your project goes into the PCIS system as a plan check. The status of the permit application as it winds it’s way through the system changes as it reaches each new stage or milestone. Ready To Issue status in LA is about the last stage of the process of the permit application before it is issued and fees are paid. Learn More About LA Permits Definition: A Ready to Issue permit at LADBS. Permit LA “The permit application is ready to be issued once the permit issuance fees are paid. The permit has not been issued.” According to the City of Los Angeles, there are 41 possible statuses that your permit application can be stuck in.  They can be Applied, Ready To Issue, or our favorite, Issued. In order to get your permit issued, however, you have to go through quite a few steps. In the City of

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July 31, 2020

Building Department Response to COVID 19

CITY OPEN/CLOSED PLAN CHECK PROCESS LINKS NOTES City of Los Angeles Open – Limited to 50 people https://www.lamayor.org/mayor-garcetti-issues-new-orders-help-protect-public-slow-spread-novel-coronavirus check website for updates Irvine Open – Business as usual https://www.cityofirvine.org/community-development/building-safety check website for updates Anaheim Hills Open – Business as usual https://www.anaheim.net/5454/Tracking-Coronavirus-Anaheim-Ready check website for updates Seal Beach Open – Business as usual Having a discussion to possibly have appointments for submittal. https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety Call office for updates. Or check website Rancho Santa Margarita Open – Business as usual no words of shutting down. City of Santa Clara Closed Monday to public until further notice. Update 3/13/2020: The City has begun implementation of the County of Santa Clara’s new mandatory order which bans any gathering of more than 100 people. Also, the County order bans gatherings of 35 to 100 people unless five specific conditions are met. The order will take effect at 12 a.m. March 14 and will be in effect for at least three weeks. https://www.santaclaraca.gov/i-want-to/stay-informed/current-topics/coronavirus-updates Appointment required to drop off or pick up plans

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July 14, 2020