Building & Safety

Overview
The Building and Safety Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works serves under contract as the City’s Building and Safety Department.

History

The County Building and Safety Division was originally established as a department in March 1933 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. This action was taken in the wake of the Long Beach earthquake, which brought to focus the importance of maintaining and enforcing effective building laws.

Main Goals

The primary function of the Building and Safety Division is the enforcement, through the plan check and inspection process, of the building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes, as well as other local and state requirements relevant to the construction and occupancy of public and private structures.

Some of the other pertinent state and local requirements enforced by Building and Safety include:

• General hazards mitigation
• National pollution discharge elimination system (in conjunction with the City Engineer)
• Standard Urban Stormwater Mitigation Plan (in conjunction with the City Engineer)
• Geology
• Disabled access
• Sound attenuation
• Energy conservation
• Environmental protection