What's Required in Long Beach
- Mechanical permit required to replace or add heating or cooling equipment; repairs with the same parts, thermostats and portable units are exempt (LBMC 18.04.020.F)
- Express permit (no plans) for like-for-like changeouts up to 33,000 Btu/hr total, single gas furnaces in closets or attics, and duct changes up to 2,000 cfm (IB-058)
- Systems over 33,000 Btu/hr or work outside the express items go to mechanical plan review with a $216 minimum plan check and $110 energy review
- Computer-generated CF-1R and HERS verification for every changeout; HERS duct test when more than 40 linear ft of duct is new or replaced
- Furnace installs per IB-018: gas shutoff, line-of-sight disconnect, 22 x 30 in attic access, 30 in platform, receptacle and light, gas sizing and pressure test
- Outdoor units not in the front yard and 3 ft from side and rear lines (Table 31-3)
- Fees: itemized fixtures with a $100 minimum plus the $115 processing fee; new circuits need a separate electrical permit
- Permit holder is a CSLB-licensed contractor with a Long Beach business license or the homeowner under IB-029; work must start within 90 days
Do You Need a Permit to Replace an AC or Furnace in Long Beach?
Yes. The municipal code exempts portable heating, ventilating and cooling units and the replacement or repair of a component part of an appliance that does not alter its original approval, so a new blower motor, capacitor or thermostat needs nothing. Replacing the equipment itself is mechanical permit work, but Long Beach handles most of it as an Express Permit under IB-058: item M1 covers replacing existing HVAC units with the same size and type, like for like, as long as the total of all units does not exceed 33,000 Btu/hr; item M2 covers adding or relocating units within the same cap; item M6 covers installing or replacing a single gas heater or vented furnace in an enclosure or the attic, as long as it does not open into a sleeping room or take up a required parking stall; and item M5 covers altering or adding ducts within the dwelling up to 2,000 cfm. Larger systems go to mechanical plan review. Every changeout needs a computer-generated CF-1R and HERS verification, and new or replaced ductwork over 40 linear feet needs a HERS duct test. Express service is not available in the Coastal Zone or a Historic District.
Long Beach HVAC Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Repair with the same parts (blower motor, capacitor, control board), a thermostat, or a portable unit | None | LBMC 18.04.020.F; Do I Need a Permit page |
| Like-for-like replacement of AC or heat pump units totaling 33,000 Btu/hr or less | Express mechanical permit (M1) with FORM-027; HERS verification | IB-058 item M1 |
| Replace or install a single gas furnace in a closet or the attic | Express mechanical permit (M6) | IB-058 item M6 |
| Alter or add ducts inside the home, up to 2,000 cfm | Express mechanical permit (M5); HERS test if over 40 linear ft | IB-058 item M5 |
| Units totaling more than 33,000 Btu/hr, or equipment moved to a new spot | Mechanical plan review with a $216 minimum plan check | IB-002; IB-058 items M1-M2 |
| New outdoor condenser location | Not in the front yard; 3 ft from side and rear property lines | LBMC Table 31-3 |
| New circuit or disconnect for the equipment | Electrical permit | LBMC 18.04.010 |
How Much Does an HVAC Permit Cost in Long Beach?
Mechanical permits are itemized on the city's Mechanical Permit and Plan Check Fee schedule with a $100 minimum per permit, and every application adds a $115 processing fee. The line items are small: $15 to install or relocate a forced-air unit, wall heater or floor furnace, $16 for a comfort-cooling compressor of 25 horsepower or less, $22 for an air handler or fan coil, $19 for altering or adding a duct system, $9 per appliance vent and $4 per air inlet or outlet. A split-system changeout is $15 + $16 + $22 = $53, which rounds up to the $100 minimum, so the express permit costs about $215 with processing; a furnace-only swap is the same. When plan review is required, mechanical plan check is 100 percent of the permit fee with a $216 minimum, and the Title 24 energy plan check adds $0.064 per square foot with a $110 minimum, so a system over 33,000 Btu/hr is about $100 + $216 + $110 + $115 = $541. The City Council approved a new fee schedule on September 8, 2026, effective October 1, 2026; check the posted schedule after that date.
Installation Rules the Inspector Checks
IB-018 is the city's checklist for a forced-air unit: an accessible gas shutoff ahead of the flexible connector, a disconnect in line of sight, the vent through the roof with a listed cap at least 1 foot above a roof of flat to 6:12 pitch and 8 feet from a vertical wall, an attic opening of at least 22 by 30 inches, a 24-inch-wide solid walkway no more than 20 feet to the unit where headroom is under 6 feet, a 30-inch work platform, a receptacle and light at the unit, and a gas sizing diagram with a pressure test on new piping. Outdoor equipment follows zoning Table 31-3: ground-mounted air conditioners are not allowed in the front yard and must sit 3 feet from interior side and rear lines. All energy compliance forms must be registered with the California Energy Commission with a copy on site before final inspection.
Who Pulls the Permit
A contractor needs a California CSLB license and an active Long Beach business license; a homeowner may pull the permit for a one- or two-family home that is their principal residence under IB-029. Online mechanical permits are limited to registered contractors with a city PIN, who email a plot plan and the CF-1R and receive an invoice within one to three business days; everyone else obtains the express permit at an in-person appointment with APP-014 and FORM-005. Request the inspection online by 3 p.m. the day before. The permit is void if work has not started within 90 days, and unpermitted work draws an investigation fee equal to the permit fee, with a $465 minimum.
How to Get a HVAC Permit in Long Beach
Size the job against the express caps
Units totaling 33,000 Btu/hr or less replaced like for like, a single gas furnace, or ducts under 2,000 cfm qualify for an express permit; larger or relocated systems need plan review.
Get the CF-1R
A computer-generated CF-1R is required before HERS verification; registered contractors email it with a plot plan when filing online.
Apply
Contractors with a PIN file online and pay the invoice; homeowners and other contractors book an express appointment with APP-014, FORM-027 and FORM-005.
Pay about $215
The $100 minimum mechanical fee plus the $115 processing fee covers a typical changeout; plan-reviewed systems run about $541. Fees change October 1, 2026.
Install per IB-018 and call for inspection
Register the energy compliance forms with the Energy Commission, keep copies on site, and request the inspection online by 3 p.m. the day before.