What's Required in Long Beach
- Permit required for anything beyond paint, floor and wall coverings, tile up to 48 in, faucet or like-for-like disposal swaps, and work under $1,000 that does not affect structure
- Same-layout replacement of cabinets, counters, flooring and fixtures is an express combination permit with no plans (IB-058 item B3)
- Relocating fixtures, new circuits, new wall penetrations, or wall and window changes require plan review (over the counter for one-story homes)
- Valuation minimum of $40,000 per 100 sq ft of kitchen (IB-077); combination permit is 150 percent of the building fee plus $115 processing
- Plan-reviewed remodels: floor plan, fixture and outlet locations, ventilation cfm, CF-1R energy report and alarm locations per IB-045
- AFCI protection on 15- and 20-amp receptacle circuits, tamper-resistant outlets, GFCI and AFCI on kitchen receptacles
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms updated whenever a permit is issued for an alteration (IB-028)
- Permit holder is a CSLB-licensed contractor with a Long Beach business license or the homeowner under IB-029; no express service in the Coastal Zone or historic districts
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Kitchen in Long Beach?
For anything beyond finishes, yes. The Building and Safety Bureau exempts painting, wall treatments, floor and wall coverings, and tile on floors, counters or walls up to 48 inches high, and the code adds a general exemption for work valued at $1,000 or less that does not affect structure or safety. Replacing a faucet, or swapping a garbage disposal for the same type and rating in the same spot, needs no permit either. But the city's own page warns that replacing sinks and dishwashers requires a permit, and kitchen remodels are on the Permit Center's Express Permit list. Express item B3 in IB-058 covers repairing or replacing existing cabinets, flooring, wall finishes, tile, counters and plumbing or electrical fixtures in the same location with the same size and type, with no change to walls, openings or the kitchen layout and no new penetrations for plumbing or wiring. That permit needs no plans, and one- and two-family homes can get a minor kitchen remodel permit online. Move the sink, add a circuit or open a wall and the job goes to plan review.
Long Beach Kitchen Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Paint, wallpaper, flooring, or backsplash tile up to 48 in high | None | LBMC 18.04.020.B.9-10; Do I Need a Permit page |
| Replace a faucet, or a garbage disposal of the same type and rating in the same spot | None | Do I Need a Permit page (plumbing and electrical exemptions) |
| New cabinets, counters, flooring and fixtures in the same locations, no wall or opening changes | Express combination building permit (B3), online for 1-2 family homes | IB-058 item B3; Online Permitting page |
| Replace the sink or dishwasher (a plumbing fixture) | Permit required; express plumbing item P3 covers same-size, same-place swaps | Do I Need a Permit page; IB-058 item P3 |
| Move the sink, add circuits or outlets, or run new pipe or wire into walls | Building permit with plan review (over the counter for a one-story home) | IB-058 item B3 exclusions; IB-002 |
| Remove or open a wall, add or enlarge a window | Plan review with structural details; stamped plans if not prescriptive | IB-013; IB-045 |
| Home in the Coastal Zone or a Historic District | No express service; plan review and Planning approvals | IB-058 |
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Permit Cost in Long Beach?
Kitchen permits are priced on valuation, and IB-077 sets the city's minimum valuation for a kitchen remodel at $40,000 per 100 square feet, so even a modest job is billed as if it costs at least that much. Because a one- or two-family remodel that includes electrical and plumbing work is issued as a combination building permit, the permit fee is 150 percent of the building permit fee, which is $441 for the first $20,000 of value plus $11 per $1,000 up to $50,000, then $786 plus $10 per $1,000 up to $100,000. Add the $115 processing fee, the state seismic fee of $0.13 per $1,000 and the $1 per $25,000 green-building fee. Plan-reviewed remodels add plan check at 85 percent of the building permit fee and a records fee of 5 percent of the permit fee.
Worked examples: an express remodel of a 120-square-foot kitchen is valued at $48,000, so the building fee is $441 + (28 x $11) = $749, the combination permit is $1,124, and the total is about $1,247. A 150-square-foot kitchen with a new layout is valued at $60,000, so the building fee is $886, the combination permit $1,329, plan check $753, and the total with processing, state and records fees is about $2,274. The City Council approved a new fee schedule on September 8, 2026, effective October 1, 2026; check the posted schedule after that date.
What the Plan Reviewer and Inspector Look For
A remodel that changes the layout follows the RMDL column of IB-045: a floor plan with room dimensions and new versus existing walls, the locations of plumbing fixtures, outlets, switches and panels, kitchen ventilation with its cfm rating, Title 24 energy compliance with a CF-1R report, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm locations, because any permitted alteration triggers the smoke alarm rules in CRC R314. IB-045 also states the wiring rules: arc-fault protection on 15- and 20-amp receptacle circuits, tamper-resistant outlets, and GFCI plus AFCI protection for kitchen receptacles. An unlicensed person may draw plans for nonstructural interior alterations and cabinetwork, but structural changes need a registered design professional (IB-013). Express service is not offered in the Coastal Zone or a Historic District.
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. Express permits are issued at an in-person appointment or online for minor remodels; contractors with a city PIN can file trade permits online. One residential inspector checks rough plumbing, wiring and the final. The permit is void if work has not started within 90 days. Working without a permit adds an investigation fee equal to the permit fee, with a $465 minimum.
How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in Long Beach
Sort the scope
Finishes only need nothing. Same-spot cabinet, counter and fixture replacement is express item B3. Moving fixtures, adding circuits or opening walls means plan review.
Apply
Express jobs: online for a one- or two-family home, or an in-person appointment with APP-011 and FORM-005. Plan-review jobs: APP-001 with IB-045 plans on a USB drive at an over-the-counter appointment.
Pay the valuation-based fee
About $1,247 for an express 120 sq ft kitchen, about $2,274 with plan check for a 150 sq ft layout change. Fees change October 1, 2026.
Rough inspections before closing walls
The residential inspector checks plumbing, wiring with AFCI and GFCI protection, and ventilation ducting; request each inspection online by 3 p.m. the day before.
Final inspection
Fixtures, energy-code documents, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are checked. Start within 90 days so the permit does not expire.