What's Required in Long Beach
- No building permit for a one-story tool or storage shed up to 120 sq ft with no plumbing, electrical or mechanical work (LBMC 18.04.020.B.2)
- Any wiring or plumbing to a shed needs its own trade permit regardless of shed size
- Sheds over 120 sq ft need a building permit; small one-story accessory buildings qualify for over-the-counter plan review (IB-002)
- Accessory buildings go in the rear half of the lot, may touch the rear line and one side line if the other side yard stays at least 3 ft clear, and never in the front or street side yard
- Maximum 300 sq ft or 5 percent of lot area, one story and 13 ft tall, no loft, no bathing or cooking facilities (LBMC 21.31.245.C)
- Detached accessory buildings are prohibited in the R-1-S, R-1-M, R-2-S and R-2-I zones
- Plans: APP-001, FORM-028 plot plan, drawings at least 18 x 24 inches at 1/4 inch per foot, as PDFs on a USB drive
- 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
What Size Shed Needs a Permit in Long Beach?
Long Beach exempts one-story detached accessory structures used as tool or storage sheds, children's playhouses and similar uses from a building permit when the structure is accessory to a dwelling, does not exceed 120 square feet, and meets the zoning height limits (LBMC 18.04.020.B.2). The Building and Safety Bureau's Do I Need a Permit page adds two practical conditions: no more than 8 feet from floor to roof, and no plumbing, electrical or mechanical installations. Run a circuit to the shed and the wiring needs its own permit even though the shed does not. A 10 x 12 shed lands exactly at 120 square feet and stays exempt; anything larger needs a building permit and plan review.
Long Beach Shed Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Tool or storage shed or playhouse up to 120 sq ft, one story, no plumbing, electrical or mechanical | None (zoning location rules still apply) | LBMC 18.04.020.B.2; Do I Need a Permit page |
| Shed up to 120 sq ft, but you run power or water to it | Electrical or plumbing permit for that work only | LBMC 18.04.020.B.2; trade fee schedules |
| Shed over 120 sq ft, one story, up to 300 sq ft | Building permit with over-the-counter plan review | IB-002; LBMC 21.31.245.C |
| Accessory building over 300 sq ft or 5% of the lot, or over 13 ft tall | Not permitted as an accessory building | LBMC 21.31.245.C.3-4 |
| Shed in the front yard or the street side yard of a corner lot | Not permitted; rear half of the lot only | LBMC Table 31-3; 21.31.245.C.2 |
| Lot zoned R-1-S, R-1-M, R-2-S or R-2-I | Detached accessory buildings are prohibited | LBMC 21.31.245.C.5 |
| Shed with a bathroom or cooking facilities | Not an accessory building; it is a dwelling unit, see the ADU rules | LBMC 21.31.245.C.1 |
Where Can a Shed Go? Long Beach Zoning Rules
The zoning code controls sheds whether or not a building permit is required. Under LBMC 21.31.245.C, an accessory building must sit in the rear half of the lot; it may be built directly on the rear property line and on one side property line as long as the other side yard is at least 3 feet wide and kept clear, and it may not go in the street side yard of a corner lot. Table 31-3 bars detached accessory structures from the front yard entirely. Size is capped at 300 square feet or 5 percent of the lot area, whichever is smaller, and height at one story and 13 feet, with no lofts or mezzanines. The building may not contain bathing or cooking facilities. Detached accessory buildings are prohibited outright in the R-1-S, R-1-M, R-2-S and R-2-I zones, so check your zoning district on the city's GIS map before buying a kit.
How Much Does a Shed Permit Cost in Long Beach?
A shed over 120 square feet is priced on valuation. IB-077 sets the minimum valuation for a U-occupancy structure (private garage, barn or miscellaneous structure) of Type VB construction at $71.07 per square foot. The building permit fee is $149 for the first $2,000 of value plus $16 per $1,000 up to $20,000. Plan check is 85 percent of the permit fee (minimum $154), and because Planning reviews the location, a zoning plan check of 0.5 percent of valuation applies, with a $310 minimum capped at 95 percent of the building plan check. Add the $115 processing fee, the state seismic fee of $0.13 per $1,000, the $1 green-building fee, and the records fee of 5 percent of the permit fee with a $35 minimum.
Worked examples: a 150-square-foot shed is valued at 150 x $71.07 = $10,661, so the permit is $149 + (9 x $16) = $293, plan check $249, zoning plan check $237, and the total is about $931. A 250-square-foot shed ($17,768) pays a $405 permit fee, $344 plan check, $310 zoning plan check and about $1,212 in all. Power to the shed adds an electrical permit starting at the $100 minimum. The City Council approved a new fee schedule on September 8, 2026, effective October 1, 2026, so check the posted schedule after that date.
How to Apply and Who Can Pull the Permit
Small one-story accessory buildings such as storage sheds qualify for Over-the-Counter Plan Review (IB-002), reviewed by Planning and Building at an in-person appointment at the City Hall Permit Center, one project per visit. Bring APP-001, the FORM-028 plot plan and your plans as PDFs on a USB drive. An unlicensed person, including the homeowner, may draw the plans for a one-story wood-frame accessory structure that follows the framing rules in IB-010. The permit goes to a CSLB-licensed contractor with a Long Beach business license or to a homeowner of a one- or two-family home under IB-029. Work must start within 90 days. Building without a permit adds an investigation fee equal to the permit fee, with a $465 minimum.
How to Get a Shed Permit in Long Beach
Measure and check the zoning
At 120 sq ft or less, one story, no utilities, you need no building permit. Look up the zoning district on the city GIS map; four R-1 and R-2 zones prohibit detached accessory buildings.
Site it in the rear half of the lot
Keep it out of the front and street side yards, leave one side yard at least 3 ft clear, and stay within 300 sq ft or 5 percent of the lot and 13 ft in height.
Draw the plans
For a shed over 120 sq ft prepare a plot plan (FORM-028), floor plan, framing and foundation details following IB-010; an unlicensed person may draw them.
Book an over-the-counter plan review
Schedule a Minor Building Plan Review appointment at the Permit Center, bring APP-001 and the PDFs on a USB drive, and pay plan check fees that day.
Pay the permit and call for inspections
Expect about $931 for a 150 sq ft shed including the $115 processing fee. Request inspections online by 3 p.m. the day before; start within 90 days.