Do permit fees scale with project value?

Mostly no — LA window permits use a base + per-window structure, not a valuation percentage. Beverly Hills is a partial exception for projects over $50K.

What if my materials arrive before the permit clears?

They go into our warehouse. No additional charge. We build this buffer into every slow-track city project. We never start installation without the permit card on site.

Are permit fees included in your quotes?

Always. Every Red Stag quote has a permit line item showing the city's base fee plus per-window rate, passed through at cost with no markup.

Does a permit from 2022 still apply to 2026 work?

No — building permits expire. A 2022 permit is almost certainly lapsed. We check permit history on every address before submitting to avoid conflicts with expired open permits.

Do permit fees apply to window repairs, or only replacements?

It depends on the scope. A like-for-like unit replacement (same opening, new window) always requires a permit. Repairing a broken sash, replacing weatherstrip, or re-glazing a broken pane in an existing unit typically does not require a permit, as these are maintenance activities. The line is whether you're replacing the window unit itself (permit required) or repairing it (usually not). When in doubt, call the city building counter and describe the scope — most departments will tell you definitively in a 3-minute conversation.

What's the difference between unincorporated LA County and a city within LA County?

Unincorporated LA County refers to areas within the county but outside any incorporated city's limits. These areas are governed directly by the county and use LADBS for building permits. Examples include Altadena, East Los Angeles, Hacienda Heights, and Rowland Heights. Incorporated cities (Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Burbank, etc.) run their own building departments with their own fee schedules. Check your parcel's jurisdiction before assuming LADBS — the difference affects permit cost, timeline, and which rules apply.

Local LA Topics

LA Window Permit Costs and Timelines: Every Building Department We Work With

Q: Can I pay extra to expedite an LADBS permit?

Yes — LADBS has an expedited track at roughly 2× the standard fee, targeting 5 business days instead of 7–14 calendar days. We request it when the project schedule calls for it.

By Israel AquinoMarch 30, 20269 min read

TL;DR

Permit fees in LA range from $175 base (San Fernando) to $425+ base (Beverly Hills, with a separate $425 historic screening charge). Timelines run 7 days at the fast end (Burbank, San Fernando) to 35+ days at the slow end (Malibu, Pasadena with Cultural Heritage review). LADBS lands in the middle: $250 base + $12/window, 7–14 days. We pull permits in every city we work in — it's in every quote.

Los Angeles County contains 88 incorporated cities. Each of those cities runs its own building department, publishes its own fee schedule, and sets its own plan-check timeline. A handful — smaller municipalities that can't staff a full department — contract out their plan check to LADBS (the City of LA's Department of Building and Safety). Most run their own operations entirely.

The practical result: a 10-window permit in Beverly Hills costs more than twice what the same permit costs in San Fernando, and may take four times as long to clear. That spread isn't bureaucratic noise — it directly affects your project start date, your materials staging plan, and your total installed cost.

Permit costs in our current job mix range from $180 for a 2-window job in Burbank to $620 or more for a 10-window job in Beverly Hills with a pre-1965 property. Timelines range from 7 days to over 35 days. Below is what we actually pay and wait for in the 15 cities we pull permits in most frequently. These numbers are 2026 actuals — not estimates from a fee schedule we downloaded once and never updated.

Permit costs and timelines by city (2026)

What we actually pay and wait — city by city.

Base fee plus per-window rate covers plan check and inspection. Historic screening is a separate charge where noted. Timelines are calendar days from permit submission to permit-in-hand under standard review.

1
LADBS (City of Los Angeles) — $250 base + $12/window, 7–14 days
The default for unincorporated LA and dozens of small cities that contract plan check to LADBS. Standard review runs 7–14 calendar days. Over-the-counter review (in-person submission) is available for smaller scopes — same-day or next-day approval on straightforward like-for-like replacements. The largest single jurisdiction we pull permits in.
2
Beverly Hills — $425 base + $22/window + $425 historic screening (pre-1965), 14–21 days
The most expensive jurisdiction in our regular territory. Properties built before 1965 trigger a mandatory historic resource screening review, billed separately at $425 regardless of project size. Standard plan check is 14–21 days; no over-the-counter option. Day-of inspections on projects over $25K add scheduling complexity.
3
Pasadena — $310 base + $15/window, 14–21 days standard; +30–60 days with Cultural Heritage review
Pasadena runs its own permitting department and is aggressive about Cultural Heritage enforcement. Properties in a Landmark or Contributory designation — common in the Bungalow Heaven and Garfield Heights neighborhoods — can trigger a review that adds 30–60 days to the timeline. Confirm historic status before scoping the job.
4
Santa Monica — $290 base + $14/window, 10–16 days
Mid-range on both cost and timeline. Santa Monica's department is well-staffed and reasonably predictable. No routine historic overlay for residential window replacements, though Ocean Avenue and some Sunset Park properties can trigger additional review.
5
Burbank — $195 base + $10/window, 7–12 days (fastest in our area)
The fastest and most cost-efficient building department we work with regularly. Burbank's plan check operation is tight — they respond to corrections quickly and issue permits without the back-and-forth that slows other cities. A standard 8-window job here runs permit-to-start in under two weeks.
6
Glendale — $220 base + $12/window, 10–14 days
Slightly slower than Burbank but still well-run. Glendale's inspectors are familiar with the standard window permit package and rarely call corrections on a properly documented CF2R. Fee schedule is public and accurate — no surprise add-ons.
7
Culver City — $240 base + $13/window, 10–15 days
A consistent performer in our South Bay-adjacent work. Culver City's department has modernized its online submission portal, which helps. Nothing exceptional in either direction — fees are reasonable, timeline is predictable, inspectors are professional.
8
Manhattan Beach — $285 base + $16/window, 12–18 days
Slightly above average on both cost and timeline, consistent with the South Bay beach cities generally. Manhattan Beach coordinates with its Historic Preservation Review Board on designated properties, which is a relatively small category for standard residential window work.
9
Malibu — $395 base + $18/window, 21–35 days (slower due to Coastal Commission coordination)
The slowest jurisdiction in our regular territory. Malibu sits almost entirely within the California Coastal Zone, which means the city building department has to coordinate with the Coastal Commission on any project that could be characterized as affecting coastal resources. For straight window replacement it's usually not a full Coastal Development Permit, but even informal coordination adds weeks. We build 35 days into our Malibu project schedules by default.
10
West Hollywood — $260 base + $13/window, 10–14 days
WeHo operates its own compact building department and pulls permits at a consistent pace. Fees are middle-of-the-road for the LA basin. No routine historic complications for standard residential window work, though some older multifamily buildings near the Santa Monica Boulevard corridor can attract additional review.
11
Torrance — $200 base + $11/window, 8–12 days
One of the better-run South Bay departments. Torrance is efficient, fees are modest, and inspectors schedule promptly. A reliable jurisdiction for South Bay residential and light commercial work.
12
El Segundo — $210 base + $11/window, 8–12 days
Similar to Torrance in pace and cost. El Segundo is a small city with a focused building department — they don't see high volume, which means individual jobs get attention faster than in higher-volume departments. Plan check corrections, when they come, are specific and addressable.
13
Hawthorne — $190 base + $10/window, 7–11 days
On the more affordable end of the South Bay. Hawthorne's department is lean, which makes it fast on routine permits. Not the city for a complex structural scope, but for like-for-like window replacement it's one of the quicker approvals we see.
14
Inglewood — $200 base + $10/window, 8–12 days
Affordable and reasonably quick. Inglewood's building department has been modernizing over the past few years; online permit submission is now available for residential projects. Inspection scheduling is generally within 3–4 days of request.
15
San Fernando — $175 base + $9/window, 7–10 days
The most affordable jurisdiction in our regular territory and tied with Burbank for fastest. San Fernando is a small city with a small building department, and that translates directly into permit speed for residential scopes. We've pulled a permit here and had it cleared inside a single business week.

What drives permit cost variation

Three factors explain most of the spread between cities.

City building department overhead. The baseline fee reflects what it costs to staff and operate a plan check function. Beverly Hills employs inspectors who do day-of property visits on jobs over $25K — that level of service requires more personnel than a city that does two scheduled inspections per job. Higher overhead, higher fee. Burbank and San Fernando run lean departments with narrow scope — fees reflect that. This is the largest single driver of fee variation across the cities we work in.

Historic resource review fees. Pasadena and Beverly Hills both charge separately for historic screening — they don't absorb it into the base permit fee. Beverly Hills bills a flat $425 for pre-1965 properties regardless of whether the screening turns up any concern. Pasadena's Cultural Heritage review, if triggered, can run into thousands of dollars in review time before the window permit can be issued. These charges are structural to the jurisdictions, not negotiable, and not something a contractor can work around.

Title 24 documentation review complexity. All California window permits require Title 24 energy compliance documentation — the CF1R and CF2R forms. Most cities review this in-house as part of standard plan check. Some cities, however, require a third-party HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rater sign-off on the CF2R before they'll issue the permit. That HERS rater typically charges $300–$600 for residential window scopes. It adds to total permit overhead even though it's not technically a city fee. We handle the HERS coordination when it's required and include the cost in our permit line item.

How permit timelines affect your project start date

How we schedule around the permit clock.

1
Materials are ordered before the permit is issued
We order materials once the product specification is locked — we don't wait for the permit card to place the order. Custom window lead times run 3–6 weeks from manufacturers like Milgard, Marvin, and Anlin. The permit is submitted the same week the order goes in. The two timelines run in parallel, not in sequence.
2
Fast-track cities: materials usually arrive the same week as the permit
In Burbank, San Fernando, Hawthorne, and similarly quick jurisdictions, permit timelines (7–12 days) are short enough that materials and permits often arrive within days of each other. We build our schedule around whichever arrives last — usually materials on a 3-week lead, permit on a 10-day clock.
3
Slow-track cities: materials are waiting when the permit finally clears
In Malibu, Beverly Hills with historic review, and Pasadena with Cultural Heritage involvement, permit timelines can stretch to 3–8 weeks. Materials with a standard 3-week lead are in our warehouse well before the permit issues. We stage them and hold until the permit card is in hand. This adds warehouse time but doesn't delay the project — we build the buffer in at scheduling.
4
We never schedule installation before the permit card is in hand
No exceptions. Installing windows without a permit is a code violation that creates a title-chain problem the homeowner carries indefinitely. Every job we start has a physical permit card on site. If a homeowner asks us to start before the permit clears, the answer is no. Not worth it for anyone.

What happens if you need to start faster

Expedite options that actually exist.

Some jurisdictions offer over-the-counter permit review for standard window replacements. You submit in person at the building counter and receive same-day or next-day approval. LADBS has an over-the-counter track for smaller residential scopes — typically 1–4 windows on a single-family home where there are no structural, historic, or energy-compliance complications beyond the standard CF2R. Beverly Hills does not offer over-the-counter review for any residential permit scope as of 2026. Pasadena offers it on a limited basis for non-designated properties.

For emergency situations — storm damage, a failed window creating a security or weather exposure issue, insurance-claim timing — most LA building departments have an emergency permit process. The fee is typically 1.5× the standard permit fee, and the turnaround is 24–48 hours. We've used this three times in the past year: once for a Culver City home where a tree branch destroyed two windows, once in Torrance for an insurance adjuster deadline, and once in West Hollywood for a break-in that left a ground-floor unit exposed. It works. It costs more. If the situation calls for it, it's worth the premium.

What doesn't exist: a way to materially accelerate Malibu's Coastal coordination, Pasadena's Cultural Heritage review, or Beverly Hills's historic screening. Those timelines are what they are. We flag them at the estimate stage so no one is surprised mid-project.

City-by-city permit data at a glance

Permit fees and timelines for the 15 cities we pull permits in most frequently (2026).

What we mean

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What people ask

Permit questions we get every week.

01Can I pay extra to expedite an LADBS permit?

LADBS offers an expedited plan check service at roughly 2× the standard fee that targets a 5-business-day turnaround instead of the standard 7–14 calendar days. For most jobs the standard track is fine — the time difference rarely affects our overall project schedule because materials are typically on the same or longer timeline anyway. For time-sensitive jobs, yes, we request expedited review and pass the fee through at cost.

02Do permit fees change based on project value?

In most LA jurisdictions, window permit fees are structured as a base fee plus a per-window rate — they don't scale directly to project valuation the way a general building permit does. Beverly Hills is a partial exception: their base fee tiers up slightly for projects over $50K. In practice, the per-window rate structure means a 10-window job costs roughly proportionally more than a 3-window job, which is straightforward. We itemize the permit cost on every quote so you can see exactly what you're paying.

03What if the city takes longer than quoted and my materials arrive first?

This is normal, especially in Malibu, Beverly Hills, and Pasadena on complex reviews. Materials go into our warehouse and stay there until the permit is in hand. There's no additional charge for the holding time — it's part of how we plan these projects. If an extended delay pushes beyond 60 days, we'll check in with you about storage options, but that's extremely rare on residential window scopes.

04Are permit fees included in standard contractor quotes in LA?

They should be — and ours always are. Every Red Stag quote includes a permit line item with the city's base fee plus per-window rate. What you see on the quote is what we pay to the building department, passed through at cost with no markup. Some contractors quote permit fees as a separate estimate or 'actuals at close' — that's a yellow flag. The fee schedules are public; there's no reason to leave them as a variable.

05Does a permit from 2022 still apply to work done in 2026?

No. Building permits expire — typically 180 days from issuance in most LA jurisdictions if no inspection has been called, and a maximum of 12–24 months depending on the city even with active inspections. A 2022 permit is almost certainly expired. If work was started under a 2022 permit and not completed, there may be an expired permit on record at the building department that needs to be formally closed before a new permit can be issued for the same scope. We check permit history on the property address before submitting to avoid that conflict.

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