If you are buying a home in the City of Los Angeles, one of the smartest things you can do before writing an offer is look up the property's building permit history. Permits tell a story. They reveal what work was done, when it was done, and whether the city signed off on it. That last part matters more than most buyers realize.
Why Permit History Matters When Buying a Home
Every property inside the LA city limits has a paper trail at the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. That trail includes building permits, inspection records, certificates of occupancy, and code enforcement actions. When a homeowner adds a bedroom, converts a garage, re-roofs the house, or repairs earthquake damage, there should be a permit on file. If there isn't, you could be inheriting unpermitted work and all the liability that comes with it.
A certificate of occupancy is one of the most important documents you will find in a permit search. It means the work was completed, inspected, and officially signed off by the city. Without one on a major addition or new construction, the work is technically not complete in the eyes of the city. That is a red flag worth knowing about before you close escrow.
It Used to Be a Lot Harder
When I first got into real estate, checking permit history meant physically driving down to the Department of Building and Safety, standing in line, and waiting to pull records. It was time-consuming, and honestly, most agents did not bother. Our agency disclosures say it is not required. But I have always believed that if I would do it for my own family, I should do it for my clients.
That mindset is core to how we operate at Clearway Real Estate. I want to be the Jerry Maguire of real estate. Relationships matter. Our clients are like family. Whether we are helping our daughters, our kids, or our loved ones purchase a property, the level of care would be the same. So why would we do any less for the people who trust us with one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives?
How to Search LADBS Online Building Records
Technology has made this process dramatically easier. Today, you can search permit history for any property inside the LA city limits in just a few minutes from your phone or computer. Here is a quick overview of the process.
Start by going to dbs.lacity.gov, which is the official website for the LA Department of Building and Safety. From the homepage, scroll the tiles to the right and click on Online Building Records. That will open a new window with several search options. The easiest method is searching by address. Just type in the street number and street name. Do not include "Street," "Avenue," or "Boulevard" after it. That is a common mistake that can throw off the results.
One important tip: sometimes permits are filed with a directional prefix like East, South, North, or West. Make sure you hover over each result and check all entries, or you might miss a permit. Some properties will also have multiple pages of records, so scroll through everything.
Once you pull the records, you will see building permits listed with document dates, permit numbers, and district office codes. For example, "VN" stands for Van Nuys, which is the district office where that particular permit was filed. Many of these permits have PDF images attached. Older permits from the early 1900s through the 1990s were scanned from microfilm, so they can be a little rough to read. Newer permits filed in the digital era are much cleaner and easier to follow.
Pro tip: The oldest permit on file is typically the original building permit for when the home was first constructed. From there, you can trace every major change to the property over its lifetime, from earthquake repairs and re-roofing to room additions and remodels.
Watch the Full Walkthrough
I recorded a step-by-step video walking through the entire LADBS permit search process in real time. I use actual properties as examples so you can see exactly what the records look like, how to read them, and what to look for. Give it a watch.
I also put together an earlier walkthrough on YouTube that covers the same process. The first page of the LADBS site has been updated since this was recorded, so the homepage looks a little different now. But once you get past that initial screen and into the actual permit records, everything still works the same way. It is a great companion if you want a second look at the process.
What to Look For in the Records
When you are reviewing permit history, pay close attention to a few things. Look for a certificate of occupancy on any major addition or new construction. Check whether earthquake-related repairs were permitted and signed off, especially for properties in the San Fernando Valley that may have been affected by the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Note any permits that were filed but appear to have no final sign-off, as that can indicate unfinished or abandoned work. And if you see something that was clearly built or altered but there is no permit on record at all, that is worth investigating further before you commit.
Want a Free Permit History Report?
Follow me on Instagram and DM me "Permit History" along with the property address. I will pull the records and send you a clean report. Follow @thejustinbonney
Who You Work With Matters
It still baffles me when I hear listing agents or buyer's agents say they are "not sure about the permits" on a property. We are living in 2026. Between Google, public records, and now AI tools that can help you search and summarize information in seconds, there is really no excuse. The answers are out there. All you have to do is ask the right question, and you will probably find it. The fact that some agents still are not doing this basic level of homework tells you everything you need to know about the difference between someone who checks a box and someone who actually advocates for their client.
At Clearway Real Estate, we are thinking ten steps ahead. Always. That is not a tagline. It is how we operate on every single transaction. When you trust us with your home purchase, we take that seriously. We are pulling permits, reading inspection reports, and flagging potential issues before you ever have to ask. Because that is what we would do if we were buying the property for our own family.
Doing your homework on permit history is one of the simplest and most impactful due diligence steps you can take as a home buyer in Los Angeles. The tools are free, the information is public, and it only takes a few minutes. And if you want an agent in your corner who treats your purchase like it is their own family's investment, that is exactly what you will get with Clearway Real Estate.
