Question 1

Does Long Beach run its own building department?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with its own submittal standards and its own review culture, distinct from the county and from Los Angeles city next door. Advice that applies at County Public Works does not necessarily apply here. We format to the city's current checklist.

Question 2

We are in a historic district. What changes?

Accepted Answer

Alterations visible from the street are reviewed against the district's standards, and Long Beach has several districts with real character to protect. The existing elevations have to be accurate for that review to be meaningful, so documenting the building properly is the first piece of work.

Question 3

Do you work on older Long Beach homes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The city has a lot of pre-war housing that has been altered repeatedly, and the record is usually incomplete. A measured scan is the reliable starting point for an addition or a remodel, and it saves the discovery happening during demolition.

Question 4

What do you provide for a historic district submittal?

Accepted Answer

Measured existing elevations and plans accurate enough for the review to mean something, with later alterations distinguished from the original where we can see them. Where an architectural historian is involved we coordinate with them; the drawings are ours, the historic assessment is theirs.

Question 5

Do you do commercial tenant improvements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Fit-outs usually start from a landlord drawing that is several tenants out of date. We scan the shell, the structure overhead and the existing services, and the new layout is designed against that rather than against the file.

Drafting and Permit Documents in Long Beach

01Does Long Beach run its own building department?

02We are in a historic district. What changes?

03Do you work on older Long Beach homes?

04What do you provide for a historic district submittal?

05Do you do commercial tenant improvements?