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Demolition permits in the City of Los Angeles, CA

Data through September 2026 · updated 18 Oct 2026

3,470 demolition permits were issued in the City of Los Angeles, October 2024 through September 2026: about 1,735 a year and 3% of all permits. 1,607 demolition permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 14% fewer than the 1,863 in the 12 months before. The busiest month is March. The usual one took 67 days from issue to the city's final. 90066 has the most, 119.

What this file covers: This is the LADBS building-permit file. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are kept in separate files and not counted, so those trades show only when a building permit names them.

3,470permits issued
1,607last 12 months
Marbusiest month
67days, usual issue to final
78%finished
$5,000usual declared value
Sep 2026records through

Demolition permits by month

Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026.

Oct 2024: 163Oct2024Nov 2024: 133Dec 2024: 138Jan 2025: 170Jan2025Feb 2025: 169Mar 2025: 182Apr 2025: 172May 2025: 133Jun 2025: 137Jul 2025: 168JulAug 2025: 150Sep 2025: 148Oct 2025: 157Nov 2025: 126Dec 2025: 153Jan 2026: 117Jan2026Feb 2026: 140Mar 2026: 162Apr 2026: 135May 2026: 116Jun 2026: 143Jul 2026: 118JulAug 2026: 124Sep 2026: 116
The same numbers as a table
MonthPermits
Oct 2024163
Nov 2024133
Dec 2024138
Jan 2025170
Feb 2025169
Mar 2025182
Apr 2025172
May 2025133
Jun 2025137
Jul 2025168
Aug 2025150
Sep 2025148
Oct 2025157
Nov 2025126
Dec 2025153
Jan 2026117
Feb 2026140
Mar 2026162
Apr 2026135
May 2026116
Jun 2026143
Jul 2026118
Aug 2026124
Sep 2026116

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When demolition permits are filed

By calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). March is the busiest (119), May the quietest (86). A busy month at the permit counter usually means a longer wait for a contractor.

January: 99 (100 = an average month)February: 107 (100 = an average month)March: 119 (100 = an average month)119April: 106 (100 = an average month)May: 86 (100 = an average month)June: 97 (100 = an average month)July: 99 (100 = an average month)August: 95 (100 = an average month)September: 91 (100 = an average month)October: 111 (100 = an average month)November: 90 (100 = an average month)December: 101 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND
The same numbers as a table
MonthIndex
January99
February107
March119
April106
May86
June97
July99
August95
September91
October111
November90
December101

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How long a demolition permit takes

Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends. Usual days is the middle permit among the 1,459 with a final date.

MeasureValue
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 20251,863
Finished78.4%
Expired0.1%
Usual days, issue to final67
Middle half, days24–192

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What a demolition permit is declared at

The value written on the permit at application, from 3,465 permits with one. Not a quote and not the final bill.

MeasureValue
Usual declared value$5,000
Middle half$2,500–$10,000

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ZIP codes with the most demolition permits

Counted at the property's ZIP code. Share is the part of the city's 3,470 demolition permits.

ZIP codePermitsShare
900661193%
90016913%
90045903%
90064852%
90049842%
91601782%
90011722%
90003702%
91423672%
90034662%

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The city's own permit types

How the city filed these permits. We group its types into kinds of work; this is the split.

Permit typePermitsShare
Bldg-Demolition3,44599%
Nonbldg-Demolition25under 1%

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Guides for this kind of work

All guides →

Other kinds of work here

Roofing (25,397)Remodels & repairs (21,914)ADUs & casitas (13,265)Additions (4,718)Pools & spas (3,510)New homes (2,853)Fences & walls (2,420)Garages, sheds & shade structures (986)HVAC (483)

Nearby permit data

Demolition permits for other places in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.

Anaheim, CACulver City, CACorona, CARiverside County, CA

How these numbers are made

Source: LADBS, Building and Safety - Building Permits Issued from 2020 to Present (N), data.lacity.org, read 18 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.

Building permits the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) issues inside the city limits only. Other cities in Los Angeles County (Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Glendale and the rest) and unincorporated county land run their own permit offices and are not in this file. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are kept by LADBS in separate files and are not counted here, so those trades show only when a building permit names them.

  • The city's open permit file names no contractor, so there are no contractor lists, rankings or firm pages for Los Angeles.
  • Only building permits are counted. LADBS keeps electrical and mechanical (heating, air conditioning, plumbing) permits in separate files, so solar, HVAC, plumbing and electrical work is undercounted: it shows only when a building permit names it.
  • Supplemental permits (a revision or transfer of an earlier permit) and grading permits are left out.
  • The value is the job valuation the permit was issued on, which sets the fee. It is not a final cost.
  • A final date is the date the permit was finaled or its certificate of occupancy issued.
  • Permits after the January 2025 wildfires include rebuilding work in Pacific Palisades and other burn areas.

Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:

Contractor Records, "Demolition permits in the City of Los Angeles, CA", https://contractorrecords.com/los-angeles/demolition-permits, data through September 2026, from the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety building-permit records.

Link to a table: By month · Season · Days to final · Declared value · By ZIP code · Permit types.

Download the tables (CSV): Demolition permits by month · Demolition permits by calendar month (index) · Demolition permits: days to final · Demolition permits: declared value · Demolition permits by ZIP code · Demolition permits by permit type.

Common questions

  • How many demolition permits does Los Angeles issue a year?About 1,735 a year in the City of Los Angeles: 3,470 permits issued October 2024 through September 2026, 1,607 of them in the last 12 months.
  • How long does a demolition permit take in Los Angeles?The usual one took 67 days from issue to the city's final inspection, and the middle half took 24 to 192 days (1,459 permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 that reached a final). The wait to get the permit issued is not in this file.
  • When do people in Los Angeles file the most demolition permits?March (119 against an average month of 100); May is the quietest (86). If you can choose, a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in their schedules.
  • Which ZIP code has the most demolition permits in Los Angeles?90066, with 119 of the 3,470 (3%); then 90016 (91).
Los Angeles permit data →Los Angeles permit statistics →How long permits take in Los Angeles →Browse Los Angeles demolition permits →