Long Beach, California sets its own zoning through Title 21 of its municipal code, with Title 22 covering specified transitional areas1. Building permits inside the city come from the city's Building & Safety Bureau, not from Los Angeles County2. We could not confirm who handles septic permits inside city limits, so ask the Building & Safety Bureau before planning anything off the sewer.
At a glance
- Zoning
- Yes: city zoning, Title 21, plus Title 22 in specified areas1
- Residential districts
- Table 31-1 lists 20 residential districts3
- Building permits
- Issued by the city's Building & Safety Bureau2
- Minimum lot size
- Set by district; applies to new subdivisions only4
- Manufactured homes
- Allowed in some residential districts on a permanent foundation5
- Camping
- Banned on public property from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.; private land not addressed6
- Septic
- Not confirmed inside city limits; the county health department handles unincorporated land7
Who to call
Building permits
City of Long Beach Building & Safety Bureau (Permit Center)
Building permits, plan check, inspections and permit records inside Long Beach city limits
411 W. Ocean Blvd., 2nd Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802
Zoning
City of Long Beach Planning Bureau
Zoning questions, zoning district lookup, entitlements and public hearings inside Long Beach
planningsubmittal@longbeach.gov
411 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Long Beach means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Does Long Beach, California have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?
Yes. Long Beach applies Title 21 Zoning to land inside the city, and Title 22 Transitional Zoning Code applies in specified areas1. The residential districts run from R-1-S through RP, and the city's Table 31-1 lists 20 of them; commercial, multifamily and neo-industrial districts sit elsewhere in Titles 21 and 223.
Lot size and yards depend on the district. Minimum lot area and lot width apply only to new subdivisions, not to building on an existing lot4. Front yard depths follow Table 31-2A, so look up your parcel's district before you assume a setback8. The Planning Bureau's "what's my zoning district?" lookup is the quickest way to find it9. We did not capture the numeric yard depths or the height limits, so confirm both with the Planning Bureau.
Do you need a building permit in Long Beach, and who issues it?
Building permits inside Long Beach come from the city's Building & Safety Bureau, which takes applications through in-person appointments and online permitting and handles plan checks2. Los Angeles County Public Works issues building permits for unincorporated Los Angeles County, so the county counter is the wrong office for a Long Beach address10.
We could not open the city's adopting ordinance or fee schedule, so we cannot state exactly which small projects are exempt, or what fees apply. Call the Permit Center before you buy or start work. California's owner-builder exemption is statewide, but the city decides how it applies at the counter11.
How do septic permits work inside Long Beach?
We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Long Beach city limits, or whether new septic systems are allowed there at all. Most of a dense city is on public sewer, so a septic question is unusual here and deserves a direct answer before you commit to a parcel.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's septic program reviews systems in unincorporated Los Angeles County under its Local Agency Management Program, and that county rule is scoped to unincorporated land, not to Long Beach7. Ask the Building & Safety Bureau first2. California law also requires a permit for new and replacement septic systems statewide12.
Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Long Beach?
Manufactured housing is allowed in the R-1 and R-2 districts, plus R-M and R-4-M, when it sits on a permanent foundation5. It is not permitted in R-2-A, R-3, R-4 or RP, and mobile home parks need a conditional use permit5.
Long Beach bans camping on public property, including rights-of-way and inside a vehicle, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., except on property designated for overnight camping6. The code section we reviewed does not address camping on private land6. We found no tiny-home provision in the sections we reviewed, so ask the Planning Bureau before relying on one9.
Building a home in Long Beach: the steps, in order
- Look up the parcel's zoning district with the Planning Bureau's lookup, then confirm lot area and yards in Table 31-2A89.
- Ask a planner whether your project needs a zoning entitlement or a public hearing9.
- Book a Permit Center appointment or apply online for the building permit and plan check2.
- Confirm the sewer or septic arrangement with the Building & Safety Bureau before you finalize plans2.
- Schedule inspections through the Building & Safety Bureau as work proceeds2.
What stays with Los Angeles County, and what to check before you buy in Long Beach
Long Beach's rules apply inside city limits. For land outside the city, use the Los Angeles County page, where the county's unincorporated-area rules are laid out.
Some facts are county-wide figures, not Long Beach figures. Los Angeles County's typical home value is about $888,42613, and its effective property tax rate is 0.7%14. Check floodplain status, driveway or curb-cut rules and utility connections with the city before closing; we could not confirm those for Long Beach.
Watch-outs
- We could not confirm Long Beach's building permit exemptions, fee schedule or septic rules; call the Building & Safety Bureau at the Permit Center before you buy2.
- Search results for Long Beach often show Los Angeles County Public Works, which serves only unincorporated areas, not addresses inside the city10.
- The numeric lot area and yard depths sit in Table 31-2A of the city's code and vary by district, so check the specific district4.
Sources
- LBMC 21.31.205 Units per lot and lot area per unit (Long Beach), quoted and re-checked
- City of Long Beach Building & Safety Bureau (Permit Center) (longbeach.gov)
- LBMC 21.31.205 Units per lot and lot area per unit (Long Beach), quoted and re-checked
- LBMC 21.31.210 Minimum lot area and lot width (Long Beach), quoted and re-checked
- LBMC 21.31.205 Table 31-1 Uses in Residential Zones (Long Beach), quoted and re-checked
- LBMC 9.42.110 Camping prohibited in certain areas (Long Beach), quoted and re-checked
- Local Agency Management Program (LAMP) (2026 county census)
- LBMC 21.31.215 Yard requirements (Long Beach), quoted and re-checked
- City of Long Beach Planning Bureau (longbeach.gov)
- Building and Safety - LA County Public Works Permits (2026 county census)
- California Business and Professions Code Section 7044 (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- 2023 OWTS Policy (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.