LA City vs LA County Grading Requirements
Two jurisdictions, two rulebooks. Here's which one applies to your lot.
Los Angeles City (LADBS)
If your address is in the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety reviews your grading. LADBS enforces the hillside ordinance: lots in designated hillside zones with natural slopes over 20% need engineered grading plans. They want slope stability shown, drainage directed away from foundations, and retaining wall setbacks from property lines.
LADBS plan check runs through their Building and Safety counters. Comments typically come back on slope ratios, drainage patterns, and wall details. We have been through this cycle enough times to predict most comments before they come back.
Los Angeles County (DPW)
Unincorporated LA County areas, including fire rebuild zones like Altadena, fall under LA County Public Works. Their trigger is volume-based: over 500 cubic yards of cut or fill, work in hillside areas, or excavations for basements and pools needs a grading plan.
County plan checkers focus on pre- and post-development drainage, slope stability, and how your grading affects neighboring properties. After the Eaton Fire, they are watching drainage patterns closely on rebuild lots.
Other Cities
Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and Santa Monica each run their own building departments with their own grading thresholds. The engineering standards are similar but the submittal processes differ. Tell us your address and we will confirm who reviews your plan.
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