Commercial Permitting

Tenant Improvement
Permit Expediting

Commercial tenant improvement permit documents

A Tenant Improvement permit authorizes interior renovations within an existing commercial space. We manage the full TI permit process — from scope review through final inspection — for office, retail, restaurant, and medical projects in Los Angeles and across Southern California.

TI permits are among the most common commercial building permits — and among the most misunderstood. The range of required reviews depends on project scope, occupancy type, and whether the use is changing. A simple office repaint requires no permit. But moving a single partition wall, upgrading electrical panels, or converting a retail space to food service triggers a full plan check cycle with multiple agencies.

We determine exactly what your project requires, build the permit strategy accordingly, and manage every agency relationship from initial submission to permit issuance — so your contractor can start on schedule.

Project Types We Permit

Office Remodels

Interior renovations for corporate offices, co-working spaces, creative studios, and professional service suites. Scope typically includes partition walls, electrical, data/telecom infrastructure, HVAC modifications, and restroom upgrades.

Retail Buildouts

New tenant build-outs for storefronts, showrooms, franchise locations, and specialty retail. We manage the building permit alongside sign permit applications so your signage is approved in time for opening.

Restaurant Conversions

Converting existing commercial space to food service occupancy is one of the most permit-intensive TI types, requiring coordination between LADBS, LAFD, Health Department, and Public Works. See our full restaurant permits page for details.

Medical & Dental Offices

Healthcare facility fit-outs with additional requirements for medical gas, plumbing fixture counts, ADA path of travel, and OSHPD compliance where applicable. We identify OSHPD triggers at project outset.

Fitness & Wellness Studios

Yoga studios, gyms, and spa facilities often require occupancy load recalculations, sprinkler system upgrades, and ventilation modifications. Occupancy type affects whether LAFD clearance is required.

Industrial & Warehouse TIs

Light manufacturing, distribution, and flex-space improvements including mezzanines, dock modifications, and HVAC system upgrades. Seismic and structural requirements are common for mezzanine additions.

What We Manage

01
Pre-Submittal Scope Review
We determine which permits are required, which agencies must sign off, and whether the project triggers a change of occupancy or use — which requires Planning review and can add months to a timeline. This assessment happens before drawings are prepared, saving design costs.
02
Application Preparation & Completeness Check
We prepare a complete plan package formatted to LADBS and jurisdiction-specific standards. A complete first submittal dramatically reduces the chance of intake rejection and shortens the overall plan-check cycle.
03
LADBS Plan Check Coordination
We submit, track progress, and respond to plan check corrections directly — communicating with plan checkers on technical questions, clarifying scope, and providing supplemental information without delays from intermediaries.
04
Multi-Agency Clearances
Where the project scope triggers additional agencies — LAFD for fire life safety, Public Works for grease interceptors, Health Department for food service, or City Planning for change of use — we manage concurrent submissions and track each independently.
05
Ready-to-Issue & Permit Issuance
We confirm all clearances are in place, fees are calculated, and the permit is ready to issue before your contractor schedules demolition. A permit that issues on a Monday can mean your GC is on site that week.
06
Inspection Coordination
We prepare an inspection roadmap for your contractor: which inspections are required, in what sequence, and what must be in place for each one. Inspections that fail cost time and money; preparation prevents that.

TI Permit Timelines in Los Angeles

Timelines below reflect well-prepared, complete submittals. Incomplete applications and missed agency requirements significantly extend these ranges.

Simple interior TI (no change of use, no structural)3–6 weeks

Office remodel with electrical and HVAC modifications4–8 weeks

Retail buildout with storefront modifications4–10 weeks

Medical office fit-out with plumbing and medical gas6–12 weeks

Restaurant conversion (existing food service space)3–5 months

Restaurant conversion (non-food to food service)4–6 months

Change of occupancy requiring Planning approval+4–12 weeks additional

Projects requiring LAFD clearance (sprinkler modifications)+4–8 weeks additional

Hidden Triggers That Delay TI Permits

Change of occupancy

Converting a retail space to a restaurant, a warehouse to office, or an office to a medical clinic changes the building's occupancy classification — triggering a full change-of-use review by Planning and often LAFD. Missing this trigger is the most expensive TI permit mistake.

Structural modifications

Removing or adding walls, creating openings, or installing mezzanines may require structural engineering review and a separate structural permit. Load-bearing wall identification should happen before demolition begins — not after.

Sprinkler system modifications

Moving or adding sprinkler heads — even just to accommodate a new partition layout — requires an LAFD permit. LAFD plan check runs on its own timeline, separate from LADBS, and must complete before the certificate of occupancy is issued.

Electrical service upgrades

Commercial TIs often require panel upgrades due to new equipment loads. Service upgrades require an electrical permit and a LADBS electrical inspection — and if the project involves adding EV charging, that adds another layer.

ADA path of travel

Any permitted alteration to a commercial space triggers ADA path-of-travel compliance requirements — which extend beyond the alteration itself to restrooms, parking, and building entry. Pre-submittal scoping prevents surprise upgrades discovered during plan check.

Common Questions

What is a Tenant Improvement permit?

A Tenant Improvement (TI) permit authorizes interior renovations within an existing commercial space — without changing the building's structural shell. Common TI projects include office remodels, retail buildouts, restaurant conversions, and medical clinic fit-outs. TI permits are required whenever interior work affects egress, fire life safety systems, structural elements, or mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

What agencies review a Tenant Improvement permit in LA?

Most TI permits in the City of Los Angeles go through LADBS for building plan check. Depending on the project scope, additional clearances may be required from LAFD (fire life safety and sprinklers), Public Works (grease interceptors for restaurants), Health Department (food service facilities), and LA City Planning (change of use or CUP). We identify every required agency at project outset and manage all tracks simultaneously.

How long does a TI permit take in Los Angeles?

Simple interior TI permits with no change of use can be approved in 3–6 weeks over the counter at LADBS. Projects involving a change of occupancy, structural modifications, or LAFD review typically take 8–16 weeks. Restaurant conversions from non-food-service spaces can take 4–6 months due to health department and public works coordination. Pre-submittal planning is the most effective way to compress the timeline.

Do I need a permit for an office remodel?

In most cases, yes — if the work involves moving partition walls, adding or modifying electrical or HVAC systems, changing egress, or installing new plumbing. Cosmetic work like paint, carpet, and millwork generally does not require a permit. But any work affecting fire-rated assemblies, electrical panels, or the mechanical system does. We conduct a pre-submittal scope review to determine exactly what your project requires.

What triggers a change of occupancy review?

A change of occupancy occurs when a space is used for a purpose that falls under a different building code occupancy classification than its current permitted use. Common examples: converting office to restaurant (B to A-2), warehouse to office (S to B), or retail to childcare (M to E). Change of occupancy triggers a full review by LA City Planning, additional LAFD scrutiny, and often requires a new Certificate of Occupancy. We identify occupancy type at project outset — not after you've submitted drawings based on the wrong assumption.

Can you expedite a TI permit that's already stuck in plan check?

Yes. If a TI application is stalled in plan check — due to unanswered corrections, incomplete documentation, or a multi-agency clearance issue — we can step in at any stage. We review the pending corrections, develop responses, and resubmit. We've recovered projects that were in correction limbo for 6+ months within a few weeks of engagement.