Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety's Virtual Inspection Program lets permit holders complete required building inspections through a live video call using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, replacing an on-site visit with real-time streaming from the job site.

LADBS rolled out its Virtual Inspection (VI) Program in 2020, developing it as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person visits posed health risks to both inspectors and customers. The department designed the program to align with the Mayor's Safer-at-Home Order while still keeping construction projects moving forward across the city.

What began as an emergency accommodation quickly proved valuable enough to become a permanent fixture of LADBS operations, and by January 2021 the department had expanded the program well beyond its initial pandemic-era scope.

Los Angeles County's own Building and Safety Division, a separate agency covering unincorporated county areas and numerous contract cities, launched a parallel virtual inspection option around the same period, allowing permit holders to use Skype, FaceTime, or another approved video platform to connect with an inspector.

Both programs reflect the same underlying goal: using everyday video-calling technology already sitting in most people's pockets to reduce wait times and keep inspection backlogs from piling up.

The city's program has since been promoted through official videos and social media campaigns, positioning virtual inspection as a smarter, more efficient alternative to the traditional model rather than a temporary stopgap.

Requirements To Participate

Beyond holding a valid permit, applicants need a smartphone or tablet with Google Meet installed for city inspections, or an equivalent video app approved by LA County Public Works for county inspections.

A dependable internet connection is essential, since a dropped call typically means starting the scheduling process over.

Applicants should also keep basic tools like a flashlight, tape measure, and level on hand, since inspectors frequently ask for close-up views or measurements that a camera alone can't provide.

Those working within unincorporated county areas request inspections through the EPIC-LA online portal, while projects inside contract cities instead call the local Building and Safety District Office that issued the permit.

Not every inspection qualifies for the virtual pathway; LADBS maintains a specific list of simpler, lower-risk project types that can be reviewed remotely rather than requiring an inspector to physically walk the site.

  • Smoke and carbon monoxide detector installations

  • Residential photovoltaic (solar) systems and solar water heating systems

  • Electric vehicle chargers

  • Water heater, electrical panel, and HVAC replacements

  • Temporary power poles

  • Patios, decks, and minor pad footings

  • Demolitions and sewer caps

  • Reroofing and window replacements

  • Masonry walls and plumbing fixture replacements

  • Re-inspections of previously noted corrections

More complex or safety-critical construction, such as major structural work, continues to require a traditional in-person inspection at the department's discretion.

Who Benefits Most

The program serves several distinct groups of people who interact with LADBS, each gaining a different practical advantage.

  • Homeowners doing straightforward upgrades, like swapping a water heater or adding EV charging, can get sign-off without taking time off work to wait for an inspector's arrival window.

  • Solar contractors and electricians handling high volumes of small installations across the city can complete far more jobs per day, since each virtual inspection eliminates drive time between sites.

  • Property owners and managers overseeing multiple buildings can schedule inspections back-to-back from a single location instead of coordinating separate site visits across the city.

  • Immunocompromised residents or anyone wary of in-person contact retain full access to timely inspections without a health tradeoff, a benefit that outlasted the pandemic conditions that originally inspired the program.

  • LADBS inspectors themselves see reduced travel burden across LA's notoriously heavy traffic, letting the department serve more customers with the same staffing.

Los Angeles's Virtual Inspection Program has moved well past its pandemic-era origins to become a standard option within LADBS's broader digital permitting ecosystem, sitting alongside services like BuildLA appointment scheduling and fully electronic plan review.

As more of the city's most common residential upgrades, from solar installations to EV chargers, qualify for remote review, the program continues to reduce the burden on both applicants and inspectors navigating LA's sprawling geography and traffic.

While complex structural work will likely always require an inspector's physical presence, the steady expansion of eligible project types suggests virtual inspection will keep playing a larger role in how the city manages its permitting workload going forward.


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