Glossary

Abatement - Abate - The lessening, remediation, removal or termination of a substandard building or structure or unsightly condition through barricade, backfill, removal, cleanup, repair or demolition.

A/C - Air conditioning

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) - A dwelling unit with a full kitchen and bathroom, which is an accessory use to a primary or main single-family residence. The ADU can be used as a rental but cannot be sold separately from the primary or main single-family residence. The existing residence must be a legally established structure.

Agency Approvals - Written approval from all agencies listed on the Agency Referral Sheet. The written approval can be a memo, form letter, fee receipt or other notification approved by the to the Building Official.

Agency Referral Sheet - List of County, State, Federal, or other agencies, provided to the applicant by the plan check engineer. The applicant is responsible for obtaining approvals from the agencies marked on the agency referral sheet and submitting those approvals to the plan check engineer prior to permit issuance.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - This Act prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services.

Applicant - See permittee

Application, Permit - A completed permit application is required to obtain any individual permit and when necessary, is the first step in the plan check process. Information on the permit application includes: permit type, work class, site address, assessor’s parcel number, valuation, owner/engineer/contractor’s (name, address and phone number), description of work etc. (Also see Permit)

Appurtenance - Additions or detached structures, including accessory dwelling units (ADU), garages, and agricultural buildings

As-Built - Revised set of plans drawn after the completion of a job that reflect changes made during construction that were not part of the original approved plan’s design and specifications.

Best Management Practice (BMP) - BMPs are stormwater and runoff pollution control devices and practices designed and selected to reduce or eliminate the pollutants contained in discharges to the storm drain system and/or receiving waters. BMPs include but are not limited to structural and nonstructural controls and operation and maintenance procedures. BMPs can be applied before, during, and after pollution-producing activities

Borrow - Earth material brought from an offsite location for use in grading on a site.

Building and Safety Online Plan Check System (BSOP) - an online application and submittal system, for the contract cities served by Building and Safety, that offers flexibility to applicants who submit plans, specifications, and supporting documents for review by Building and Safety Division.

Building Official - The Director of Public Works or Assistant Deputy Director of Building and Safety Division and duly authorized representatives charged with the administration and enforcement of the building code(s).

Building Code, “the Code” -

Capital Projects - Public Works through its Public Buildings Core Service Area is involved in managing the planning, programming, design, construction, and inspection of capital improvement projects. Capital improvement projects include repair, renovation, and/or expansion of existing building facilities and construction of new building facilities for many County Departments, including among others Animal Care and Control, Beaches and Harbors, Fire, Health Services, Mental Health, Parks and Recreation, Probation, Public Health, and Sheriff.

Certified Access Specialist (CASp) - The Certified Access Specialist program (CASp) was designed to meet the public's need for experienced, trained, and tested individuals who can inspect buildings and sites for compliance with applicable state and federal construction-related accessibility standards.

Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) - When a building or structure has passed final inspection, and received all agency approvals, the Building Official shall issue a certificate of occupancy containing the permit number, site address, owner’s name and address, description of that portion of the building for which the certificate is issued, statement that the building or structure complies with the building codes for group, division, and use for the occupancy classification, and name of the Building Official.

Code Enforcement -

Compaction - The use of heavy machinery for compressing soil to increase its density creating a stable building site.

Conditioned (Space) - An area, room, or space normally occupied and being heated or cooled for human habitation.

Conventional Framing - A type of construction whose primary structural elements are formed by repetitive wood-framing members (ex. 2x4 stud walls). (See LACBC, Section 2308).

Correction(s), List of -

• Plan Check –  Any elements of the plans and specifications that are not in compliance will be noted on the plans and/or a correction sheet will be provided to the applicant by the plan check engineer.  When a plan requires code corrections, the applicant will need to correct and resubmit the plans.
• Inspection – After a performing a requested inspection the inspector will give the permit holder a list of corrections for items that did not comply with the plans, specifications, and/or the building code. These items must be corrected and then re-inspected for compliance.

Cut - See “Excavation.”

Discharge - Is any release, spill, leak, pumping, flow, escape, dumping, or disposal of any gas, liquid, semi-solid, or solid substance.

Drainage - Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area.

Duct - A tube or conduit for transportation of air, fumes, vapors, or dusts.

Energy Plan Check - A review of a building’s energy efficiency in compliance with the California Energy Code.

Envelope - Includes the exterior and interior walls and partitions of a building that enclose conditioned and unconditioned space.

EPIC-LA - Electronic Permitting and Inspections for the County of Los Angeles (EPIC-LA), is the online portal to Building and Safety Division’s electronic permitting services. On this site, you can submit plans, specifications, and supporting documents for review and approval, pay permit fees, and apply for a permit.

Elevation - Height above or below a fixed reference point, or a front, back or sideview of a building or structure.

Erosion - The wearing away of the ground surface because of the movement of wind, water, or ice.

Excavation - The removal of earth material by artificial means, also referred to as a cut.

Expire -

• Permit – The permit expires if the work has not started within 12 months from the date of permit issuance, or if the work lapses for more than 180 days at any time after the start of work.  The permit may be granted one or more extensions of 180 days each, upon written request. When a permit expires, a new permit application shall be filed, and new plan check and permit fees shall be paid.
• Plan – When no permit has been issued within 12 months following the date of permit application, the application shall expire. The Building Official may grant two extensions upon written request by the applicant.

Final - When the work for which the permit was issued has been completed by the permit holder and passed an inspection, the inspector shall final the job by signing and dating the permit, inspection card, and when required issuing the certificate of occupancy.

Fill - Placement of earth material which is used to fill in a depression or hole in the ground or create mounds or otherwise artificially change the grade or elevation.

Fenestration - Doors and windows, which includes products with glass and non-glass glazing materials, such as, skylights, windows, opaque or glazed doors, and glazed block.

Geotechnical Report - See Soils Report

Grade - The vertical location of the ground surface.

Grade, Existing (Natural) - The grade prior to grading.

Grade, Finished - The grade of the site at the end of all grading efforts.

Grade, Final - When grading has been completed, all drainage devices necessary to drain the building pad have been installed, slope planting has been established, irrigation systems have been installed, and the as-built plans and required statements and reports have been submitted.

Grade, Rough - When approximate final elevations have been established, drainage terraces, swales, and other drainage devices necessary for the protection of the building sites from flooding have been installed, berms have been installed at the top of the slopes, and the statements required by Los Angeles County Building Code, Section J105.12 have been received.

Grading - An excavation, cut, fill or combination thereof, creating a level base or one with a specified slope for construction, landscaping or surface drainage.

HVAC - Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.

Inspection -

• Continuous –  An inspector shall be present on site while the work to be inspected is being performed.
• Periodic – The inspector is intermittently present where the work to be inspected has been or is being performed.

Inspection Record Card - Is a document issued to the permit holder or agent to be posted on the job site or otherwise made available to allow the Building Official to make required entries regarding the inspection of the work.

Inspector - A individual employed by Los Angeles County Public Works Building and Safety Division trained and certified to perform combination inspections qualifying them to make professional judgments regarding compliance with the building codes.

Key - A compacted fill placed in a trench excavated in earth material beneath the toe of a slope.

LID (Low Impact Development) - Is a design strategy using naturalistic, on-site Best Management Practices (BMP) to lessen the impacts of development on stormwater quality and quantity. The goal of LID is to mimic the undeveloped runoff conditions of the development site with the post-development conditions.

Luminaires - Is a complete lighting unit (light fixture), consisting of lamp(s) and parts that distribute the light, position and protect the lamp(s), and connect the lamp(s) to the power supply.

Means of Egress - The way out. A continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal travel from any occupied portion of a building or structure to the public way. A means of egress consists of three separate and distinct parts:

1. the exit access (path to exit),
2. the exit (interior and exterior doors, ramps, stairs and passageways), and
3. the exit discharge (area between exit and public way).

Nuisance -

• Public –  A substandard building or structure or an unsightly condition that is injurious to health; offensive to the sense; and obstructs the free use of a neighboring property to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property.
• Attractive – An unsafe building, structure or condition; or a substandard building or structure or an unsightly condition; on a property that poses a risk to children, trespassing or invited, who may be attracted to it without realizing the risk.

Occupant Load - The number of persons for which the length and width of the means of egress of a building or portion thereof is designed.

Owner-Builder - A homeowner of a one- or two-family residence acting as their own general contractor who either does the work themselves or has employees or subcontractors working on the project. The work site must be the owner-builder’s principal place of residence.

Permit - Is a legal document issued by the Building Official that authorizes performance of specified construction. The permit provides a permanent construction record that a building project met the current code requirements and when necessary, the approved plans and specifications.

Permittee - Can be an architect, engineer, licensed contractor, property owner in certain cases or an authorized agent. The permittee is responsible for ensuring that the construction work is performed in accordance with the approved plans and specifications and the provisions of the building codes. The permittee acts as a coordinator between the project consultants, the contractor, and the Building Official.

Permit Holder - See permittee.

Phase of Construction - Required inspections including:

1. Foundation and reinforcing steel,
2. Concrete slab or under-floor,
3. Frame,
4. Lathe and/or gypsum board,
5. Fire- and smoke-resistant penetrations,
6. Energy efficiency elements,
7. Final.

Contacting the Building Official at the local Building and Safety District Office to discuss your project

Plans and Specifications - Design drawings of a building or structure or element that are typical drawn by an architect, engineer, or drafts-person. Including but not limited to: structural, architectural, and/or specialty trades, floor plans, site plans, elevations, soils reports, truss calculations etc.

Plan Check (Review) - The review of plans, specifications, drawings, and supporting documents by a plan check engineer, for compliance with the building codes, prior to the issuance of some permits.

Private Sewage Disposal System - A septic tank with effluent discharging into a subsurface disposal field, seepage pit(s), or combination.

Property Line (PL) - The boundary or lot line between two neighboring parcels of property.

Public Way - An alley, road, street, highway, boulevard or other parcel of land open to the outside air that has been deeded, dedicated or otherwise permanently appropriated for public use.

Report of Grading Activities (RGA) - A periodic inspection report prepared by the field engineer for all grading projects. The RGA certifies to the Building Official that the Field Engineer has inspected the grading site and related activities and found them in compliance with the approved grading plans and specifications, all grading permit conditions, the building code, and all other applicable ordinances and requirements.

Potable Water - Water that is satisfactory for drinking, cooking, and domestic purposes and meets public health requirements.

Shell Building - Includes the walls, windows, doors, roof, and foundations that separate the interior spaces within a structure from the surrounding exterior areas.

Setback - The horizontal distance between a building, structure, fence, or other features, such as a well or septic system, and a property line, slope, street, highway, alley, stream, flood plain or other protected areas.

Slope - An inclined surface, the angle of which is expressed as a ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance.

Soil - Naturally occurring surface deposits of dirt, gravel, clay, and rocks on top of bedrock.

Soils Engineer (Geotechnical Engineer) - A civil engineer who specializes in evaluating the characteristics of the ground upon which a structure is built. A soil engineer investigates and analyzes a site for such qualities as soil characteristics, composition, and drainage.

Soils Report - A report prepared by a Soils Engineer describing the soils ability to provide a stable construction site. The report details the site investigation, evaluation, design, testing, and inspection requirements.

Special Inspection - Inspection of construction requiring the expertise of an approved special inspector to ensure compliance with the Building Code and the approved plans and specifications, that may be performed as a continuous or periodic inspection.

Special Inspector (Deputy Inspector) - A civil engineer who specializes in evaluating the characteristics of the ground upon which a structure is built. A soil engineer investigates and analyzes a site for such qualities as soil characteristics, composition, and drainage.

Temporary Power - A temporary outdoor power service, mounted on a pole, pedestal or piggyback panel, including all receptacles, outlets, and overhead wires used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects.

Tenant Improvement (TI) - Building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical alterations or additions made to the interior of a commercial or industrial property to accommodate the needs of a tenant space.

Terrace - A relatively level step constructed in the face of a graded slope for drainage and maintenance purposes.

Unconditioned - The interior area of a building or structure or portion thereof which is not provided with heating or air-conditioning.

Unincorporated Area - A region of land that is not governed by its own local municipal (city) corporation. In the County of Los Angeles, the Board of Supervisors is the "city council" and the supervisor representing the area the "mayor", with County agencies providing all municipal services. https://www.lacounty.gov/government/about-la-county/unincorporated-areas/

Unpermitted - Any construction or installation work (building, electrical, grading, plumbing or mechanical) performed without the required permit(s) having first been obtained from the Building Official, or any unfinished work for which a permit has expired. Visit the Work exempt from a Permit page for information on work exempt from permits.

Virtual Inspection - The ability of permit holders, using a smartphone or tablet, to schedule certain inspections using Skype, Facetime, or another web-based site.

Work Exempt from Permits - The Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing codes all list work that is exempt from a permit. Visit the Work exempt from a Permit page for more information