A complaint about unpermitted construction in Los Angeles is usually investigated within days, but only about one in three turns into a code enforcement case. Of the 7,187 complaints the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) received in 2022 about work done without permits, work in progress without permits and garages converted to dwellings, 2,217 (31%) led to a case. As of October 2026, 501 of those cases are still open.
A building permit followed at the same parcel within 12 months for 29% of all complaints, a median of 84 days after the report. When LADBS opened a case, the share rose to 35%. The rest of this page shows how the numbers differ by complaint type, how to check an address yourself, and what an Order to Comply costs the owner.
How 2022 unpermitted construction complaints in Los Angeles turned out
LADBS sorts each complaint, called a customer service request, into a problem category. Three categories cover unpermitted building work, and they end very differently.
| Complaint category | Complaints in 2022 | Case opened | Building permit within 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction done without permits or inspections | 3,115 | 35% | 23% (median 105 days) |
| Construction in progress without permits or inspections | 3,485 | 24% | 35% (median 70 days) |
| Garage converted to a dwelling | 587 | 48% | 17% (median 198 days) |
| All three | 7,187 | 31% | 29% (median 84 days) |
Complaints about work in progress reach a permit fastest, because an owner caught mid-project can stop and file. They also open a case least often. Some of that work was already permitted: 22% of those parcels had a building permit issued in the 12 months before the complaint, against 12% for finished work and 8% for garage conversions.
Garage conversions sit at the other end. Nearly half became cases, and a permit followed for only one in six, about six and a half months later. One route to legalize a garage used as a home is an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permit, which LADBS explains on its ADU page.
How long an LADBS code enforcement case stays open
The first step is quick. Of the complaints LADBS had closed by March 2023, half were investigated within 3 days of being received and 90% within 41 days. Closing the case takes far longer. For the 1,707 cases from 2022 complaints that are now closed, the median time from opening to resolution was 194 days, and a quarter took more than 575 days.
- Still open in October 2026: 501 of 2,208 cases (23%), almost four years after the complaint. The share is close to 23% for all three categories.
- Permit link: 37% of complaints with a now-closed case had a building permit at the parcel within 12 months, against 29% of complaints whose case is still open.
- Slowest category: work in progress, where a quarter of closed cases ran past 863 days.
A case that stays open is the record a buyer inherits. LADBS states that the current owner must comply with the order even when a previous owner or tenant did the unpermitted work (LADBS Code Enforcement).
What an LADBS Order to Comply costs the owner
When an inspector verifies a violation, LADBS issues an Order to Comply. The department’s fee sheet for code enforcement orders lists these charges:
- Code Violation Inspection Fee: $356.16, due within 30 days. Paid late, it totals $1,246.56. The fee applies even if the owner fixes the problem before the due date.
- Investigation fee: when a permit is needed to fix the violation, the permit fee is doubled, with a $400 minimum.
- Extension of time: usually $346.62, requested at the local Code Enforcement office.
- Non-Compliance Fee: $660 if the work is not corrected within 15 days after the compliance date, rising to $2,310 if paid late. The case can then go to the City Attorney.
Unpaid fees can become a lien on the property. Our property lien search guide explains how code enforcement charges become liens and where to search for them.
How to check an LA address for complaints and open cases
- Open the LADBS Permit and Inspection Report (the same tool LADBS calls Complaint Status) and search by address.
- Open the code enforcement section of the report. Each entry lists a complaint or case number with its status.
- Open the case to see any Order to Comply and the specific violations cited.
- Compare the case dates with the permit list in the same report. A building permit issued after the complaint, with a final inspection, is the usual sign the issue was legalized. Our LADBS permit search guide covers reading that list.
- For apartments and duplexes, check the Los Angeles Housing Department too. LADBS directs code complaints about buildings with two or more units to that department.
Before you buy in Los Angeles: questions about a complaint on record
- Is any LADBS case at the address still open, and does it carry an Order to Comply?
- Which violations were cited, and does each one need a permit to fix?
- Has the Code Violation Inspection Fee been paid, and are any non-compliance fees or liens outstanding?
- Was a permit issued after the complaint, and does it show a final inspection?
- If the complaint was about a garage conversion, is the unit being legalized as an ADU or returned to a garage, and who is paying for it?
Seattle and Austin follow the same pattern with different speeds. Our analyses of Seattle unpermitted construction complaints and Austin work-without-permit complaints track 2024 reports the same way, and our guide to unpermitted work records lists the documents to request in any city.
If the work was done by a contractor, check the license in CSLB before you report or rehire; our California contractor license lookup explains suspensions and classifications.
Counts are our calculations from LADBS Customer Service Requests (closed and open; complaint status as of the city’s last update on March 28, 2023), Code Enforcement Cases (closed and open, matched by case number), and LADBS Building Permits, matched by parcel number. The permit figures include building permits only; electrical and plumbing permits are outside that dataset, and a permit at the same parcel may cover other work. Data pulled October 24, 2026. More analyses are on our permit data page.