How to Complete and Submit the LA County Structural Observation Report Form

The LA County Structural Observation Report Form is a one-page PDF that a California-licensed engineer or architect completes after each significant construction stage, seals, and files with the Building and Safety District Office that issued the permit. The current version is tied to the 2026 Los Angeles County Building Code and is available from the Department of Public Works Building and Safety Division.¹ One form covers one site visit. A separate report is required for the final completion of the structural system.

Who Signs the Form

LACBC Section 1704.6 requires the building owner to retain a registered design professional to perform structural observation on qualifying projects, which under California Building Code Section 1704.6.1 covers buildings in Seismic Design Categories C through F. Most of Los Angeles County falls into those categories, so the requirement reaches most commercial and multi-story residential work.²

The observer is normally the engineer or architect of record who designed the structural system. If someone else is designated, the engineer of record must sign a declaration approving the substitute. The observer’s California license carries the accountability: a false certification can trigger discipline under Business and Professions Code Section 6775.³

What Goes in Each Block of the Form

Project and Observer Identification

At the top, enter the project address and the building permit number exactly as they appear on the permit. Below that, fill in the structural observer of record’s name, firm, phone number, and California professional license or registration number. If a different observer actually performed the site visit under the observer of record’s supervision, that person’s name and registration number go on a separate line.¹

Structural Elements Observed

Check only the items you actually observed during the visit this report documents. The categories on the form are:⁴

Foundation: footings, stem walls, piers, mat foundations, caissons, piles, grade beams, and retaining foundations.
Wall: concrete, masonry, and wood shear walls.
Frame: steel moment frames, steel braced frames, and concrete moment frames.
Diaphragm: concrete, steel deck, and wood diaphragms.
Floor and roof: connections and framing elements at each level.

Every checked item must correspond to the date of that site visit. Foundation reinforcement seen on one visit and steel connections observed two weeks later belong on two separate reports, each with only the relevant boxes checked. That is what gives the building official a dated, stage-by-stage record of the structural system.

Conformance Statement

The observer states whether the observed work is in general conformance with the approved plans and specifications. General conformance does not mean every bolt was measured. It means the structural system follows the design intent and no gross errors or omissions were spotted in the load path.²

Signature and Seal

Sign the form and apply your professional seal. Use black or blue ink for manual signatures so the document stays legible after scanning. The district office will not accept an unsigned or unsealed report.

Reporting Deficiencies

If the work does not conform, describe the problem and the corrective action needed in the deficiency section. The form includes a statement reading: “I recommend that acceptance of the structural systems by the County of Los Angeles be withheld until all observed deficiencies are corrected.” Checking that box effectively holds the project until the issues are fixed.

Once the deficiency is corrected, verifying the fix is the structural observer’s responsibility, either through a personal follow-up visit or by directing a registered special inspector to confirm the correction.⁴ The follow-up confirmation goes on a subsequent report.

Where to Submit the Report

Send the original sealed and signed report to the Building and Safety District Office that issued the building permit.⁴ LA County operates several district offices, including Altadena, Antelope Valley, Calabasas, and East Los Angeles, among others. Confirm which office handles your project before dropping off documents. For projects within contract cities, contact the district office that issued the permit to verify the correct submission point.

The program documents do not set a specific deadline in days or hours between the site visit and submission. Delays still matter in practice: without the current stage’s report on file, the building inspector has no basis to approve the work and move the project forward.

Electronic Submission Through EPIC-LA

LA County’s EPIC-LA system handles permit applications, fee payments, and inspection scheduling electronically. Whether structural observation reports can be uploaded through EPIC-LA depends on the district office and project type. To avoid an in-person trip, contact the district office or email epiclahelp@lacounty.gov to ask whether electronic submission is accepted for your project.

The Final Report Before Certificate of Occupancy

A final observation report is required at the completion of the structural system. This report must confirm that all previously noted deficiencies have been resolved and that the structural system generally conforms with the approved plans.¹ Building officials will not accept the structural work and will not issue a Certificate of Occupancy until the final report is on file, regardless of how the construction itself went.

1
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Structural Observation Report Form 2026
2
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Structural Observation Program and Designation of the Structural Observer
3
Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists
4
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Structural Observation Program and Designation of the Structural Observer