How to Fill Out the LADBS Request for Modification of Building Ordinances

The LADBS Request for Modification form is how a property owner or their representative asks the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to approve an alternative material, design, or construction method when strict compliance with a specific building code provision is impractical on a specific project. You download the form from dbs.lacity.gov, tie it to an active permit, identify the exact code section at issue, write a site-specific justification and an equivalency argument backed by technical evidence, pay the per-item fees, and submit online through the Building and Safety Modification System or in person at a district office counter.¹

When a Modification Request Fits

The form is for situations where something about your site or existing structure makes a particular code requirement physically impractical to meet, not for cost or convenience complaints. The standard printed on the form itself: the Superintendent of Building or a designated agent must find that special, individual reasons make strict compliance impractical, and that the proposed alternative conforms to the spirit and purpose of the ordinance.²

The reviewer is not waiving the safety goal. Under LAMC Section 98.0501, the department can approve alternate materials, devices, and methods when there is sufficient evidence the alternative is adequate in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety.³ Those six criteria are the yardstick your request will be measured against.

Typical situations that fit: an existing building whose structural elements cannot accommodate current seismic bracing, a tight lot line that prevents code-compliant setbacks for a fire-rated wall, or older construction where meeting an accessibility standard by removing a load-bearing element would compromise structural integrity.

What to Gather Before You Start

Have the following in hand before opening the form. Missing pieces are the most common reason requests bounce back for additional information, and each round trip adds weeks.

Active permit number and project address. The modification attaches to an existing building permit.
Property owner contact details and signature. If you are a contractor, architect, or engineer filing on the owner’s behalf, you still need the owner’s signature, or a written authorization or power of attorney attached to the form.
The exact code section you cannot meet. Cite it with the correct abbreviation (LAMC, LABC, or LARC) and the full section number, using the current edition, which is the 2025 Los Angeles City Building Code. Citing an outdated code year or the wrong section slows the review.
A site-specific written justification. Explain what the code requires and why your particular property or structure cannot comply. Generic statements about expense or difficulty will not carry the request.
An equivalency argument with technical backup. This is the heart of the request. Show that your proposed alternative delivers the protection the code intends, and support it with engineering calculations, manufacturer test reports, product specifications, or comparable evidence tied to the six criteria.²
Sketches or drawings. Plans showing both the code-compliant design and your proposed alternative help the reviewing engineer see the difference at a glance.

Filling Out the Form

The top section captures the identifying information: project address, permit application number, applicant name, and property owner details. Below that, you enter the code sections at issue. Each modification item gets its own line. If more than one code provision needs modifying, list each separately, because fees are calculated per item.

The narrative section is where a request succeeds or fails. State what the code requires, why your project cannot comply, and exactly what you propose in its place. Then connect your technical evidence to each of the six evaluation criteria the department applies: quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety.³ Vague language about “equivalent performance,” without numbers or test data, is the surest path to a request for more information.

The property owner or authorized representative signs at the bottom.

Fees

Fees are calculated per item, with add-ons for inspection and staff research time, and two surcharges applied to the subtotal:⁴

Processing fee: $130 for the first item, plus $39 for each additional item.
Inspection fee: $84 per inspection, if an on-site inspection is needed.
Research fee: $104 per hour of staff research time.
Surcharges: a 3% Development Services Center surcharge and a 6% Systems Development surcharge on the subtotal.

A single-item modification with no inspection or research time starts around $142 after surcharges. Requests that require substantial engineering research or multiple inspections run considerably higher. Fees are non-refundable, whether the request is approved or denied.

How to Submit

You have two paths. The Building and Safety Modification System on the LADBS website lets you submit the form, upload supporting documents as PDFs, and pay fees electronically; the system generates a receipt and tracking number linked to your permit so you can check status without calling.¹

You can also file at an LADBS district office public counter. In-person filing has one practical advantage: counter staff can check that required fields are completed and that supporting documents are attached before you leave, catching simple omissions that would otherwise stall the review. Bring the completed form, all supporting materials, and payment.

What Happens After You Submit

A department engineer or supervising plan checker reviews the package to decide whether your alternative genuinely provides equivalent protection, comparing your technical evidence against code benchmarks for structural loads, fire resistance, and other performance criteria. If the documentation is thin or leaves questions open, the department issues a written request for additional information, and the timeline resets while you respond.

An approval typically comes with conditions. These can include specific inspection milestones, particular installation methods, or ongoing maintenance requirements for a substitute material. The conditions become part of your permit record, and the inspector at your final inspection will verify you met them.

A denial arrives as a written explanation identifying the specific safety or code concerns your proposal did not address. CBC Section 104.11 requires the building official to state reasons for a denial in writing.⁵ That letter is the roadmap for either revising the request or filing an appeal.

Appealing a Denial

If your modification is denied, you can appeal to the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners under LAMC Section 98.0501.³ The process runs through the district offices in a set sequence.⁶

A manager first reviews your case to confirm the department did not make an administrative error. If the manager agrees with the denial and you still want to proceed, you receive a Supplemental Application for Appeals form. On it, you itemize the grounds for appeal along with the applicable LAMC sections. Attach your original Request for Modification form and any additional evidence (photographs, engineering reports, correspondence) that supports your position.

After you pay the appeal fees and submit, the assigned manager prepares a report setting out the department’s justifications within 60 days. The item is then scheduled for the next available Board hearing, and you receive written notice at least ten days beforehand. At the hearing, both you and the department present your positions before the commissioners issue a final determination.

Appeal fees are separate from the original modification fees:⁴

Board fee: $354 per item.
Inspection fee: $84 per inspection.
Research fee: $104 per hour.
The same 3% and 6% surcharges apply.

One rule to plan around: the department will not accept additional documentation after the appeal form is submitted unless you file a new appeal and pay the fees again. Assemble your evidence completely the first time.

h2>If Your Request Involves Accessibility Features

Modifications that reduce or alter accessibility features carry an extra layer of review. Under the ADA, when you alter a building in a way that affects usability, federal law requires compliance with accessibility standards to the extent technically feasible.⁷ “Technically feasible” is narrower than the city’s impracticality standard, so an argument that compliance is merely difficult will not carry an accessibility modification if a viable path exists.

Where the local building code and the federal accessibility rules diverge, the stricter standard controls. Disabled access modifications that cannot be resolved at staff level may be referred to the Disabled Access Appeals Commission rather than the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners.

1
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Requests For Modifications
2
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. LADBS Request for Modification Form
3
American Legal Publishing. Los Angeles Municipal Code SEC 98.0501 – Alternate Materials, Devices and Methods of Construction
4
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. LADBS Request for Modification of Building Ordinances
5
Corada. CBC 104.11 Alternative Materials, Design and Methods of Construction and Equipment
6
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. IB P BC 2017-149 Appeals to the BBSC
7
U.S. Access Board. Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards – Chapter 2 Alterations and Additions