What needs a remodel permit in Pasadena
The City of Pasadena's Building & Safety Division publishes two handouts that answer the question directly. Their permit lines, side by side:
| Room | Permit required for | No permit for |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom | Removing and replacing or relocating vanity cabinets, toilets, sinks, tubs or showers; replacing or altering electrical; removing and replacing wallboard | Towel bars, mirrors, paint, floor covering, when no other work is included |
| Kitchen | Removing and replacing or relocating cabinets and countertops, sink, dishwasher; a new or altered island; replacing or altering electrical and the exhaust hood | Countertop replacement; refacing existing cabinets |
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City of Pasadena, Residential Bathroom Remodel (1/7/2020) and Residential Kitchen Remodel (1/13/2020). Both say a required permit must be obtained before the remodel starts.
The two no-permit kitchen jobs have their own pages: countertop replacement and cabinet refacing.
The plans Pasadena asks for
A remodel plan set is short. The handouts ask for three sets if the plans are reviewed at the counter, or a flash drive otherwise, showing:
- A site plan, not to scale: property lines, existing structures, streets, alleys, easements, a north arrow and the area of work
- A dimensioned floor plan of the remodeled room, with the rooms around it
- Existing and proposed floor plans if the layout changes
- The existing framing layout if walls are demolished, to show bearing or non-bearing; engineering if bearing
- The building application, plus plumbing, mechanical and electrical applications where they apply
Taking out a wall between kitchen and living room is the most common reason a plan set grows; see open-concept kitchens.
Inspections
Pasadena requires at least two inspections for a bathroom or kitchen remodel. The rough inspection comes after the electrical boxes are installed and before devices are connected, together with any structural, mechanical or plumbing rough work. The final comes when everything is finished.
- 1Check whether the work needs a permit
Compare the job with the City's bathroom and kitchen handouts: replacing or moving fixtures, cabinets, wallboard or wiring needs one; paint, mirrors, counters alone and refacing don't.
- 2Prepare the plans
A site plan (not to scale), a dimensioned floor plan of the room and adjoining rooms, existing and proposed plans for a layout change, and the framing layout plus engineering if a bearing wall comes out.
- 3Apply and get plan review
Submit the building application with plumbing, mechanical and electrical applications as needed; simple remodels may be reviewed at the counter, others go to plan check.
- 4Rough inspection
After boxes, pipes, ducts and framing are in and before anything is covered, the rough inspection checks the hidden work.
- 5Final inspection
When the work is finished, the final inspection closes the permit. A bath or kitchen remodel gets at least these two inspections.
Rules that come with every permit
The whole-house fixture rule
On homes built before January 1, 1994, California Civil Code 1101.4 requires non-compliant plumbing fixtures throughout the house to be upgraded whenever a remodel permit is issued, even outside the remodeled room.
| Fixture | Non-compliant if it uses | Replacement maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet | More than 1.6 gallons per flush | 1.28 gallons per flush |
| Showerhead | More than 2.5 gallons per minute | 1.8 gpm at 80 psi |
| Bathroom faucet | More than 2.2 gpm | 1.2 gpm at 60 psi |
| Kitchen faucet | More than 2.2 gpm | 1.8 gpm at 60 psi |
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From the City of Pasadena handouts (Civil Code 1101.4(a); CALGreen 4.303).
Alarms, insulation and materials
The handouts also list smoke alarms in and outside sleeping areas and on each level, carbon monoxide alarms where there's a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage, insulation for exterior walls and ceilings exposed during the work, and low-VOC adhesives, paints and finishes. The energy and green-building details are in Title 24, CALGreen and the fixture rule.
Which code edition
The City's handouts were written to the 2019 California codes. The California Energy Commission says permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with the 2025 Energy Code, so confirm current details with Building & Safety.
Landmark districts and design review
Pasadena's Certificate of Appropriateness covers most exterior alterations of designated or eligible historic resources outside the Central District. An interior-only kitchen or bath goes to the building permit; a changed window, a new exterior vent or a skylight is exterior work. The Craftsman and historic remodel page has a table of common cases.
Permit offices in the neighboring towns
Each of the five towns around Pasadena issues its own permits, except Altadena, which is unincorporated Los Angeles County:
| Town | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena | Building Division, 1414 Mission St, 626-403-7224 | Open Gov customer permit portal; Design Review Board; Cultural Heritage Commission |
| San Marino | Planning & Building; inspector 626-300-0753 | Design Review Committee for new homes, additions and some changes visible from the street |
| Altadena | LA County Public Works, 464 W. Woodbury Rd, Suite 210, 626-424-6743 | Unincorporated; EPIC-LA online permits |
| La Cañada Flintridge | Building & Safety, One Civic Center Dr, 818-790-8651 | ConnectLCF portal; bathroom and kitchen remodel submittal checklists |
| Sierra Madre | Building & Safety, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd, 626-355-7138 | Accela portal; permits issued only to a licensed contractor or the owner |
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From each city's building page and the LA County service locator, read October 2026.
Who can pull the permit and do the work is covered in hiring a remodeling contractor in California. For the work itself, see the bathroom remodel and kitchen remodel pages.