Permits
Do you need a permit to remodel in Pasadena or Altadena?
By Michael Ward, owner of MKW Homes Inc
By Michael Ward, owner of MKW Homes Inc · Updated August 2026
The short answer
Usually yes. If your remodel moves plumbing, electrical, or framing, you need a permit. The catch is where you pull it. Pasadena has its own building department. Altadena is unincorporated county, so it permits through LA County, not the city.
What actually triggers a permit
The rule we give homeowners is simple. If you touch the guts of the house, you need a permit. Moving a drain or supply line, adding or moving a circuit, cutting a load-bearing wall, changing framing, or moving a gas line all trigger one. A bathroom that keeps its layout but opens a wall for new pipe still counts. Swapping a faucet, tiling a floor, painting, or replacing a countertop usually does not. The test is whether you change the plumbing, electrical, or structure, not just the finish.
Who issues the permit is the part locals miss
Here is where neighbors on one street land in different systems. Pasadena is its own city, so a Pasadena remodel goes through the city's Building and Safety office. Altadena is not a city. It is unincorporated Los Angeles County, so the permit runs through LA County Public Works, not Pasadena. Different counter, different inspectors, different fees. If you are unsure which one you are in, check the parcel before you file, because filing with the wrong agency costs you weeks.
The mistake that catches up with you at sale
The costliest mistake we see is skipping the permit to save time, then selling a few years later. Unpermitted work has a way of surfacing. Appraisers and buyers' inspectors compare the house to the permit history on file, and a bathroom or bedroom that never got a permit shows up as a mismatch. California also makes you disclose it to a buyer. Then you pay to permit it after the fact, sometimes opening finished walls so an inspector can see the work.
What to ask a contractor before you start
Ask three questions before you hire. First, does this job need a permit, and which agency issues it, the City of Pasadena or LA County. A contractor who works this area answers without hesitating. Second, who pulls it. The permit should be in the contractor's license, not yours, so the liability sits with them. Third, get the permit plan written into the contract. Be wary of anyone who offers to skip the permit. That becomes your problem later, not theirs.
The one thing to remember
Remember the two-part rule. If your project moves plumbing, electrical, or framing, you almost certainly need a permit. And check which agency issues it, because Pasadena and Altadena run on separate systems.
Follow-up questionsAnswered.
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Altadena?
Keep every fixture where it is and only redo finishes, and often no. Move the toilet, shower, or sink, add a fixture, or open a wall for pipe or wiring, and yes. In Altadena that permit runs through LA County.
Is Altadena part of the City of Pasadena?
No. They sit right next to each other, but Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County and Pasadena is its own city. That is why the same remodel is permitted by two different agencies depending on which side of the line you are on.
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About the author
Michael Ward, owner of MKW Homes Inc
Michael is a Liverpool-trained builder with over 20 years in the trade, running one four-person crew across Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. California license CSLB #1074934, verifiable on the CSLB website. He writes these guides from what the work actually involves.
