City of Glendale Permit Services Center
Building permits, plan check, and inspections, coordinated with Planning and design review for hillside homes and historic districts.
Glendale Development ServicesService area · Glendale
Custom homes, remodels, and additions in Glendale.
Glendale's neighborhoods run from 1920s Period Revival streets near downtown to hillside homes in the Verdugos and the foothills above Montrose. In Glendale, ROAM Design Studio LLC takes projects through design review and plan check, and ROAM Builders Inc. (CSLB Lic. #1151324) builds them once permits are issued.
Permits
Who issues building permits in Glendale.
Glendale is an incorporated city with its own Community Development Department. Building permits go through the Permit Services Center, and design review comes first for many projects.
What ROAM Design Studio LLC does
We confirm zoning and any overlays for your address, prepare the permit set with the licensed engineers your project needs, submit to the Glendale Permit Services Center, and respond to plan-check comments, as set out in your design agreement.
Residential design and permit servicesLocal considerations
What shapes projects in Glendale.
- Design review. New homes, second-story additions, and many other additions citywide go through Glendale's design review before plan check, so schedules should include it.
- Historic districts. Districts such as Rossmoyne, with about 500 Period Revival homes built mostly between 1923 and 1950, review exterior changes to keep their character.
- Fire hazard zones. Glendale adopted the State Fire Marshal's 2025 fire hazard maps in July 2025, which added thousands of parcels to the Very High zone. Homes there must meet the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code's wildfire-resistant construction rules.
Sources: Glendale Development Services, Rossmoyne Historic District, Glendale News-Press on the 2025 fire maps, reviewed October 2026. Requirements change; confirm them with the agency for your property.
ROAM is not affiliated with City of Glendale Permit Services Center or any government agency. This page is general information, not legal or permitting advice.
What we do in Glendale
Design, permits, and construction from one coordinated team.
New custom homes
Ground-up single-family homes, including one-story homes with basements, designed by ROAM Design Studio LLC and built by ROAM Builders Inc. (CSLB Lic. #1151324).
Custom homesRemodels and additions
Kitchens, primary suites, whole-house renovations, and additions, from design and permits through construction.
Remodels and renovationsDesign and permits only
Prefer to bid out construction yourself? ROAM Design Studio LLC can deliver a permitted plan set under its own agreement.
ROAM Design Studio LLCCommon questions
Building in Glendale.
Does my Glendale remodel need design review?
Many exterior changes, additions, and hillside homes do, and properties in historic districts have their own review. Interior-only remodels usually don't. We check your address and scope with the City before design is finalized.
Is my Glendale home now in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
Possibly. The 2025 maps expanded the zone significantly. Check the City's map for your address; if you are in it, new construction and many additions must meet the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
Is my address in the City of Glendale or unincorporated LA County?
It depends on the parcel. Some homes with Glendale, La Crescenta, or Montrose mailing addresses are in the City of Glendale and others are in unincorporated La Crescenta-Montrose, which LA County permits. We confirm the jurisdiction before anything else.
Nearby
Other foothill communities we serve.
Burbank · La Crescenta-Montrose · La Cañada Flintridge · All service areas
Planning a project in Glendale?
Our office: 2012 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103.