Chatsworth, CA · July 2023 · LADWP / LADBS

The inspector never came to the house.

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety runs a Virtual Inspection Program. On this Chatsworth project the permit inspection was held over video, in a fifteen-minute window, with nobody driving anywhere.

LADBS operates a Virtual Inspection Program that a permit holder can join by signing a participation agreement. On this project the inspection was then held over a video call in a scheduled fifteen-minute slot rather than as a site visit.

At a glance

Program

LADBS Virtual Inspection

Joining requirement

Signed participation agreement

Inspection format

Scheduled video call

Slot length

15 minutes

Permits covered

Two, one appointment

Modules

Canadian Solar CS6K-280M

Recording

Not permitted

Utility / AHJ

LADWP / LADBS

The story

Most of what a building department does on a solar project ends in somebody standing on the property. An inspector arrives inside a window, looks at the work, and signs or does not sign. That window is one of the least predictable parts of the calendar.

On this project it did not happen that way.

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety runs a Virtual Inspection Program. It is not an informal arrangement with an individual inspector: joining it means signing a participation agreement with the department, in which the applicant accepts the terms of the program, takes responsibility for taking part, and acknowledges that no part of the inspection may be recorded or broadcast.

We signed into the program for this permit on a Wednesday. The appointment came back for the following day — a fifteen-minute slot, held over a video call, covering both permit numbers on the job in one sitting.

What the format changes is not the standard. The same things are checked: the equipment installed against the equipment approved, the labeling, the conductors, the disconnects. What changes is that someone has to be on site with a camera, walking the inspector through it, and able to put the camera where it is asked to go.

The useful part is knowing the program exists and that there is a form to sign to join it. Availability is the department's to decide, on its own criteria, and it can change. But on a project that is otherwise ready and waiting on an inspection window, it is worth asking the question rather than assuming the only route is a site visit.

How it ran

These dates cover the virtual inspection step on this project. The program is the department's, and what it offers is set by the department rather than by the contractor.

What we did

• Established that the department's Virtual Inspection Program applied to this permit.
• Signed the participation agreement and release on behalf of the permit holder.
• Took the appointment for the following day.
• Attended on site with a camera and walked the inspector through the installation.
• Covered both permit numbers on the job in the one appointment.

System specifications

Is your project like this one?

• Your project is finished and waiting on an inspection window.
• You have more than one permit open on the same job.
• You want to know which steps have to happen on site and which do not.
• Nobody has explained what the inspection will actually look at.
• Your Chatsworth property is served by LADWP, while permits are handled by LADBS.

Cali Energy in Chatsworth

Frequently asked questions

Does LADBS do inspections over video?

It runs a Virtual Inspection Program, which a permit holder joins by signing a participation agreement with the department. On this project the inspection was then held over a video call in a scheduled fifteen-minute slot. Whether it is available on a particular permit is the department's decision.

What do you have to agree to in order to take part?

The program's participation agreement is a waiver and release: the applicant accepts the terms, assumes responsibility for taking part, and acknowledges that no part of the inspection may be recorded or broadcast — no audio, no video, no stills. We signed it for this permit the day before the appointment.

Is a virtual inspection easier to pass?

No. The same things are checked — equipment against the approved plans, labeling, conductors, disconnects. What changes is that somebody has to be on site with a camera and able to show the inspector whatever is asked for, which means the work has to be genuinely finished and accessible before the slot starts.

Can two permits be inspected in one appointment?

On this project they were: both permit numbers on the job were covered in the same fifteen-minute slot. That is a practical reason to have the permits lined up and the whole job ready rather than calling for inspections one at a time.

What this would look like on your roof

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This timeline reflects this property and this permitting path. Updated September 2026.