Window Replacement in Los Angeles, California

In the City of Los Angeles, replacing windows with new ones of the same size and type is work the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) lists for an express permit, which is issued without plan check. The same LADBS bulletin says replacement windows in residential buildings of three stories or less must be dual glazed and carry a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label and certification, under the state Energy Code, Title 24 Part 6 (LADBS express permit bulletin) ¹.

Two more things decide how your project runs. If the house sits in one of the city's Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs), all exterior projects must be reviewed by HPOZ staff and/or the HPOZ boards before work may be done or permits may be issued, though some projects may be exempt from review (Office of Historic Resources info brief) ⁴. And the contractor rules are state rules, set by the Contractors State License Board and covered on our California window replacement page. This page covers the city of Los Angeles itself; other cities in Los Angeles County have their own building departments.

Permits: the LADBS express permit

LADBS publishes a list of types of construction for which an express permit can be issued, meaning no plan check is required. The first item in the building section is "window and door change-out (same size & type) for residential buildings" (LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2026-003) ¹. The bulletin was revised on June 10, 2026 ¹.

A few points follow from that wording:

• Same size and same type. The listing covers a change-out that keeps the window's size and type. A larger or new opening, or a change in window type, is outside that line; ask LADBS whether your job then needs plan check before you sign a contract that assumes it does not.
• Residential buildings. The listing is written for residential buildings ¹. Commercial and mixed-use buildings are a question for LADBS.
• Dual glazing. The bulletin says dual glazing with NFRC labeling and certification is required for windows replaced in all residential buildings of three stories or less, citing Title 24, Part 6, Section 150.2(b)1B (LADBS express permit bulletin) ¹.

How to get it

LADBS says permits for simple projects that do not require plan check are issued as express permits, or e-permits when done online, and its express permits page links to the online permit system and to the qualifications bulletin above (LADBS express permits page) ². The bulletin adds that express permits are also processed by appointment at the permitting counters in the Metro, Van Nuys, West Los Angeles, San Pedro and South Los Angeles offices ¹. The express permits page also says all contractors must complete a subcontractor form with information on any subcontractors used on the project, returned to the Office of Finance ².

Who pulls the permit, you or the installer, is something to settle in writing before work starts. A clear quote names who applies, whether the permit fee is included and when the inspection is booked. Our article on window replacement permits explains why cities differ on this.

Who may do the work

California licenses contractors at the state level, through the Contractors State License Board, not through the city. The license threshold, the glazing classification and the board's license lookup are on our California page, so they are not repeated here. Before you sign, ask: is the installer licensed in the right classification, and does the license number on the quote match the board's record?

Title 24 and Los Angeles window replacements

LADBS ties window replacement directly to the state Energy Code: its express permit listing carries the Title 24 dual-glazing and NFRC requirement for residential buildings of three stories or less ¹. The California Energy Commission says buildings whose permit applications are applied for on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with the 2025 Energy Code (California Energy Commission, 2025 standards) ³.

The Energy Code's U-factor and solar heat gain values for replacement windows depend on the house's Title 24 climate zone. The California page sets out those values from the Energy Commission's compliance manual. In practice, ask each installer which Title 24 climate zone they used for your address and which U-factor and SHGC the quoted window meets, and check that each unit will carry its NFRC label.

Historic Preservation Overlay Zones

Los Angeles City Planning's Office of Historic Resources says all exterior projects in an HPOZ, including work that does not need a building permit such as exterior paint and landscaping, must be reviewed by HPOZ staff or the HPOZ boards before work may be done or permits may be issued (How to submit a project for HPOZ review) ⁴. Window replacement is exterior work, so in an HPOZ it falls under this review unless your district's Preservation Plan exempts it.

The info brief sets out the steps ⁴:

1. Check your property in ZIMAS, the city's Zoning Information and Map Access System, to see which HPOZ it is in and whether it is listed as a Contributor, Contributor Altered, Non-Contributor, Historic-Cultural Monument or Mills Act property.
2. Read your district's Preservation Plan. Each HPOZ has its own plan, with guidelines, exemptions and delegations that say how work on that district's buildings is reviewed.
3. Apply through City Planning's online application system. Depending on the project, the case is handled as Conforming Work on a Contributing or Non-Contributing Structure, or as a Certificate of Appropriateness or Compatibility. Some projects may be exempt from review.
4. Get the clearance. For Conforming Work, building permits may be cleared after an invoice is paid and a Conforming Work letter is issued by staff.

The brief says Conforming Work cases generally involve smaller projects and rehabilitation work that are normally scheduled for a board meeting, reviewed by planning staff and issued a permit clearance within 21 days; it adds that the review procedures may require HPOZ board review and filing fees ⁴. A window project in an HPOZ may take longer to schedule than the same job elsewhere, and the Preservation Plan may shape which windows are acceptable, so ask installers whether they have worked in your district. A homeowners association is not part of this review; if you have one, check its rules separately.

Climate and glass

ENERGY STAR places Los Angeles County in its South-Central climate zone (ENERGY STAR climate zone finder) ⁶. For that zone, ENERGY STAR's Version 7.0 criteria call for a U-factor of 0.28 or less and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.23 or less, with air leakage of 0.3 cubic feet per minute per square foot or less (ENERGY STAR criteria) ⁵. ENERGY STAR is a voluntary label, separate from Title 24.

NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for the downtown station on the USC campus show why the solar heat gain number matters here. The station's normal annual cooling degree days, 1,295.7, are higher than its heating degree days, 1,005.1, and it averages 25.6 days a year at 90°F or above (NOAA normals, Los Angeles Downtown USC) ⁷. Normal annual precipitation is 14.25 inches ⁷. A low SHGC limits the sun's heat coming through the glass, which counts most on west- and south-facing windows. Our energy-efficient windows explainer and the article on low-E glass explain both ratings.

Costs

None of the cost sources we use publishes a figure for Los Angeles, so this page does not give a local price. As a national figure, Fixr reports that window replacement averages about $800 per window, typically $450 to $1,200 (updated January 21, 2026) (Fixr) ⁸. The window replacement cost guide sets that survey beside the others, with dates and methods. In Los Angeles, add the express permit fee, any HPOZ review fee and the Title 24 glass requirement to what you compare.

Getting quotes

Ask every installer the same questions: same-size change-out or a changed opening, who pulls the LADBS permit, whether the house is in an HPOZ, and which Title 24 and NFRC values the windows carry. Our guides on how to choose a window installer and how to compare window quotes cover the rest. When you are ready, you can compare quotes from window installers.

About these figures

• ¹ Official record: LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2026-003, revised June 10, 2026 (same-size and same-type window change-out on the express permit list, dual glazing with NFRC labels for residential buildings of three stories or less under Title 24 Part 6 Section 150.2(b)1B, the five permitting counters), checked October 26, 2026.
• ² Official record: LADBS express permits page (express permits for work without plan check, e-permits online, subcontractor form), checked October 26, 2026.
• ³ Official record: California Energy Commission 2025 standards page (applies to permit applications on or after January 1, 2026), checked October 26, 2026.
• ⁴ Official record: Los Angeles City Planning, Office of Historic Resources, HPOZ review info brief (staff and/or board review of all exterior projects, ZIMAS, Preservation Plan, review types, Conforming Work clearance within 21 days, possible filing fees), checked October 26, 2026.
• ⁵ Official record: ENERGY STAR Version 7.0 criteria for the South-Central zone (U-factor 0.28, SHGC 0.23, air leakage 0.3), checked October 26, 2026.
• ⁶ Official record: ENERGY STAR county climate zone list (Los Angeles County in South-Central), checked October 26, 2026.
• ⁷ Official record: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals for Los Angeles Downtown USC Campus (1,295.7 cooling and 1,005.1 heating degree days, 25.6 days at 90°F or above, 14.25 inches of precipitation), checked October 26, 2026.
• ⁸ Reported: Fixr national window replacement cost (about $800 per window, typically $450 to $1,200, page updated January 21, 2026), checked October 26, 2026.