California building permits

Where to get a building permit in California

Apply to the building department of the city, town or county where the property is (the steps).

Our California city guides, with each department's contacts, fees, inspections and project rules:

• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• San Jose
• San Francisco
• Fresno
• Sacramento
• Long Beach
• Oakland

California state agencies

These offices set statewide codes or license the trades. They do not issue permits for most home projects.

Building code in California

For homes, the residential code is the Part 2.5 California Residential Code⁵, in effect since January 1, 2026⁶ (statewide minimum; local governments may go further¹).

Every code family, edition and effective date is on California building codes.

State rules on which work needs a permit

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7031.5, Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 19825, 19826 govern the permit application; 2025 California Residential Code § R105.2 holds the exempt-work list

• 2025 CRC has a section titled Work exempt from permit; Wildland-Urban Interface Code applies even if exempt. Updated the pointer to the new CWUIC that is applicable even if the project is exempt from permits.⁷
• Applies wherever a city or county requires a permit. Every city, county, or city and county, whether general law or chartered, that requires the issuance of a permit as a condition precedent to the construction, alteration, improvement, demolition, or repair of any building or structure, shall require the execution of a permit application, in substantially the same form set forth under this subdivision, and require any individual who executes the Owner-Builder Declaration to present documentation sufficient to identify the property owner and, as necessary, verify the signature of the property owner.¹
• Work under $1,000 is not exempt from contractor licensing if it needs a permit. This chapter does not apply to a work or operation on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts if the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), that work or operation being considered of casual, minor, or inconsequential nature, and the work or operation does not require a building permit.¹

Homeowners doing their own work

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7044; Cal. Health & Safety Code § 19825

• Owner personally or with wage employees; not for sale. An owner who builds or improves a structure on his or her property, provided that both of the following conditions are met…¹
• None of the improvements for sale. None of the improvements are intended or offered for sale.¹
• Owner or wage employees do the work. The property owner personally performs all of the work or any work not performed by the owner is performed by the owner’s employees with wages as their sole compensation.¹
• Owner contracting directly with licensed trades. The owner directly contracts with licensees who are duly licensed to contract for the work of the respective trades involved in completing the project.¹
• For projects involving single-family residential structures, no more than four of these structures are intended or offered for sale in a calendar year.¹
• 12 months. The homeowner has actually resided in the residence for the 12 months prior to completion of the work.¹
• Limit two structures per three-year period. The homeowner has not availed himself or herself of the exemption in this paragraph on more than two structures more than once during any three-year period.¹
• Sale within one year presumed built for sale. Except as provided in paragraph (2), proof of the sale or offering for sale of a structure by or for the owner-builder within one year after completion of the structure constitutes a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of proof that the structure was undertaken for purposes of sale.¹
• Owner-builder acknowledgment form required. We will not issue a building permit until you have read, initialed your understanding of each provision, signed, and returned this form to us at our official address indicated.¹
• Owner-builder is the responsible party. I understand as an “Owner-Builder” I am the responsible party of record on the permit.¹
• Well drilling is excluded from owner work. Property owners are prohibited from performing well-drilling work covered under the Well Drilling (C-57) classification.⁸

Contractor licensing

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 7026, 7028, 7031, 7071.6 · in effect January 1, 2002¹

• Misdemeanor to contract unlicensed. Unless exempted from this chapter, it is a misdemeanor for a person to engage in the business of, or act in the capacity of, a contractor within this state under either of the following conditions…¹
• First conviction: up to $5,000 or up to six months in county jail or both. A first conviction for the offense described in this section is punishable by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000) or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.¹
• $25,000. The board shall require as a condition precedent to the issuance, reinstatement, reactivation, renewal, or continued maintenance of a license, that the applicant or licensee file or have on file a contractor’s bond in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).¹
• Unlicensed contractor cannot sue to collect pay. Except as provided in subdivision (e), no person engaged in the business or acting in the capacity of a contractor, may bring or maintain any action, or recover in law or equity in any action, in any court of this state for the collection of compensation for the performance of any act or contract where a license is required by this chapter without alleging that they were a duly licensed contractor at all times during the performance of that act or contract regardless of the merits of the cause of action brought by the person, except that this prohibition shall not apply to contractors who are each individually licensed under this chapter but who fail to comply with Section 7029.¹
• Statutory definition of contractor includes building, altering, repairing and demolishing. “Contractor,” for the purposes of this chapter, is synonymous with “builder” and, within the meaning of this chapter, a contractor is any person who undertakes to or offers to undertake to, or purports to have the capacity to undertake to, or submits a bid to, or does himself or herself or by or through others, construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, move, wreck or demolish any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation or other structure, project, development or improvement, or to do any part thereof…¹

Handyman limits

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 7048, 7027.2 · in effect January 1, 2026¹

• $1,000. This chapter does not apply to a work or operation on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts if the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), that work or operation being considered of casual, minor, or inconsequential nature, and the work or operation does not require a building permit.¹
• No splitting into smaller contracts. This section does not apply in a case wherein the work of construction is only a part of a larger or major operation, whether undertaken by the same or a different contractor, or in which a division of the operation is made in contracts of amounts less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the purpose of evasion of this chapter or otherwise.¹
• Exemption lost if the person employs a helper. Employs another person to perform, or assist in performing, the work or operation.¹
• Advertising must say unlicensed. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person who is not licensed pursuant to this chapter may advertise for construction work or a work of improvement covered by this chapter only if the aggregate contract price for labor, material, and all other items on a project or undertaking is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and the person states in the advertisement that the person is not licensed under this chapter.¹

Deadlines for permit decisions and inspections

Cal. Gov. Code § 65913.3; § 66317 (ADUs); Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17970.3 (inspections)

• 15 business days. A local agency or state agency shall determine whether an application for a postentitlement phase permit is complete and provide written notice of this determination to the applicant not later than 15 business days after the local agency or state agency received the application.¹
• Building permits count as postentitlement phase permits. Building permits, and all interdepartmental reviews required for the issuance of a building permit.¹
• 30 business days. The local agency or state agency shall immediately transmit that determination to the applicant by electronic mail and, if applicable, by posting the response on its internet website in the manner prescribed in subdivision (b) of Section 65913.3.5 not later than 30 business days after the local agency or state agency determines that an application for a postentitlement phase permit is complete pursuant to subdivision (b).¹
• 60 business days. The local agency or state agency shall immediately transmit that determination to the applicant by electronic mail and, if applicable, by posting the response on its internet website in the manner prescribed in subdivision (b) of Section 65913.3.5 not later than 60 business days after the local agency or state agency determines that an application for a postentitlement phase permit is complete pursuant to subdivision (b).¹
• Missed local deadline violates the Housing Accountability Act section. If a local agency fails to meet the time limits in this section, it shall be in violation of Section 65589.5.¹
• 60 days. If the local agency has not approved or denied the completed application within 60 days, the application shall be deemed approved.¹
• 10 business days. Within 10 business days of receiving a notice of the completion of the permitted work authorized by a building permit issued for a project subject to this section, the building department of every city or county shall conduct an inspection of the permitted work.¹

Private plan review and inspections

Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 17960.3, 17960.1 · in effect October 10, 2025¹

• 30 business days. If the estimated timeframe exceeds 30 business days, the applicant may retain, at the applicant’s sole expense, a private professional provider to check the plans and specifications for their compliance with the requirements imposed pursuant to this part and by local ordinances adopted pursuant to this part.¹
• 5 business days. An applicant who retains a private professional provider shall notify the city or county of the applicant’s intent to retain a private professional provider no later than five business days after either of the following, as applicable…¹
• 10 business days. Within 10 business days of receiving the report pursuant to paragraph (2), the city or county shall consider the report and based on the report shall do either of the following…¹
• Deemed approved if the city misses the 10 days and the affidavit says compliant. If the city or county does not issue the residential building permit or notify the applicant within 10 business days pursuant to paragraph (3), and the affidavit provided pursuant to paragraph (1) states that the plans and specifications comply with the other requirements imposed pursuant to this part and local ordinances adopted pursuant to this part, the plans and specifications shall be deemed compliant with the other requirements imposed pursuant to this part or local ordinances adopted pursuant to this part, and the residential building permit shall be deemed approved.¹
• Section expires January 1, 2036. This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2036, and as of that date is repealed.¹
• Covers buildings of 1 to 10 units up to 40 ft. A new residential construction of a building that contains at least 1 dwelling unit, but no more than 10 dwelling units, contains only residential units, and has no floors used for human occupancy located more than 40 feet above ground level.¹
• Local agency may contract private plan checkers. The governing body of a local agency may authorize its enforcement agency to contract with or employ a private entity or persons on a temporary basis to perform the plan-checking function.¹

Limits on permit fees

Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17951; Cal. Gov. Code § 66014

• Fees capped at reasonable cost, no general revenue. The amount of the fees prescribed pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) and subdivision (b) shall not exceed the amount reasonably required to administer or process these permits, certificates, or other forms or documents, or to defray the costs of enforcement required by this part to be carried out by local enforcement agencies, and shall not be levied for general revenue purposes.¹
• Residential fee schedule must be online. If a governing body of any county or city, including a charter city, prescribes fees for a residential building permit, pursuant to paragraph (1), the city or county shall prepare a schedule of the fees for a residential building permit and post the schedule on the county’s or city’s internet website.¹
• 60 days. If the local enforcement agency fails to conduct an inspection of permitted work for which permit fees have been charged pursuant to this section within 60 days of receiving notice of the completion of the permitted work, the permittee shall be entitled to reimbursement of the permit fees.¹
• State surcharge $4 per $100,000 of valuation, minimum $1. The fee shall be assessed at the rate of $4 per $100,000 of permit valuation ($1 per $25,000 or fraction thereof), and not less than $1 per permit.⁹
• State fee of $4 per $100,000 in valuation, not less than $1. …assessed at the rate of four dollars ($4) per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in valuation, as determined by the local building official, with appropriate fractions thereof, but not less than one dollar ($1)…¹

Selling a home with unpermitted work

Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1102, 1102.3, 1102.6 · in effect January 1, 2021¹

• Applies to transfers of single-family residential property. Except as provided in Section 1102.2, this article applies to any transfer by sale, exchange, real property sales contract as defined in Section 2985, lease with an option to purchase, any other option to purchase, or ground lease coupled with improvements of any single-family residential property.¹
• Disclosure cannot be waived. Any waiver of the requirements of this article is void as against public policy.¹
• Seller delivers written statement to buyer. The seller of any single-family real property subject to this article shall deliver to the prospective buyer the completed written statement required by this article, as follows…¹
• In a sale, as soon as practicable before transfer of title. In the case of a sale, as soon as practicable before transfer of title.¹
• Late disclosure: buyer has three days (in person) or five days (mail or agreed electronic delivery) to terminate. If any disclosure, or any material amendment of any disclosure, required to be made by this article, is delivered after the execution of an offer to purchase, the prospective buyer shall have three days after delivery in person, five days after delivery by deposit in the mail, or five days after delivery of an electronic record in transactions where the parties have agreed to conduct the transaction by electronic means, pursuant to provisions of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (Title 2.5 (commencing with Section 1633.1) of Part 2 of Division 3), to terminate the offer by delivery of a written notice of termination to the seller or the seller’s agent.¹
• Form is set by statute. The disclosures required by this article pertaining to the property proposed to be transferred are set forth in, and shall be made on a copy of, the following disclosure form…¹
• Form asks about work done without necessary permits. Room additions, structural modifications, or other alterations or repairs made without necessary permits…¹⁰

Solar permitting

Cal. Gov. Code § 65850.5 · in effect January 1, 2020¹

• Statewide concern, applies to local rules. The implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of solar energy systems is not a municipal affair, as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution, but is instead a matter of statewide concern.¹
• Every local agency must have expedited rooftop solar process. On or before September 30, 2015, every city, county, or city and county, in consultation with the local fire department or district and the utility director, if the city, county, or city and county operates a utility, shall adopt an ordinance, consistent with the goals and intent of subdivision (a), that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems.¹
• One inspection. For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required, which shall be done in a timely manner and may include a consolidated inspection, except that a separate fire safety inspection may be performed in a city, county, or city and county that does not have an agreement with a local fire authority to conduct a fire safety inspection on behalf of the fire authority.¹
• A solar energy system that is no larger than 10 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or 30 kilowatts thermal.¹

EV charger permitting

Cal. Gov. Code §§ 65850.7, 65850.71 · in effect January 1, 2022¹

• Statewide concern; applies to charter cities. An electric vehicle charging station has a significant economic impact in California and is not a municipal affair, as the term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution, but is instead a matter of statewide concern.¹
• 5 business days. Five business days after submission of the application to the city, county, or city and county, if the application is for at least 1, but not more than 25 electric vehicle charging stations at a single site.¹
• Use permit denial needs written findings. A city, county, or city and county may not deny an application for a use permit to install an electric vehicle charging station or hydrogen-fueling station unless it makes written findings based upon substantial evidence in the record that the proposed installation would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact.¹

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

California's ADU statute limits what cities can require. The size, height, parking and deadline rules are on California ADU laws.

New state laws not yet in effect

These California statutes have been enacted but do not apply until the date shown; until then, the law in force applies. Each entry quotes the enacted text.

• No more than two plan check reviews for a building permit application. (C) (i) As part of its review, the local agency or state agency shall not require or request more than two plan check and specification reviews in connection with an application for a building permit. (ii) Notwithstanding clause (i), a local agency or state agency may deny an application that is not compliant with the permit standards following two plan check and specification reviews.¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 780 (AB 1621); in effect from January 1, 2027¹
• Remote inspection option for heat pumps, reroofs, small solar and battery systems, and smoke and CO alarms in one- and two-family homes. (a) (1) A local agency shall offer a homeowner, or a contractor upon providing the city or county written consent by the homeowner, the option of requesting a remote inspection for all or a subset of inspections required by a building permit for any of the following projects in single- or two-family dwelling units: [...] (C) Residential reroofs. (D) Photovoltaic systems, with an alternating current nameplate rating less than or equal to 15 kilowatts, and energy storage systems. (E) Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. [...] (3) A local agency that is not a qualifying city or county shall satisfy the requirements of subdivision (a) by January 1, 2028.¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 271 (AB 1738); in effect from January 1, 2027¹
• Asynchronous inspections for residential heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVAC. (a) Beginning July 1, 2027, a city, county, or city and county shall adopt and offer asynchronous inspections for installations of residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC systems that do not require a licensed contractor and building inspector to be simultaneously present during the inspection of an installation of a residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system.¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 738 (SB 222); in effect from January 1, 2027
• Real-time online permits for heat pump swap-outs by licensed contractors. On or before July 1, 2028, a city, county, or city and county, other than a city, county, or city and county described in subdivision (c), shall, consistent with the goals and intent of this chapter, implement an online, automated permitting process that issues permits in real time to a licensed contractor for the installation of a residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system that meets all of the following criteria…¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 738 (SB 222); in effect from January 1, 2027¹
• Permit fee cap for a level 2 EV charger at multifamily housing. Except as provided in paragraph (2), that fee shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) plus five dollars ($5) per kilowatt for each kilowatt between 51kW and 250kW, plus two dollars ($2) for every kilowatt above 250kW, for a level 2 electric vehicle charging station installed at a new or existing multifamily housing development. [...] (d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2027, but for every city, county, city and county, or charter city with a population of fewer than 200,000 residents, this section shall apply beginning on January 1, 2028.¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 348 (AB 1820); in effect from July 1, 2027
• Two detached new-construction ADUs allowed on a lot with a single-family home. Two detached, new construction, accessory dwelling units that do not exceed four-foot side and rear yard setbacks for a lot with a proposed or existing single-family dwelling.¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 791 (AB 956); in effect from January 1, 2027¹
• No junior ADU required on a lot where two detached new ADUs were built. Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a local agency is not required to ministerially approve an application for a building permit to create a junior accessory dwelling unit on the same lot where two detached, new construction, accessory dwelling units have been constructed pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 791 (AB 956); in effect from January 1, 2027¹
• For up to two ADUs on a lot, impact fees only on the area above 750 sq ft. (B) For up to two accessory dwelling units on a lot, any impact fees charged for an accessory dwelling unit that has more than 750 square feet of interior livable space shall be charged proportionately in relation to the square footage of the primary dwelling unit, and only on the area in excess of 750 square feet of interior livable space.¹ Stats. 2026, Ch. 809 (SB 1117); in effect from January 1, 2027¹