When is a building permit required?
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A building permit is
required whenever you are constructing, moving, altering,
converting, improving, repairing or demolishing a structure
in any area of the City. It applies to work on the interior
as well as exterior of the structure. A "mini-permit"
has been instituted whereby small projects may be approved over-
the-counter or within a few days. Work covered by the
building permit must have City inspections before the
project can be considered complete.
How do I apply for a building permit?
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Applications must be
submitted on forms provided by the Department of Community
Development, Building Division. You may also need to apply
for a Design Review permit and/or variance. City staff will
be able to advise you of how to proceed.
What is required on plans and specifications?
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When plans
and specifications are required, they must be drawn to scale
and must be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and
extent of the work proposed. Plans must show in detail that
such work will conform to all relevant laws, ordinances and
regulations, including energy and structural calculations
and soils reports when required. They may need to be signed
by a licensed architect or registered civil engineer. The
first sheet of each set must have the address of the site,
the name and address of the owner and the name of the person
who prepared the plans. Submittals must include a drawing
showing the location of property lines, the building and/or
the work to be done.
What happens once I submit plans?
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If your project is a very
simple one, such as a re-roof, window replacement, fence,
wall, etc., you may be able to qualify for a mini-permit and
be able to obtain the permit that day or soon thereafter. A
"full" building permit will be necessary should the
building envelope be increased and/or structural plans be required;
geology and soils reports may also be necessary. These
projects must be reviewed by several City staff members to
ensure that they meet all the City's requirements, and also
that the construction is structurally sound.
The design of the building (and the structural calculations)
are reviewed by the Plan Checker. The Zoning Administrator
also reviews the plans to ensure that the zoning regulations
are being met. The City's Environmental Engineer checks the
project for conformance to environmental quality laws and
also makes sure that driveway drainage and grading meet
requirements.
The City maintains a "Plan Check Log" which shows who
has the plan every day it is being reviewed by the City. When
the City review is completed, a post card, notifying you
that the plans have been checked, is sent. You must then
pick up the plans. Once approved, residential plans are
retained by the City for a period of not less than 180 days.
Plans for completed commercial and industrial construction
are retained permanently.
What about workers compensation?
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After building plans are
approved and signed by City staff, the permit is ready to
issue" Either an owner/builder or a State licensed
contractor may be issued a permit, but each must comply with
the Workers Compensation Insurance laws. The State of
California mandates that cities ensure that these laws are
followed.
There is only one circumstance in which Workers Compensation
Insurance is not needed, and that is if the owner/builder or
contractor does all the work completely by him or herself.
In all other circumstances, (even if only one person is
helping you and is being paid by a "free lunch"), you
must have Workers Compensation Insurance.
If a State licensed contractor is being issued the permit,
he/she will need a City business license, which will require
that a contractor's license {pocket card) be produced.
How long is my building permit valid?
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A Building Permit is
valid for 180 days from the date of issuance. It may
continue to be renewed every 180 days thereafter by calling
for a required City inspection, which will demonstrate
progress is being made in completing the work. If work
authorized under a permit is suspended for 180 days or more,
the permit will lapse. A permit may be extended for 180 days
by paying one-half the fee required for a new permit,
provided no changes have been made in the original plans and
the work has not been suspended or abandoned for a year or
more. The permit may be "renewed" after expiration by
payment of the full permit fee. It is possible that plans
may need to be rechecked for conformance with current codes.
A project which includes Design Review or a Variance will
lapse if the Building Permit is allowed to lapse. An
extension of the Design Review and/or Variance may be
requested.
How much is the fee for a building permit?
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Building permit
fees are based on the "valuation" of the total cost of
the project. For new residential construction, valuation is
calculated by using a figure of $100 for habitable areas and
$25 a square foot for garages and deck areas.
Cost per square foot for new commercial and industrial
projects depends on the type of construction. The fee can
range from $34 for a project costing less than $500, to
$4645 for the first $1,000,000, and plus $2 for each
additional $1,000 for projects that are valued at more than
$1,000,000. There is also a Plan Check fee of 65% of the
Buildino Permit fee to pay for the structural plan check.
