Sacramento Building Permit Office

The City uses two Planning-side application routes that determine how a project reaches Building review.

For most permits requiring building plan review, the applicant first creates the appropriate Planning record through the Public Permit Portal. After Planning clears the project for Building submittal, the system creates a Building Submittal Record (SUB) and sends the next-step instructions by email.

All City building projects that require plan review must use the Electronic Plan Check system. New submittals and resubmittals are made through the Public Permit Portal; the City does not accept paper plans for plan-review submissions.

Sacramento separates minor work that does not need residential plan review from construction that must be reviewed before permit issuance. Commercial construction generally requires plan review.

The exact submittal package depends on the work. Sacramento publishes separate checklists for new residential construction, residential additions and interior remodels, commercial new buildings and additions, commercial tenant improvements, signs, residential photovoltaic systems and other project types.

Anyone may submit an application, but California requirements affect who may ultimately receive the permit. Sacramento identifies three principal permit-holder arrangements:

• Property owner: an owner-builder must complete the City’s required owner-builder verification and satisfy applicable workers’ compensation requirements.
• Licensed contractor: the contractor must meet the City’s licensing and workers’ compensation documentation requirements.
• Authorized agent: an agent acting for the owner must provide the required authorization.

Online minor permits have additional limitations. The City’s online minor-permit service is available for qualifying permit types and California licensed contractors.

Building inspections can be requested online or through the City’s automated phone system. Requests are accepted 24 hours a day. A request submitted before 6:00 p.m. is scheduled for the following work day; requests made after 6:00 p.m., on weekends or on City holidays are scheduled two working days later.

On the inspection day, the assigned inspector contacts the permit contact by phone to arrange the inspection time. The City’s Inspection Schedule search can also display the scheduled inspection, inspector name, inspector phone number and inspection status.

For ordinary field inspections, approved plans and permit documents must be available, work being inspected must remain uncovered and accessible, and an adult must be present when access to the site is required.

The City does not use one flat building-permit price. Its Building Fees resources organize charges by project type and also provide fee information for common residential minor permits. A preliminary fee estimate can be requested for projects where a broader estimate is needed.

Some charges collected during development are administered outside the Building Division. Depending on the project, these can include Fire Department plan review, regional sanitation, Public Works, water and utilities, transportation, parks or other development-related charges. The City’s fee resources should therefore be checked for the specific project rather than relying on a single permit amount.