ISSUANCE OF BUILDING PERMITS

When your plans are checked and approved, your permit is ready to be issued. You will be contacted to come to the office, pay the remaining fees, and pick up your permit. Permits are issued directly to owner-builders, an authorized agent for the owner, or to contractors.

Contractors are required to have a current city business license or obtain a business license for a project.

TIME LIMITS

You must pick up your permit within 180 calendar days from the date you applied for it. You may submit a written request for a one-time extension before the 180th day. If an 180 day extension request is approved and this period ends without your picking up your permit, you will lose your plan check fee. After the permit has been issued to you, you have one year from the date of issuance to start work on your project, and call for an inspection by the Building Division. Subsequent inspections must be no more than 12 months apart. Permits expire two years after date of issuance. No extensions are permitted.

INSPECTIONS 

At each stage of construction, you will be required to call the Building Division for an inspection. The Building Division has a 24-hour voice recorder for inspection requests. Inspection requests must be called in before 7 a.m. to get a same-day inspection. Most inspections can be requested for either morning or afternoon. Priorities are assigned to concrete pour inspections. Specific times of the day cannot be scheduled.

CHANGES TO PLANS

After a permit has been issued, any changes to the plans must be approved by the Building Division. Two sets of the proposed changes must be prepared by the architect, engineer or plan preparer and brought in for our review.

SUMMARY OF PROCESS

1.           File permit application with plans, and pay initial fees as required.

2.           Plans are checked by a Building Plan Checker and referred to Planning, Engineering and other departments if necessary.

3.           Plan Checker tells you about any changes that you need to make.

4.           You correct plans and resubmit (if corrections are required).

5.            Plans undergo second plan check.

6.            Plans approved and building permit is ready for issuance.

7.            Pay remaining fees and pick up permit.

8.            Start construction – call for inspections.

9.            Construction of the proposed work is inspected by the Building Inspector during all phases of the project.

10.        Permit is signed “Finaled” by inspector upon approved final inspection.