The City began using International Building Codes in January 2008. For additional information, refer to the Structural Design Criteria Web page.

The first step in the process of obtaining a building permit is plan submittal. Basic plan submittal requirements are listed below. It is important that you also review the Residential Submittal Requirements or the Commercial Submittal Requirements pages for a detailed list of the information required for your project.

• Plans must be prepared to minimum 1/4 inch = 1 foot minimum scale
• Plans must be drawn on 18" x 24" minimum size paper
• Residential new construction must submit 3 sets of complete plans
• Residential remodels or additions must submit 3 sets of complete plans
• Commercial new construction must submit 5 sets of complete plans
• Commercial remodels or additions must submit 3 sets of complete plans

In most, cases anyone may prepare plans. Below is a list of common projects that do not require professional drawn plans.

• Single-family dwelling construction or alterations providing the structure is wood frame and not over two-stories and a basement in height.
• Multi-family dwelling construction or alterations providing the structure is wood frame and not over two-stories and a basement in height and there are no more than four units on one lot.   
• Construction of garages, agricultural, and ranch buildings providing the structure is wood frame and not over two-stories and a basement in height.
• Interior nonstructural alterations that do not affect the structural system or the safety of the building.

If you have questions on whether your project requires professionally drawn plans refer to Residential Submittal Requirements or Commercial Submittal Requirements for more information. These links will outline project submittal requirements.

Important Note: INCOMPLETE SUBMITTALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Other agencies such as the fire department, health department, and servicing utility companies may need to review and approve your project prior to the issuance of a building permit. The Building and Safety Division can be reached at (916) 727-4760 and can assist you with questions about the agencies you need to contact. To view a list of agencies you may need to contact visit the Agency Coordination List.

To assist you in the preparation of your plans, please refer to the sample details below to obtain construction information.

Sample Detail Drawings:

Plot plan

Floor plan

Elevation plan

Footing details

Construction details

Stair details
Sheathed wood-frame plaster wall construction

Plan Check

Plan check is the process in which plans are reviewed to ensure they meet all construction and other code requirements.

Plans may be submitted to the Building and Safety Division during the hours of:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A majority of projects also require approval by the Planning and Engineering Divisions prior to building plan check submittal. At the time you submit your plans, the Building and Safety Division will coordinate your plan review with the Planning and Engineering Divisions. Once your plans are approved by the these divisions, the ten (10) working day plan check process begins. 

You will be contacted when your plans are approved. If there are corrections to your plans, a correction letter will be issued. The letter will list required corrections to help you in the re-submittal process and to receive your approved plans.

All projects must be built from an approved set of plans. If you need to make changes to your project once you have obtained an approved set of plans, you must submit revised plans and pay additional plan check fees.

Some documents are in .ZIP or .PDF format. You will need to have WinZip and Adobe Acrobat Reader programs installed on your computer to extract and view these files. If you do not already have them, you can click the following icons to download both applications for free.