Building Safety Division

The Building Safety Division is a team of professionals who are here to help you accomplish your goals and support public safety. Staff enforce building codes, standards, ordinances and laws as they relate to the "built environment". Building Safety coordinates the review of building projects, oversees inspection services, and issues building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits as well as private property grading permits.

Our team are here to help guide you through a timely permit process while never losing sight of our primary goal, life safety. You can expect Building Safety staff to be diligent and respectful, working to the best of our resources to deliver effective permit services.

Construction Hours

Building Safety Division Assistance

Need assistance with building permits applications, fees, building code questions, and field inspection issues? Building Safety Division staff are here to help.

Not sure if this is a question for the Building Safety Division? Check this useful city permitting flow chart to learn more.

EMAIL

For quickest response, please send an email to buildingsafety@ci.benicia.ca.us. Providing detailed information about your request and key contact information will allow us to best assist you.

PHONE

You may call the Building Safety Division at 707-746-4230. Staff will answer calls in the order they are received. Because staff are often on the phone assisting other customers, you may be asked to leave a voice message. Please be patient as we respond to calls in the order they are received. We will make every effort to respond within one working day.

APPOINTMENTS

We are available to our community for virtual or in-person meetings. Appointments are available during business hours from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Walk-in services are not available.

Important to know:

When making your appointment, please select whether you prefer in person or virtual.
Please indicate whether you need accommodations so that we may reserve the appropriate room and equipment to serve you best.
To ensure that we are providing the best service, please clearly describe the information that is needed.

Virtual Appointments use the Microsoft Teams app. If you do not want to download the app, you may join the call in your web browser.

The City’s Permit Services Center is fully virtual. In-Person meetings can be scheduled for technical assistance, payments and document viewing. The City does not accept paper submittal of applications, plans or other related permit documents.

PERMIT STATUS

It is now easier than ever to track the status of your permit using our Permit Center! You will need to establish a user account to apply for a permit, or be added as a guest to the permit.

Logging into the permit center will allow you to view the status of your permit and any outstanding action items.
Once logged in, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “my records” to access your permit or permits.

Please watch the Online Permit Center Tutorial Videos to learn more. For questions, please contact Building Safety Division staff at buildingsafety@ci.benicia.ca.us or call 707-746-4230.

Building Permits

PERMIT TIMELINES

Intake: 2-3 Working Days

Typical Plan Review: Up to 10 Working Days

Larger Plan Review: 10-20 Working Days

Plan Review Letter(s): Up to 3 Working Days After Plan Review

Payment and Issuance: 1-3 Working Days After Approval

EXPIRATION TIMELINES

Permit Intake: 30 Days from application submittal date if incomplete

Plan Review and Issuance: 180 Days from application acceptance letter date

Inspections: 180 Days from permit issuance date for Mechanical and Plumbing stand-alone permits; 365 Days from permit issuance date for all others

Commercial Construction: Timelines for completion of construction following permit issuance are detailed in BMC Chapter 15.27 and are established based on project valuation: 12 months for $0-100,000; 18 months for $1000,001 - $500,000; 24 months for >$500,000.

PERMITTING SERVICES

Permitting in Benicia is fully electronic. No paper plan submittals, resubmittals or revisions will be accepted. All Building Safety applications, plans, and documents must be submitted in Benicia's online permit portal. Please note:

Large Projects: Submittals for a large project (e.g. a commercial tenant improvement or new residence) require an application along with all supporting documentation (such as Structural Calculations, Title 24 Energy, soils reports) and a completed submittal checklist. Plan review for such projects is 10-20 working days.
Plan Review Fees: Initial plan review fees cover the first plan review and first recheck. Third and subsequent reviews, and deferred submittals, are charged according to the Master Fee Schedule.
Electronic File Format: Only PDF and JPG file formats will be accepted for attachments.
Cut-Off: All submissions after 3:00 PM on a working day will not begin processing until the following working day.
Permit Center Closures: The Permit Center is closed to new submissions on weekends, holidays, and City Hall closures. During these closure days there will be no permit processing. Please plan accordingly. Click here to view office closure days.
Time Limitations: Per the Benicia Municipal Code Title 15 and the California Building Code Time Limitation of Applications, applications not issued within 180 days of application shall be deemed abandoned unless a permit extension is issued (requires justifiable cause and processing fee).

Unsure what building permit application to choose:

Click here for help with residential permits.
Click here for help with commercial permits.

CONTRACTOR LICENSING SEARCH

Look up a contractor license or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registration to verify information, including complaint disclosure. Before hiring a contractor or signing a contract, CSLB recommends reading the Hiring a Contractor page.

CURRENT CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE CYCLE

The 2022 CA Building Codes published July 1^st, 2022 are in effect and applicable to all building permit applications made on or after January 1^st, 2023.

Please also be aware of local regulations that can be found in Title 15 of the Benicia Municipal Code: BMC Title 15

Building Inspections

INSPECTION REQUESTS:

Building Inspection requests must be submitted by 3:00 PM the working day prior to an inspection through the online permit center or by email to buildingsafety@ci.benicia.ca.us
To schedule through the permit center, login and navigate to "My Account."

Please provide the permit number, inspection type and the site contact's name and phone number.
Morning or afternoon requests can be made but are not guaranteed. Inspection 2-hour windows will be provided after 5 pm the working day prior, please call 707-746-4235 for a list of recorded times.
During closure days there will be no building inspections. Please plan accordingly. Click here to view office closure days.

DURING CONSTRUCTION:

Any deviations from approved plans will require the submittal of revised drawings to the Building Safety Division for plan review approval. Please note that revisions may incur additional fees and construction delays. No inspections will be performed on work not authorized by approved plans.

Homeowners: Start Here

1. Determine if your project requires a building permit: Do I need a building permit?

2. Learn what to expect:

Learn about permit process and fees at www.GoBenicia.org.
Review “Tips and Tricks” for success here: Frequent Questions and Tips for Succes

3. Prepare for permitting:

4. Be informed about Owner-Builder:
In California, property owners can act as their own general contractor for construction projects at their residence. When a permit is issued to a homeowner under this scenario, the homeowner is "Owner-Builder". Learn more here: About Owner-Builder

5. Permitting:

6. Construction:

Be a good neighbor. Ensure that your project adheres to construction hours.
Inspections must be completed for permitting work. Please review the information on this page.
Final/Occupancy: Projects are not considered "completed" until final occupancy is passed. In some cases, a certificate of occupancy may also be required. Please refer to your permit conditions, which will be attached to the issued permit and approved plans.

Information and Resources

GO BENICIA RESOURCE HUB

The Go Benicia Resource Hub is a great place to start planning a potential project. Users can obtain zoning information, model different scenarios and related requirements and fees, and obtain business license fees. Please note: Go Benicia is an informational resource, but use of this tool will not satisfy permit requirements.

Go Benicia Image and Link

PERMIT CENTER

Applications, plans, and documents can only be submitted electronically on the City of Benicia's Permit Center. Permit Center submittals will not be processed on weekends, holidays, and City Hall closures. Submittals after 3:00 PM will not begin processing until the following business day.

GETTING STARTED WITH THE PERMIT CENTER

Filling out the online application:

Use the search function to look up site address. All fields populated are directly from Solano County Records database.
Use the search function to look up contractor by name or California State Licensing Board (CSLB) number. All fields populated are directly from CSLB and Benicia's HDL for business license.

Online Permit Center - Notifications and Access

After submitting an application, there will be email notifications for: document uploads, documents issued (like school fee letter, comment letters, and permit card), when a payment is due, and communication from Building Safety staff.
The permit applicant can add any email address as a guest to view application and permit, make payments, communicate with Building Safety staff, and schedule inspections within the permit center. We recommend that property owners and agents be added as guests to their building permits.
Online Permit Center Tutorial Videos
Permit Search by Address

VALUATION THRESHOLD

The Valuation Threshold for Alterations, Structural Repairs or Additions to Existing Buildings in accordance with the 2022 California Building Code Chapter 2 definition of VALUATION THRESHOLD, the 2024 valuation threshold is $200,399.00 and will be updated again in January 2025.

Additional information is available on DSA's Access Compliance Reference Materials webpage.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Temporary Certificate of Occupancy

Multifamily Housing and Small Business EV Charger Program

California 2019 & 2022 CALGreen – Construction Recycling

Forms and Information

Outside Agencies Requiring Compliance

Projects may require compliance with State or Federal requirements, or may require additional permitting from outside agencies such as County Environmental Health. Applicants are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable requirements. City construction permits may not be issued until all outside agency permitting requirements have been satisfied.

Please review the below information for common outside agency requirements that may apply to your project:

Building Safety Division

Construction Hours