Frequent Questions and Tips for Success

Building permits are required by law, and they are also a smart investment. By ensuring that construction and installation activities are up to minimum code, permits help to keep buildings safe. In addition, unpermitted work may result in a Stop Work Order (if work in progress) or code enforcement (after the fact). 

Many property owners don’t realize that unpermitted work may need to be disclosed at the time of a property sale, can create future liabilities, or may not be covered by property insurance. All property owners are encouraged to do their research and protect themselves by ensuring that work is permitted.

Plan review is a step in the permitting process that occurs after a complete application is accepted. The purpose of plan review is to review the project for compliance with life safety, zoning, and other standards. It’s the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that plans demonstrate compliance with codes and standards.  This means that plans must be clear, complete and drawn to scale with appropriate details and notes. An owner, architect, engineer, draftsperson, or designer may prepare plans. However, depending on the complexity of the project, a licensed California architect or engineer may be required to prepare the plans.

There are multiple steps in the permit process, including intake, review, issuance of comments and resubmittal (if applicable), issuance and payment of fees, permit conditions and permit issuance. The timeline for permitting depends on the type of permit and complexity of the project, the quality and completeness of the application, and the responsiveness of plan resubmittals and fee steps.

While many routine permits can be issued as “express permits”, those that require plan review may take a few weeks or even several months to issue.  The main factors that influence the permit timeline are:

• The type of project and permit(s) needed.
• The complexity of your project and whether outside agency permits are required.
• Whether your plan requires two or more review cycles to meet all applicable codes and standards.

The Building Safety Division posts and maintains processing timelines on the Building Safety webpage. When estimating how long the permitting process will take, be sure to note that most City departments are closed on alternate Fridays, weekends, and holidays.

There’s no substitute for preparation: time spent up-front to design a project that meets the applicable codes and standards will help to avoid multiple rounds of plan review, leading to a faster, smoother permitting process. For projects requiring plan review, the City will only issue permits after determining compliance with all applicable codes and regulations.

Express permits are self-issuing permits for maintenance-type work that do not require plan review but must comply with all California Building Codes and inspection requirements. 

Obtaining an “express permit” for work that would otherwise require plan check will result in additional costs and construction delays. Be sure to understand what work is eligible for express permitting. While we are pleased to offer the express permit option, contractors and property owners are responsible for ensuring that the work falls within the permit parameters.

The permitting and inspection process is technical and occurs within defined timeframes, which are posted on Building Safety Division webpage. If your project is delayed and you’re hearing that it’s the City’s fault, please reach out to our Building Safety Division to learn more.  Delays in the permit or inspection process are most often due to incomplete plan submittals, slow turnarounds on resubmittals, project revisions or “field changes” during construction, or pending steps (such as payment of fees). Projects that call for inspections without work being ready or required documentation on hand can also result in delays. Whatever the case, Building Safety Division staff can help you understand what is happening with your permit and how to get back on track.

The Building Safety Division’s role is to make sure that project design and construction meets all applicable codes and regulations. The City does not offer design or engineering services: while staff can direct you to the appropriate code or regulations, they will not tell you how to design the project for compliance. Similarly, staff are unable to offer referrals for design professionals or contractors. 

Permit fees are based on the City’s Master Fee Schedule. To get an estimate of permit fees, please use the Go Benicia Resource Hub, which will identify permit fees, development fees, and business license fees. Using this tool will allow you to make educated decisions about your project budget.

Permitting is an important step that needs to occur once the construction project is fully planned and ready to proceed. Projects can run into issues with permit expiration due to incomplete plans or budgets. Please see the below expiration timeframes:

Application Completeness: 30 days

Permit Plan Review (prior to issuance): 180 days

Inspections (prior to final): 180 days for Mechanical and Plumbing stand-alone permits; 365 days for all other building permits

Commercial Construction Time Limit: Depends on valuation of project. 12 months for $0-100,000; 18 months for $1000,001 - $500,000; 24 months for >$500,000.

While the City will make attempt to provide notice of an upcoming expiration, it is the applicant’s responsibility to see the permit through to final inspection.  If your permit is due to expire, please contact the Building Safety Division to discuss next steps. 

The Building Safety Division’s goal is to ensure a successful permitting and inspection process for all applicants! We want to make sure that each applicant and property owner is well-informed and prepared for this process, which requires a dedication of time, money and effort. Please see some tips for success below:

• Hire a Qualified Professional. It is essential to hire the right professional for the job. This decision, more than almost any other, will determine your satisfaction with the permit process. Before committing to a design professional or contractor, look for local referrals from trusted friends, family and neighbors. Carefully review the professional’s qualifications and be sure to ask about their experience on similar types of work. Importantly, make sure you are committing to the right type of professional for the task.
• Build a Great Team. A successful construction project is a team effort – and it starts with the professionals you select to help you design and build it. Strong referrals are important along with the right fit. Pay attention to how your prospective design professional or contractor communicates with you. Will it meet your needs and expectations? Ask about their experience and recommendations for local contractors or sub-contractors who will be participating in the project.  Make sure that these individuals are experienced with similar types of projects to the one you are planning.
• Check Contractor Licensing. Contractor licensing is a protection for you! Licenses are specific to areas of work – and can tell you a lot about what to expect in terms of expertise and experience. If a contractor is encouraging you to apply for permits as owner-builder, be sure to ask why and understand what that means. You may be signing up for more liability than you know.  Finally, ensure that contractor licenses are current.  You can check contractor licenses at: CSLB Check-A-License
• Understand the Owner-Builder Option. The State of California allows homeowners to act as the general contractor on projects at their home. Owner-Builders need to comply with all permit and inspection requirements but may not need to hire a design or construction professional to develop the plans or do construction work. While this might seem like a great way to save money and time, it's important to understand that Owner-Builders are responsible for researching and understanding codes and regulations that apply to their project and for submitting project plans that meet those requirements. Importantly, Owner-Builders assume all risk and liability for the project including any injury related to the project and may run into construction delays and additional inspection costs due to their learning curve. Learn more about Owner-Builder here: Owner-Builder Permits
• Be Educated. Don’t spend money before you understand what the project will require. Check zoning, flood and seismic hazards, other key requirements. A change in occupancy type (example, from a retail store to a restaurant) will require significant design and construction costs. The City has developed the Go Benicia platform to help you become educated before you sign the dotted line. Visit www.gobenicia.org.
• This is a Technical Process. The California Building Code is updated every three years and covers an extensive range of life safety requirements. In addition, the State of California and Federal government set requirements for energy efficiency, accessibility for people with disabilities, construction waste management, water efficiency and stormwater management. It can be more challenging than it first appears to meet these requirements. If you feel overwhelmed, we strongly encourage you to consider hiring a professional to assist with your project plans and construction.
• Budget realistically for time and cost. Permitting and construction projects will incur time and financial costs. It is important to develop a complete understanding of all project costs and timelines (design, permitting, utilities, materials/labor and other soft costs). Conventional wisdom says to add 15% to any project bid and timeline you receive. Be sure to confirm whether the bids include permit fees. The City of Benicia has developed tools to help applicants plan ahead for their projects. Please take advantage of these! Go Benicia will help you determine your permit requirements, permit fees and business license costs. In addition, you can use the standard timelines to develop an informed expectation for permit intake, review and issuance timeframes. 
• Stick to your Plan. It’s important to make decisions about your project before entering the permit process. Changes to the permit plans, whether during plan check or during construction, will add additional time and cost. Changing your design professional (architect or engineer) can result in significant permit delays due to copyright. Field changes during construction will cause construction delays and require permit revisions. 
• Communication is Key. A good communication line between the design professional, general contractor and owner is paramount for a successful construction project. All applicants are encouraged to identify a “leader” who will be the primary coordinator between the City, design team and property owner. While multiple individuals can be added as “guests” to the permit, it is important that the point of contact for the permit is responsive and communicates effectively.  Any guest on the permit can login to monitor permit status. In addition, be sure that your correct contact information is provided in the permit application, as the City will reach out from time to time if there are questions or opportunities for coordination.
• Ask for help. The Benicia Building Safety Division is here to help you. If something is unclear, or if you have questions, please reach out! There are multiple ways to contact city staff – and we are available by phone, email, virtual meeting or in person. Due to volume, you may experience wait time though a response should be expected within a working day. In advance, we thank you for your patience and understanding.
• See it Through. Many people assume that a construction project is legally permitted if a permit has been issued. This isn’t accurate! Construction work is not considered legal unless a permit has been issued for the work and it has passed all inspections including final inspection. For your protection, it’s important to ensure that all inspections are passed. If your project fails final inspection with corrections, please ask your contractor to complete the corrections and call for another inspection.