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