California building departments
Find local permit offices, inspection services, and official resources across California.
Search the California directory
How permitting works in California
Statewide Title 24 code, local enforcement. Every California city and county enforces the same Title 24 base code, including the state energy code and CALGreen, plus its own local amendments. Contractors need a CSLB license for jobs of $1,000 or more.
A county name is only a geographic starting point. Depending on the address, a city, town, borough, township, or county office may issue your permit. How to check who issues your permit.
California building codes and licensing
- Residential code
- 2025 California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5), part of the 2025 California Building Standards Code; effective January 1, 2026
- Commercial code
- 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2); effective January 1, 2026
- Contractor licensing
- A CSLB license is required for construction projects priced at $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials. Jobs can't be split into smaller pieces to stay under the limit, and the exemption doesn't apply to work that needs a building permit or to anyone who employs workers. Contractors State License Board (CSLB) (opens in a new tab)
What is different in California
- Title 24 includes California-specific codes that apply alongside the residential and building codes: the Energy Code (Part 6), the Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Part 7), and CALGreen, the Green Building Standards Code (Part 11).
- For home improvement work, a contractor may not ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. This includes residential solar and ADU construction.
- Rebuilding a home after a wildfire or other declared disaster counts as home improvement, so it requires a fixed-price contract. Time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts aren't allowed.
California department guides
Browse California counties
Alameda CountyAlpine CountyAmador CountyButte CountyCalaveras CountyColusa CountyContra Costa CountyDel Norte CountyEl Dorado CountyFresno CountyGlenn CountyHumboldt CountyImperial CountyInyo CountyKern CountyKings CountyLake CountyLassen CountyLos Angeles CountyMadera CountyMarin CountyMariposa CountyMendocino CountyMerced CountyModoc CountyMono CountyMonterey CountyNapa CountyNevada CountyOrange CountyPlacer CountyPlumas CountyRiverside CountySacramento CountySan Benito CountySan Bernardino CountySan Diego CountySan Francisco CountySan Joaquin CountySan Luis Obispo CountySan Mateo CountySanta Barbara CountySanta Clara CountySanta Cruz CountyShasta CountySierra CountySiskiyou CountySolano CountySonoma CountyStanislaus CountySutter CountyTehama CountyTrinity CountyTulare CountyTuolumne CountyVentura CountyYolo CountyYuba County
Planning a project in California?
Start with what the model codes say, then confirm local rules with the department that serves your address.