Welcome to Building Division
The Building Services Division processes building permits for residential and commercial buildings and structures within the unincorporated areas of the County of San Diego. County staff review plans for compliance with the following:
Building Services Highlights
New: Removing Barriers to Housing
Some housing projects are eligible for a Guaranteed Review
Timeline. These projects include:
- Affordable Housing and Emergency Shelters
- Workforce Housing
- Housing projects within Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) areas
New: Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Handbook
The County has a new ADU Handbook with detailed information about ADUs. It includes commentary about the types and sizes of ADUs, discussion of topics of consideration, and a summary of the steps to build an ADU, from start to finish. This, along with our main ADU webpage is a good starting point if you plan to build an ADU.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Building Plans
The County has building plans you can use for a dwelling unit. The plans are approximately 85% complete. You must fill in project-specific information to have a complete set of plans. You can choose from multiple floor plans.
Simplified Permitting
The Homeowner’s and Business Owner’s Relief Acts simplify your building permit requirements if your project meets certain criteria. A summary of these Acts is available.
Issue Resolution
Staying current with all code requirements can be challenging and sometime the code can have different interpretations. We have two ways of resolving conflicting interpretations: Second Opinions and Project Issue Resolution (PIR) Conferences. Please visit our Issue Resolution page for more information.
Permit Overview
Permit Center in Kearny Mesa
We have a physical Permit Center open Monday through Friday, except County holidays. The Permit Center is a central location for you to process permits. We are here to answer your questions before you submit your plans, while your plans are in review, and during construction. You can complete all in-person parts of the permitting process at the Permit Center.
Online Services
For your convenience, we have various online services. This includes applying for simple building permits, checking the status of your permit, scheduling inspections, and paying fees. These services and other information about your permit are located on Accela Citizen Access. Please see the Help Guides for step-by-step instructions.
Permit Exemptions
Certain structures meeting specific requirements (for example, size and location) may be exempt from building permits. A summary of qualifying structures can be found in the Building Permit Requirements. If you are unsure if your project qualifies for exemption, please contact us. Please note that all projects must comply with the Zoning Ordinance, Public Health and Safety Codes, and any other County, State, or Federal regulations, even if a building permit is not required.
Permit Requirements and Conditions of Approval
When your project is assigned a Permit
Record ID, specific requirements known as Conditions of Approval are
established; these conditions must be fulfilled before your permit can
be issued. You can refer to a sample Conditions
of Approval for further guidance.
Requirements Specific to the San Diego County
Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Requirements
Many areas in the County are in high fire zones. The County recognizes that wildfires can cause a lot of damage. To help limit damage, the County requires special WUI features for projects in high-risk areas. A summary of these County-specific requirements can be found in the Wildland-Urban Interface handout.
Pool Enclosure and Safety Feature Requirements
The County has amended the California Building Code to require four safety measures for pools and spas: (1) enclosure, (2) safety feature accepted by the County, (3) safety feature accepted by the State of California, and (4) entrapment avoidance. Descriptions of each can be found in this guidance document.
Helpful Links
January 2024 Flood Re-builds
If your home suffered damage due to the January 2024 winter storms, and you are located in the unincorporated area of the County, you may be eligible for benefits from a program known as the Homeowner Relief Act. For more information, please reach out by email.
Popular Services
