Office Hours 

Office Hours: 8:00AM - 5:00PM, Monday through Friday.  Phones are answered from 8am-5pm, depending on staff availability.  Phones are closed during the lunch hour, noon - 1pm.  

Walk-In Counter Hours 

Counter Hours: Walk-ins accepted Monday through Friday from 9:00AM - Noon and 1:00PM - 4:00PM on a first come basis. Otherwise, an appointment is required.  Wait times may vary.  

Counter hours are available for:

• Permit questions
• In person payment(s) 
• OTC permit applications, ensure you have all the required documents for an application. Visit the Application and documents/Handouts page.

To request an appointment, please email: buildingpermits@cityofwestsacramento.org

Online Offering: Virtual Counter Meetings 

Now Available: Do you have questions regarding plans or your project but have no time to travel to our building counter? Or do you feel your questions might be better answered through a conversation than an email chain? Then our virtual counter offerings are for you!

Simply email buildingpermits@cityofwestsacramento.org and request a virtual counter meeting with one of our technicians. They'll send you a Microsoft Teams link for a specific meeting time that works for you.

Note: Meeting times are available during normal business hours Monday through Friday, (excluding holidays) from 8:00AM to 5:00PM.

RESIDENTIAL SOLAR TAX CREDIT EXPIRES DECEMBER 31, 2025

Application for residential solar can be submitted three ways:

1. SOLARAPP+ Submit anytime, 24/7, the approved checklist and pay the fee via Citizen Access Portal (ACA).   Select permit type RESIDENTIAL GENERAL, and select SOLARAPP in the application.  
2. Apply through Citizen Access Portal (ACA), select permit type RESIDENTIAL GENERAL, and submit plans.  Plan check is around 10 -15 business days.  
3. E-mail a complete application to us at buildingpermits@cityofwestsacramento.org.  Processing time varies, and plan check is 10-15 business days.  

Building permit application & submission are required electronically

 As of June 2022, plans must be submitted electronically by email, online, or in person at the Permit Center counter. Plans submitted at the counter need to be on a USB flash drive or CD. With the electronic plan program, customers can save printing costs and can easily check plan status online at any time.

• Electronic submittals can be emailed to: buildingpermits@cityofwestsacramento.org.   

OR

• Over-the-counter (OTC) permits can be applied through our Citizen Access Portal (ACA).  Over the counter permits (OTC) typically do not require plan review or may require basic plan review.          
  • Below are the Permit Types that can be applied for:
    • OTC Dry Rot: Residential or multi-family dry rot repair that does not include any framing repair.  
    • OTC Electrical: Panel change or upgrade, re-wiring of a home, residential EV charger install, and or battery that do not require trenching or modification to the site.     
    • OTC Mechanical: New or change out, of HVAC, heat pump, and mini-split, and associated elements (condenser, coil replacement, ducting etc).  
    • OTC Plumbing: water line replacement (after the meter to the house), addition or altered plumbing for residential, duplex, or multi-family, sewer line replacement, drain line repair or replacement, gas line additions or repairs. 
    • OTC Remodel Minor: Kitchen or bathroom remodels that do not change the floor layout, and includes any plumbing work.  Window change out or repair.    
    • OTC Re-roof: Commercial, multi-family, duplex, residential re-roof of only roofing material.  
    • OTC Stucco: Replacement of existing stucco.  
    • OTC Water Heater: Water heater change out, gas or electric.
    • Residential General: Residential solar panel (photovoltaic, PV) install or alteration.  

If you have questions on whether your project requires a building permit, you should contact the Building Division for a determination. Please note that all projects may not be allowed in all zoning districts. It is recommended that you contact the Planning Division prior to any significant investment in your project.

Common Projects that Require a Building Permit

• New construction of a home or commercial building
• New construction of an accessory building
• Additions or alteration of an existing home, accessory building, or commercial building
• Moving/demolishing a building
• Occupancy of an existing commercial building for a new commercial use

Exterior Projects

• Fences over seven (7) feet in height
• Masonry fences and walls that exceed (4) feet in height
• Patio covers (open or enclosed)
• Decks that exceed thirty (30) inches above grade, attached to the home, or greater than 200 SF
• Reroof on a house, garage or other structure
• Siding on a house or garage
• Installation of a swimming pool or hot tub
• Remodeling or conversion of an existing garage
• Sign installations (Permits are required from Planning as well as Building)

Plumbing/Electrical/Mechanical Projects

• Replacement/installation of water heaters and water softeners
• Hot tub or whirlpool installation
• Replacement of mechanical equipment
• Any type of electrical, heating or plumbing alteration/improvement/addition
• Replacement of furnace or central air conditioner
• Alteration of a kitchen/bathroom

Also available is a list of common projects that are exempt from a building permit. If you have questions on whether your project is exempt, you may contact the Building Division for a determination. Although many of these projects do not require a building permit, they do have minimum setback standards that are enforced by the Planning Division. Please contact the Planning Division for setback requirements.

• Construction of a single-story detached accessory building used as tool or storage shed, playhouse, and similar uses, provided the roof area does not exceed 120 square feet (Contact the Planning Division for setback and height requirements).
• Construction of a retaining wall not over four (4) feet in height as measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of a wall.
• Change of flooring, carpet, inlaid tiles or wood.
• Painting, papering, and similar finish work.

If you are unsure whether your project requires a permit, please contact us at 916-617-4683.

City ordinances and state statutes require building permits. If you do not get a building permit when it is required, the city can legally fine you for the violation. The permit and accompanying inspections are to ensure you that the work is up to code and safe. Projects not done according to code can affect your home's insurability and potential future sale. Prospective buyers can check the city's building records. Check for issued or applied permits.

Work that was done without obtaining required permits is a violation of the State Building Code and is considered illegally constructed work. There are no statutes of limitation on illegal construction. If any work has been done illegally in the past or if change of ownership has occurred this does not make the non-permitted work legal.

In order to legalize the work, you must comply to the current codes regardless when the construction was done.

A homeowner, their agent, and/or contractors licensed by the State of California can obtain building permits. It is recommended that a licensed contractor conduct work on your project. You can research information on any contractor by logging onto the Contractors Licensing Board's Website or you may contact them at (800) 321-CSLB (2752).

Inspection Requests can be scheduled online, by phone or e-mail

Note: Your citizen access account must be linked to the permit you are attempting to request an inspection for. To have your account linked to the permit, please call 916-617-4645 option 1, or email buildingpermits@cityofwestsacramento.org

• To schedule by phone call 916-617-4691

• To schedule by e-mail, e-mail the inspection team directly at: bldginsp@cityofwestsacramento.org

• Online through Citizen Access Portal

For an inspection to be scheduled the next business day, requests are not guaranteed and are subject to availability, and must be received no later than 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays observed by the city).  SEE OUR HOW TO REQUEST AN INSPECTION GUIDE.

CANCELLATIONS: Please call 916-617-4645, Option 1, prior to 8:30AM the day of to cancel or reschedule your inspection. 

Holiday Schedule

2025/2026 holiday closure.  The Building Division will be closed on the following observed holidays.  No inspections will be scheduled nor performed on these days.  

• Independence Day: July 4, 2025

• Labor Day: September 1, 2025

• Veteran's Day: November 11, 2025

• Thanksgiving Day: November 27, 2025

• Day After Thanksgiving Day: November 28, 2025

• City Hall Closure: December 25, 2025, through January 1, 2026 (inspections will continue except there will be no inspections on December 25th and January 1st.)

• Christmas Day: December 25, 2025

• New Year's Day: January 1, 2026

• Martin Luther King's Birthday: January 19, 2026

• President's Day: February 16, 2026

• Farmworkers Day: March 31, 2026

• Memorial Day: May 25, 2026

• Juneteenth: June 19, 2026 

Approved permits, plans and supporting documents related to a permit can be requested through a Public Records Request.  Visit the PUBLIC RECORDS page to submit a request.  

In the State of California, any stamped plans by a registered designer is copyrighted, so permission would be required by the designer, if a copy is being requested.  A viewing of the approval documents can be coordinated as an alternative.

 General information can also be viewed on the ACA portal, such is what permits have been obtained on a parcel, or status.  

Helpful links to other agencies and jurisdictions that may be required to approve your Building Permit:

• Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District
• Yolo County Environmental Health
• Contractors State License Board
• Yolo County Office of Emergency Services
• Yolo County Assessor’s Office
• City of West Sacramento Chamber Of Commerce