Building Permits in Ontario, California

Ontario's Building Department reviews permit applications and performs inspections for construction within City jurisdiction.

Codes

Projects must comply with the currently adopted California Building Standards Code and applicable Ontario municipal requirements. California's statewide code cycle changed on January 1, 2026 to the 2025 Title 24 editions; applicants should also check Ontario's current local amendments for the project.

Fees

Ontario publishes its own Building Department fee tables. The current City page lists plan-check fees at 80% of permit fees, with separate tables or formulas for building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and grading work and other applicable charges. The City explicitly describes its online figures as estimates and instructs applicants to contact permit technicians for the exact amount due at issuance.

The City also states that only the plan-check fee is assessed when plans are submitted for review. Do not transfer Ontario's 80% figure to other California jurisdictions.

Application and review

Submittal requirements depend on the project. The Building Department provides plan-check requirements and inspection services. Ontario also operates a separate real-time permitting platform for qualifying residential solar and energy-storage permits; that streamlined process should not be assumed to apply to ordinary building permits.

Inspections and final approval

Required inspections follow the approved permit and applicable California codes. Obtain all required departmental clearances before final building approval where the project requires them.

Timing and design professionals

No generic plan-review duration is stated here. California law contains exemptions and requirements governing architects and engineers; whether sealed design is required depends on project type and scope.

Official sources

Use the City Building and Building Department Fees pages in the frontmatter for current local procedures and charges.