Building Permits in Sacramento

Sacramento requires a building permit for most construction, alteration, and repair work that affects structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems. Permits are issued by the City of Sacramento Community Development Department — Building Division, which administers plan review, field inspections, and code enforcement.

Sacramento has adopted the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24), including the California Building Code (CBC), California Residential Code (CRC), California Plumbing Code (CPC), California Mechanical Code (CMC), California Electrical Code (CEC), California Energy Code (Title 24 Part 6), and CALGreen, with local amendments codified in Title 15 of the Sacramento City Code.

City vs. County: The City of Sacramento and Sacramento County are separate jurisdictions. If your property is within Sacramento city limits, you apply to the City's Community Development Department. If your property is in an unincorporated area of Sacramento County, you apply to the Sacramento County Community Development and Planning Department (planning.saccounty.gov). Confirm your jurisdiction before submitting an application.

When You Need a Permit

You generally need a City of Sacramento building permit for:

• New construction, additions, and accessory structures, including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs (JADUs)
• Structural alterations, load-bearing wall changes, and foundation work
• Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC) changes
• Reroofing and window or door openings in exterior walls
• Swimming pools, spas, and retaining walls above a height threshold
• Demolition of any habitable structure
• Solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems

Minor cosmetic work — painting, floor coverings, and cabinetry without plumbing or electrical changes — is typically exempt. When in doubt, contact the Building Division before starting work.

eTRAKiT — The Online Permit Portal

Sacramento Citizen Portal / eTRAKiT (eproperty.cityofsacramento.org) is the City of Sacramento's online permit management system. Through eTRAKiT you can:

• Create an applicant account
• Submit residential and commercial permit applications electronically
• Upload plans for electronic plan review
• Respond to plan check correction comments
• Pay permit fees online
• Schedule and track building inspections
• View permit status and inspection history

The portal is available 24/7. In-person counter service is also available at the Sacramento City Hall Community Development counter.

Permit Costs

Sacramento permit fees are established in the City of Sacramento Building Permit Fee Schedule, published by the Community Development Department. Fees are typically calculated based on:

• Building permit fee — scales with project valuation
• Plan check fee — a percentage of the building permit fee
• Inspection fees — billed per inspection or as part of a flat rate schedule
• Impact fees — for new construction or added square footage (transportation, parks, schools, utilities)
• State surcharges — California mandates a state building standards fee (SB 1473) and strong motion instrumentation fee

Do not rely on third-party fee estimates. Always check the current Building Permit Fee Schedule linked in the sources above for exact amounts.

Typical Timeline

California 60-day ADU rule: Under California Government Code § 65852.2, Sacramento must complete ministerial review of a complete ADU or JADU permit application within 60 calendar days. If the application is deemed incomplete, the City must provide a written correction notice within 60 days; the 60-day clock restarts when a complete resubmittal is received.

The Process

1. Pre-application: Confirm zoning designation, applicable overlay zones, and Title 24 requirements for your parcel using the City's online zoning map
2. Plans: Prepare drawings that comply with the 2022 CBC/CRC and Title 24 energy compliance documentation; architect or engineer stamp required for many project types
3. Submit via eTRAKiT: Create an account and upload documents for electronic plan review
4. Plan check: Building Division disciplines (building, structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, energy, fire, zoning) review for code compliance and may issue correction notices
5. Corrections: Respond to comments and resubmit revised plans through eTRAKiT
6. Permit issuance: Pay remaining fees and receive the permit (post on job site as required)
7. Inspections: Schedule required inspections at each construction phase through eTRAKiT
8. Final: Pass final inspection and, where applicable, receive a Certificate of Occupancy

Inspections

Typical inspection stages for a residential project in Sacramento include:

• Footing and foundation
• Underground plumbing and electrical
• Framing
• Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical
• Insulation and air sealing (Title 24 energy compliance)
• Drywall / wallboard
• Final building and trade inspections

Schedule inspections through the eTRAKiT portal. Inspection results and correction notices are also posted in eTRAKiT.

California Title 24 Energy Requirements

All new construction and many alterations must comply with Title 24 Part 6, the California Energy Code. Sacramento projects are subject to the 2022 California Energy Code, which governs building envelope performance, HVAC efficiency, lighting, and water heating. A Title 24 compliance report prepared by a certified energy consultant is typically required as part of the plan check submittal.

CALGreen (Title 24 Part 11) imposes mandatory green building requirements on most new construction, including water efficiency, waste reduction, and indoor air quality measures.

Common Reasons for Corrections or Denial

• Plans do not comply with the 2022 CBC, CRC, or Sacramento local amendments in Title 15
• Missing or non-compliant Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance documentation
• Missing structural calculations, geotechnical reports, or design-professional stamps
• Zoning conflicts (setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, permitted use)
• Missing CALGreen documentation or green building measures
• Flood zone development standards not addressed (for properties in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas)
• Historic district or design review approval not obtained prior to building permit submittal
• Incomplete submittal or missing documents in eTRAKiT

Official Sources

Always verify current requirements with the City of Sacramento Community Development Department — Building Division and the eTRAKiT portal before starting your project. See the sources listed in the frontmatter for direct links to the Building Division, eTRAKiT portal, fee schedule, Sacramento City Code, and California Title 24.

Disclaimer: This guide summarizes publicly available information from official City of Sacramento and State of California sources and is provided for general orientation only. It does not constitute legal or engineering advice. Building code and permitting requirements change — always confirm current rules with the City of Sacramento Community Development Department — Building Division before submitting plans or starting construction.