Building Permits in San Bernardino

The City of San Bernardino requires a building permit for most construction, alteration, and repair work affecting structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems. Permits are issued by the City of San Bernardino Community Development & Housing Department — Building & Safety Division, accessible through the San Bernardino Online Permit Portal (Citizen Access) at aca.sanbernardino.gov/ACA.

San Bernardino enforces the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24), which encompasses the California Building Code (CBC), California Residential Code (CRC), California Plumbing Code (CPC), California Mechanical Code (CMC), California Electrical Code (CEC), California Energy Code (CEnC), and CALGreen. Local amendments are codified in Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) of the San Bernardino Municipal Code as published by American Legal Publishing.

Important: City of San Bernardino vs. San Bernardino County

The City of San Bernardino Building & Safety Division and San Bernardino County Land Use Services — Building & Safety Division are two completely separate agencies with no overlap in jurisdiction.

• City of San Bernardino — issues building permits for all construction within the incorporated city limits. Apply through the City's Online Permit Portal or the Community Development & Housing Department.
• San Bernardino County Land Use Services — issues permits only for unincorporated areas of the county and certain contract cities. It has no authority within the City of San Bernardino.

If your property is within the city limits (the city is the county seat of San Bernardino County), you must apply through the City. Confirm jurisdiction using the City's ArcGIS zoning map or contact the Building & Safety Division before submitting any application.

When You Need a Permit

You generally need a City of San Bernardino building permit for:

• New construction, additions, and accessory structures including ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) and JADUs
• Structural alterations, load-bearing wall changes, and foundation work
• Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC) changes
• Reroofing and alterations to window or door openings in exterior walls
• Swimming pools, spas, and retaining walls above applicable height thresholds
• Fences exceeding height limits in the Municipal Code
• Demolition of any habitable structure
• Solar photovoltaic and battery storage system installations
• Grading, excavation, or fill above applicable thresholds

Minor cosmetic work — such as painting, floor coverings, and cabinetry changes that do not involve plumbing or electrical modifications — is generally exempt. When in doubt, contact the Building & Safety Division before starting work.

California Title 24 Code Requirements

All construction within the city must comply with the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24). Key provisions that applicants frequently encounter:

• California Energy Code (CEnC) — Energy compliance documentation (CF1R, CF2R, CF3R forms) is required for new construction and many alterations involving insulation, windows, HVAC, or water heating systems. A HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rater may be required for third-party field verification.
• CALGreen — The California Green Building Standards Code sets mandatory minimums for water efficiency, material waste reduction, and indoor air quality. Residential additions above certain thresholds trigger CALGreen compliance.
• CBC Seismic Requirements — San Bernardino is in a high seismic hazard zone. The city is near both the San Andreas Fault (to the north) and the San Jacinto Fault (running through the region). Structural plans must address seismic design category per CBC Chapter 16, and some projects may require a licensed geotechnical engineer's soils report. Properties within an Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone may face additional restrictions on habitable structures.
• California Electrical Code (CEC) — Based on the 2020 NEC; solar-ready conduit and EV-ready provisions apply to new residential construction under California law.
• Fire Hazard Severity Zones — Portions of San Bernardino are in state-designated Fire Hazard Severity Zones, particularly in foothill areas covered by the FF (Foothill Fire Zones) overlay district. Construction in these areas must meet additional defensible-space and fire-resistive construction requirements under CBC Chapter 7A.

ADU Permits — California 60-Day Rule

For Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Junior ADU (JADU) projects, California Government Code Section 65852.2 requires the City of San Bernardino to ministerially approve or deny a complete permit application within 60 calendar days of receipt. Key points:

• Ministerial approval means no discretionary review or public hearing — the city applies objective standards only.
• If the city fails to act within 60 days on a complete application, the application is deemed approved by operation of state law.
• The 60-day deadline runs from receipt of a complete application; correction notices restart the clock only for the re-submittal period.
• San Bernardino offers pre-approved ADU plan sets (462 sq ft and 738 sq ft designs) that can accelerate the plan-check phase.
• ADUs must comply with Title 24 energy and CALGreen requirements in addition to the Development Code standards.

Permit Costs

City of San Bernardino building permit fees are established by the city's adopted fee schedule and are typically based on project valuation. Common fee components include:

• Building permit fee — scales with project valuation
• Plan check fee — a percentage of the building permit fee
• Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) trade fees — separate fees per trade
• Energy (Title 24) plan check — for projects requiring energy compliance documentation
• CALGreen plan check — for projects subject to CALGreen
• Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (SMIP) surcharge — California state levy on all permits; reflects the city's seismic setting
• California Building Standards Commission (BSC) surcharge — small state levy on all permits
• Impact fees — for new construction or added floor area (development impact, transportation, school, sewer capacity, etc.)

Do not rely on third-party fee estimates. Always consult the current City of San Bernardino fee schedule published by the Building & Safety Division or request a fee estimate through the Online Permit Portal before budgeting your project.

Typical Timeline

Actual timelines vary with workload and project complexity. Contact the Building & Safety Division or check the Online Permit Portal for current estimated turnaround times.

The Process

1. Pre-submittal: Confirm zoning and applicable overlays for your parcel using the City ArcGIS zoning map; review Title 15 of the Municipal Code and applicable Title 24 provisions
2. Plans: Prepare drawings (and engineering calculations where required) by a California-licensed architect or engineer; prepare Title 24 energy compliance documentation if required; obtain a soils report if in a seismic or geotechnical hazard area
3. Submit via the Online Permit Portal: Create an account at aca.sanbernardino.gov/ACA, upload plans and supporting documents, and pay applicable fees
4. Plan check: Building & Safety disciplines (building, structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy/Title 24, zoning, fire) review plans for code compliance; the Fire Department may conduct a separate review
5. Corrections: Respond to plan check comments by revising and resubmitting corrected plans through the portal
6. Permit issuance: Pay any remaining fees and download or pick up the approved permit
7. Post permit on site: The approved permit and plans must be available at the job site for all inspections
8. Inspections: Schedule required inspections at each construction phase through the portal or by contacting Building & Safety
9. Final: Pass final inspection and receive Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion where applicable

Inspections

Typical inspection stages for a residential project:

• Footing / foundation (before concrete pour)
• Underground plumbing, electrical conduit, and drainage
• Framing (after rough framing is complete, before covering)
• Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical
• Insulation (before drywall)
• Energy compliance field verifications (HERS, if required)
• Drywall (nailing inspection, if required)
• Final — building and all trade inspections

Schedule inspections through the San Bernardino Online Permit Portal at aca.sanbernardino.gov/ACA or by contacting the Building & Safety Division directly.

Common Reasons for Corrections or Denial

• Plans do not comply with the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24) or local amendments in Title 15
• Missing or incomplete Title 24 energy compliance documentation (CF forms, HERS measures)
• Missing structural calculations or California-licensed engineer / architect stamp where required
• Seismic detailing deficiencies — especially relevant given proximity to San Andreas and San Jacinto faults
• Missing geotechnical (soils) report for projects in seismically sensitive or hillside areas
• Zoning conflicts — setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, or land use not permitted in the zone (check Title 19 Development Code)
• Failure to account for overlay zones (Airport, Freeway Corridor, Foothill Fire Zones, Flood Plain)
• Missing utility clearances (water, sewer, SoCalEdison, SoCalGas)
• Fire department corrections for sprinkler systems, access, or fire flow
• CALGreen documentation incomplete
• Incomplete submittal — missing site plan, floor plan, elevations, or required state forms

Official Sources

Always verify current requirements with the City of San Bernardino Community Development & Housing Department — Building & Safety Division before submitting plans or starting construction. See the sources listed in the frontmatter for direct links to the Building & Safety Division, the Online Permit Portal (Citizen Access), the San Bernardino Municipal Code Title 15 (American Legal Publishing), the California Building Standards Commission (Title 24), and the California ADU law.

Disclaimer: This guide summarizes publicly available information from official City of San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino Community Development & Housing Department, Building & Safety Division before submitting plans or starting construction.