Building Permits in Santa Ana

Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana Planning & Building Agency — Building Safety Division, which handles plan review, permit issuance, and field inspections.

Santa Ana adopts the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24), which includes 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, Part 6), and CALGreen (Part 11). Local amendments to these codes are codified in Title 8 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code.

When You Need a Permit

You generally need a Santa Ana building permit for:

• New construction, additions, and accessory structures including ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units)
• Structural alterations, load-bearing wall changes, and foundation work
• Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC) work
• Reroofing and window or door openings in exterior walls
• Swimming pools, spas, and retaining walls above applicable height thresholds
• Demolition of any habitable structure
• Any work on a property within a designated historic district (additional review required)

Minor cosmetic work — painting, floor coverings, cabinetry not involving plumbing or electrical changes — is typically exempt. When in doubt, contact the Building Safety Division before starting work.

OneStop — The Online Permit Portal

Santa Ana's OneStop portal (accessible through santa-ana.org) is the primary channel for submitting permit applications, uploading plans for electronic plan review, paying fees, and scheduling inspections. Through the portal you can:

• Create an applicant account for residential or commercial projects
• Submit new permit applications and upload construction documents
• Respond to plan check correction comments electronically
• Pay fees and retrieve approved permits
• Request and track inspection appointments

In-person counter service is also available at the Planning & Building Agency office for applicants who prefer to submit paper plans or have questions that require staff assistance.

Permit Costs

Santa Ana permit fees are set by the City's adopted fee schedule and are calculated primarily from project valuation. Typical fee components include:

• Building permit fee — scales with the declared value of construction
• Plan check fee — typically around 65% of the building permit fee for projects requiring plan review
• Inspection fees — may be included in the permit fee or charged separately
• Impact fees — applicable to new construction or projects that add habitable square footage (transportation, parks, utilities)
• CALGreen inspection fee — required for new construction under Title 24, Part 11

Consult the current official fee schedule published by the Planning & Building Agency for exact amounts. Do not rely on third-party estimates, as fee schedules are updated periodically.

Typical Timeline

California Government Code § 65852.2 imposes a hard 60-day deadline on ministerial ADU permit reviews. All other project types are subject to standard workload-based timelines.

California Title 24 Code Requirements

Unlike many states that adopt a single model building code, California maintains its own Title 24 Building Standards Code, updated on a roughly triennial cycle. The 2022 edition (effective January 1, 2023) governs Santa Ana projects and includes:

• CBC (Part 2) — structural, fire, life safety, accessibility
• CRC (Part 2.5) — one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses
• CEC (Part 3) — based on the 2020 NEC with California amendments
• CMC (Part 4) — mechanical systems
• CPC (Part 5) — plumbing systems
• CEnC (Part 6) — California Energy Code; sets efficiency standards for envelope, HVAC, water heating, and lighting
• CALGreen (Part 11) — mandatory green building standards for new construction and major alterations

Plans submitted to the Building Safety Division must demonstrate compliance with all applicable Title 24 parts. Energy compliance documentation (CF-1R or CF-2R forms, or HERS reports) is typically required for residential projects.

The Permit Process

1. Pre-submittal: Confirm zoning, applicable overlays (historic district, Transit Zoning Code), and which Title 24 parts apply to your project
2. Plans: Prepare construction documents stamped by a licensed California architect or engineer where required by CBC or CRC
3. Submit via OneStop: Upload documents, complete the application, and pay plan check fees
4. Plan review: Building Safety Division reviews for compliance with CBC/CRC, energy code, CALGreen, zoning, fire, and other disciplines
5. Corrections: Respond to correction notices in the portal and resubmit revised plans
6. Historic review (if applicable): Obtain approval from the Historic Resources Commission or planning staff for properties in historic districts
7. Permit issuance: Pay remaining fees and download or pick up the approved permit
8. Inspections: Schedule required inspections at each phase of construction
9. Final: Pass final inspection and, where applicable, receive a Certificate of Occupancy

Inspections

Typical inspection stages for a residential project include:

• Footing and foundation
• Underground plumbing and electrical
• Framing and shear walls
• Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical
• Insulation (and Title 24 energy compliance verification)
• Drywall
• CALGreen measures verification
• Final building and trade inspections

Schedule inspections through the OneStop portal or by contacting the Building Safety Division by phone. Inspections must be requested in advance; post all permits and approved plans on the job site for inspector review.

Historic District Requirements

Santa Ana's Downtown Historic District and other locally designated historic resources carry additional permit obligations. For properties within or adjacent to these districts:

• Alterations, additions, and demolitions require review for compatibility with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
• The Historic Resources Commission or designated planning staff reviews project plans before building permits can be issued
• Replacement materials and design details must match or be compatible with historic character-defining features
• Demolition of contributing structures requires a separate finding of economic hardship or extraordinary circumstances

Check with the Planning & Building Agency early in design to determine whether a property is in a historic district or has individual landmark status.

ADU Permits and the 60-Day Rule

California state law gives Santa Ana a strict 60-day deadline to approve or deny a complete ADU permit application (Government Code § 65852.2). Key points:

• The review is ministerial — the city cannot require design review, conditional use permits, or other discretionary approvals for code-compliant ADUs
• If the 60-day clock expires without a decision, the application is deemed approved by operation of law
• The clock starts when the city receives a complete application; incomplete submittals may pause the timeline while corrections are pending
• ADUs in historic districts are still subject to the 60-day rule, though historic review requirements may affect how plans are prepared

Common Reasons for Corrections or Denial

• Plans do not comply with 2022 CBC, CRC, or applicable Title 24 parts
• Missing energy compliance documentation (CF-1R forms, HERS rater reports)
• Missing structural calculations or California-licensed engineer/architect stamps
• Zoning conflicts (setbacks, height, lot coverage, use)
• CALGreen mandatory measures not addressed on plans
• Historic district review not completed before permit application
• Incomplete submittal — missing site plan, floor plan, elevations, or civil documents
• Missing utility clearances (Orange County Sanitation District, SCE/SoCal Gas connections)

Official Sources

Always verify current requirements directly with the City of Santa Ana Planning & Building Agency — Building Safety Division and consult the sources listed in the frontmatter for direct links to the official portal, municipal code, and California Title 24. Permit requirements and fee schedules change; do not rely on this guide alone.

Disclaimer: This guide summarizes publicly available information from official City of Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana Planning & Building Agency before submitting plans or starting construction.