A virtual site review is conducted for all building permit applications with new or altered foundation elements that are proposed to be submitted without a project specific geotechnical report uploaded or without the project site plan prepared by a California licensed design professional (i.e. architect, engineer, or land surveyor).
Inspections are set for early morning, mid-day, or afternoon. To check on the inspector's estimated arrival time you can call the automated telephone scheduling system on the day of the scheduled inspection at (707) 565-3551. Please have the address and the permit number of the project ready when you call. You will receive faster service if you have the inspection area number that is located in the lower right corner of the front of your permit.
Write the code on the original building permit application before it is issued.
After the permit has been issued, call(707) 565-1679duringregular phone hours. Give the office assistant the address of your project and they will transfer you to your inspector's voicemail. Leave the code on the inspector's voice mail.
Refunds are regulated by the California Building Code (CBC) which reads: "Under Section 107.6, CBC, the building official may authorize refunding of not more than 80 percent of the plan review fee paid when an application is withdrawn or canceled before any plan reviewing is done. The building official may authorize refunding of not more than 80 percent of the permit fee paid when no work has been done under the permit.
There shall be no refunding of any fee paid except on written application filed by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of fee payment."
Yes. When your plans have been checked for compliance with all appropriate building codes and regulations, additional fees will be due, depending on the type and scope of the project.
You must also obtain all necessary clearances before your permit can be issued. All clearances needed should be identified on the "Building Permit Application Checklist" that was given to you when you submitted your application.
You can now begin construction. Your approved plans, and any other documents approved for the work, must be posted on the job site in an easily visible location. The set of plans will be used to verify that all construction is in compliance with the approved plans. These must be kept on site and available for the inspector to verify that all construction is in compliance with the approved plan set.
Effective August 1st, 2025, Permit Sonoma is updating its time limits for permits to comply with recent changes in California state law. Under the new policy, issued permits may now expire if work does not begin within 12 months or if there is a 12-month lapse in progress. Permit Sonoma previously had a three-year permit term to complete the project. Recent state legislation now mandates a 12-month timeframe statewide.
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