You are viewing the permanent link for the record currently in effect, published 2026-09-20.
Whittier building permits
VerifiedWhittier, California — as published 2026-09-20.
Verified 2026-09-21 · Source
Codes adopted
WHITTIER ENUMERATES ITS ADOPTED CODES IN FULL, WHICH MOST CITIES IN THIS CORPUS DO NOT: "As of January 1, 2026, the City of Whittier adopted the new 2025 California Building Standards Code. These new codes are used by our plans examiners and building inspection staff to evaluate minimum standards proposed for and used in construction projects throughout the City."THE LIST, VERBATIM AND INCLUDING ITS APPENDICES: "The 2025 California Building Code, Volumes 1 and 2 including Appendix Chapters F and I"; "The 2025 California Residential Code including Appendix Chapter H"; the 2025 California Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Historical, Existing Building, Green Building Standards, Referenced Standards and Electrical Codes. Appendix chapters are only in force where a jurisdiction adopts them, so naming F, I and H is a substantive act rather than housekeeping.THE FIRE CODE IS THE COUNTY'S AND A DIFFERENT VINTAGE: "The 2023 Los Angeles County Fire Code". Fire plan review for a Whittier project is therefore against a county document on its own cycle, not against the city's 2025 suite.TWO 1997 UNIFORM CODES REMAIN ADOPTED ALONGSIDE THE 2025 SUITE: "The 1997 Uniform Housing Code" and "The 1997 Uniform Code for Abatement of Dangerous Buildings". These are ICBO-era documents used for housing standards and abatement rather than new construction. This record does NOT assert whether later editions of either exist; the 29-year spread between them and the 2025 codes is recorded as the city states it, and a reader should not assume the 1997 dates indicate neglect.Health & Safety Code 18938(b) provides that building standards in the California Building Standards Code "shall apply to all occupancies throughout the state and shall become effective 180 days after publication." The 2025 edition was published 2025-07-01 and took effect 2026-01-01, which matches the city's date.
Permit types & fees
Building Permit
VerifiedWhittier sends you to Planning before Building & Safety will look at anything, limits who may pull which permit by property type, and runs a growing online-only list where several items need a second agency's sign-off first.
Verified 2026-09-21 · Source
Requirements
- PLANNING COMES FIRST, AND IT IS NOT OPTIONAL: "Prior to submittal of plans and specifications for Building & Safety plan review, projects must first be evaluated by the Community Development's Planning Services Division." Building plan check does not start until Planning has looked at it.
- WHO MAY PULL THE PERMIT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE PROPERTY IS. "Permits are issued to properly licensed contractors and to owners of residential properties (or their authorized agent, authorized by notarized letter) for any or all types of construction work on a residential structure." But: "Property owners of non-residential facilities may apply for a Building Permit only and permits for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing work... will only be issued to contractors that are appropriately licensed to do the type of work involved in the permit." A commercial owner cannot pull their own MEP permits.
- AN OWNER'S AGENT NEEDS A NOTARISED LETTER, not merely written authority.
- OUTSIDE APPROVALS ARE COLLECTED BY YOU, NOT BY THE CITY: permit issuance follows "once the Building & Safety plan review is complete and you have completed all processing required by other agencies having jurisdiction over your project and have forwarded those approvals (and/or receipts showing payments of fees when required) to the Building & Safety Division".
- SEVERAL ONLINE PERMITS ARE GATED BY SOMEONE ELSE FIRST, and the city footnotes which: Planning approval for wall signs and awnings, window replacements and cell sites; Planning approval for residential electrical, plumbing, HVAC and foundation retrofit where exterior modifications are involved; Public Works approval of a sewer lateral compliance form; and for electrical service upgrades, approval of the location by Edison on 1-800-655-4555.
- KEEP THE JOB CARD AND THE STAMPED PLANS, AND KEEP THEM DRY: "Your job card and approved plans should be kept in a safe location, away from the sun and weather, and must be made available to your inspector at the time of the inspection." The inspector records results on the card itself.
Required documents
- Optional
- Optional
- Optional
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit fees | NOT PUBLISHED on the pages read. | Neither building page carries a fee schedule or valuation table. Fees paid to other agencies must be evidenced to Building & Safety before issuance - the city asks for "receipts showing payments of fees when required". |
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-21.
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Whittier building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.