Skip to main content
PermitBase

Building Permit in Fullerton, California

Fullerton publishes two things better than most of this corpus: a code rule that states what governs on both sides of the cycle boundary, and a set of local design criteria detailed enough to design from. Inspections run on a 24-hour automated telephone system.

Verified 2026-09-19 · Source

When you need this permit

  • COMPLETENESS IS DEFINED BY STATUTE, NOT BY HOUSE PREFERENCE: "For a permit application to be deemed complete for submittal, the submittal documents must contain all information as required per California Building Code Section 107." Citing the section means the standard is checkable rather than a matter of counter discretion.
  • THE ARCHITECTURAL SET THE CITY LISTS: Site Plan, Floor Plans, Roof Plans, Elevations, Sections, Means of Egress Analysis, Green Building Code Requirements, Title 24 Energy Calculations and Site Grading Plans.
  • THE STRUCTURAL SET: Foundation Plan, Framing Plans, Roof Framing Plans, Structural Details and Structural Calculations.
  • THE LIST IS A CEILING, NOT A FLOOR, AND THE CITY SAYS SO: "Please be advised that not all items may be necessary based on the proposed scope of work. Please speak with the Building Division to clarify if an item is necessary for submittal."
  • "Detailed construction plans are required for most types of projects. Construction plans must clearly indicate the location, nature, and extent of the project, and show in detail how it will comply with the Building Codes."

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Fee schedule

Fee scheduleThe division publishes a "Forms, Applications, and Fees" section which was not opened here, so no schedule, amount or fee basis is asserted.
NOT TRANSCRIBED for this record.

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Building Permit permit actually take in Fullerton?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    A 24-hour automated telephone system, named as a product

    "Call the automated Voice Permits(TM) IVR System for all of your Building/Fire Permit inspections, 24 hours a day! (714) 738-6543." It schedules inspections, cancels them and retrieves results. To use it you need "A touch-tone telephone (or the dialing keypad on your mobile phone), A site-specific permit number, An inspection code".

  2. 2

    THE CUT-OFF IS MIDNIGHT, WHICH IS THE LATEST IN THIS CORPUS

    "Enter the inspection date. Calls placed before midnight will be placed on the following working day's schedule." Every other city here cuts off in the afternoon - Salinas at noon or 4pm depending on the slot, Lancaster at 2pm, Fremont at 2pm, Oceanside at 3:30pm, Oxnard at 4pm. Fullerton lets you book for tomorrow up to the end of today.

  3. 3

    THE SYSTEM ASKS FOR A GATE CODE

    "Enter a gate code (if applicable)." This is the only booking flow in this corpus that captures site access at the point of scheduling. It is the direct answer to the problem Salinas publishes from the other side - that "Inspectors are not authorized to open gates or access points" - solved in the form rather than left to the applicant to remember.

  4. 4

    The menu, and what you can do in one call

    "Press 1 To schedule an inspection; Press 2 To cancel an inspection; Press 3 To obtain inspection results; Press 0 To transfer to staff; Press # To disconnect and hang up; Press * For additional information anytime during the call." The city notes "You may perform multiple transactions during each call" - another inspection on the same permit, or on a different one, without hanging up.

  5. 5

    Confirmation numbers, and how the permit is keyed in

    "Enter the permit number, followed by the # key. The system will confirm this permit by repeating the site address and permit number. Use the alpha-numeric keys on mobile devices (the phone dialing pad)." At the end "you will be issued a confirmation number", and the city recommends keeping a record of them.

See the full Fullerton inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • BOOK INSPECTIONS UP TO MIDNIGHT for the next working day - the latest cut-off in this corpus.
  • HAVE THE GATE CODE READY WHEN YOU BOOK; the system asks for it.
  • THE ALTERNATING FRIDAY CLOSES AN HOUR EARLIER (4:30 PM) than Monday to Thursday.

Frequently asked questions

Fullerton requires a building permit for: COMPLETENESS IS DEFINED BY STATUTE, NOT BY HOUSE PREFERENCE: "For a permit application to be deemed complete for submittal, the submittal documents must contain all information as required per California Building Code Section 107." Citing the section means the standard is checkable rather than a matter of counter discretion.; THE ARCHITECTURAL SET THE CITY LISTS: Site Plan, Floor Plans, Roof Plans, Elevations, Sections, Means of Egress Analysis, Green Building Code Requirements, Title 24 Energy Calculations and Site Grading Plans.; THE STRUCTURAL SET: Foundation Plan, Framing Plans, Roof Framing Plans, Structural Details and Structural Calculations.; THE LIST IS A CEILING, NOT A FLOOR, AND THE CITY SAYS SO: "Please be advised that not all items may be necessary based on the proposed scope of work. Please speak with the Building Division to clarify if an item is necessary for submittal."; "Detailed construction plans are required for most types of projects. Construction plans must clearly indicate the location, nature, and extent of the project, and show in detail how it will comply with the Building Codes.". If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Fullerton Community and Economic Development Department, Building and Safety Division at 714.738.6300 (City); (714) 738-6543 (Voice Permits automated inspection line, 24 hours) before starting work.

Fullerton does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Fullerton Community and Economic Development Department, Building and Safety Division at 714.738.6300 (City); (714) 738-6543 (Voice Permits automated inspection line, 24 hours) for current turnaround.

Until midnight. "Calls placed before midnight will be placed on the following working day's schedule." The line is automated and runs 24 hours on (714) 738-6543.

Apply through City of Fullerton Community and Economic Development Department, Building and Safety Division at 303 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, CA 92832. Phone: 714.738.6300 (City); (714) 738-6543 (Voice Permits automated inspection line, 24 hours), email: NOT PUBLISHED on the pages read for this record; no divisional mailbox appeared in the page source.. Office hours: "Monday - Thursday 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM" and "Every other Friday 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM" - AND NOTE THAT THE ALTERNATING FRIDAY IS AN HOUR SHORTER, not merely a day that happens or does not happen. WHICH Friday is the open one is not stated on the pages read. These are also the CITY'S published hours rather than counter hours stated by Building and Safety itself, so this record does not claim the permit counter keeps them; call 714.738.6300 if the difference matters to your trip.. Official information: https://www.cityoffullerton.com/government/departments/community-and-economic-development/building-and-safety/permit-processing-info.

It depends on when you submitted, and the city states both sides: "The 2025 California Building Codes and City of Fullerton Amendments are enforceable for all residential and non-residential construction projects submitted on or after January 1, 2026. Projects submitted prior to January 1, 2026 shall comply with the 2022 Codes."

The city publishes them: Seismic Design Category "D, E or F as determined by USGS Maps and CBC Chapter 16" - a site-specific determination rather than one value - basic wind speeds of 89 mph for Risk Category I, 95 mph for II, 102 mph for III and 106 mph for IV, and Climate Zone 8.

The booking system asks. When scheduling through the automated line you are prompted to "Enter a gate code (if applicable)", so access is captured with the request rather than handled on the day.

A statutory standard rather than a local one: "the submittal documents must contain all information as required per California Building Code Section 107." The city then lists the architectural and structural sheets it expects, while noting that not every item applies to every scope.

Fullerton's permit history isn't searchable here yet

This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Fullerton yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Fullerton lands. Privacy.

Building Permit in other cities

Anaheim, CaliforniaAntioch, CaliforniaBakersfield, CaliforniaBerkeley, CaliforniaCarlsbad, CaliforniaChula Vista, CaliforniaClovis, CaliforniaConcord, California

Compare building permit fees across California →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Fullerton project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Fullerton — in one checklist. Free, for any city and any number of projects.

Get started →