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PermitBase

Building Permit in Riverside, California

The City of Riverside issues building permits through the Building & Safety Division of the Community & Economic Development Department. The division publishes a fee schedule covering administrative fees, valuation-based state charges, and per-square-foot plan check and permit fees for new construction.

Verified 2026-09-18 · Source

When you need this permit

  • NOT PUBLISHED as a checklist on the artefacts read for this record.

Required documents

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

    Fee schedule

    Permit Issuance FeeAdministrative fee, Building & Safety Fee Schedule.
    $39.00
    Building Plan Check Fee (hourly)Hourly rate, Building & Safety Fee Schedule.
    $82.00
    Building Inspection (hourly)Hourly rate, Building & Safety Fee Schedule.
    $82.00
    Building reinspection feeCharged per reinspection, Building & Safety Fee Schedule.
    $93.00
    TCO RequestTemporary Certificate of Occupancy request.
    $166.00
    Transfer of issued permitBuilding & Safety Fee Schedule.
    $66.00
    Appeal of building officialBuilding & Safety Fee Schedule.
    $1,064.00
    California Building Standards chargeState charge collected locally; printed on the city's fee schedule.
    $1.00 per every $25,000 or portion thereof, in construction valuation
    General Plan Maintenance FeeApplied on top of plan check and permit fees.
    All plan check and permit fees x 10%
    Technology FeeApplied on top of plan check and permit fees.
    All plan check and permit fees X 4%
    New SFD - R-3 Occupancy (residential new construction)Per-square-foot rate with floor and ceiling, Building & Safety Fee Schedule.
    Per SF $.53 plan check and .53 permit fee, with a 700 SF minimum and 7,000 SF maximum

    Review timeline

    Plan review
    Not published — contact the department

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

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

    Inspection process

      Tips

      • WEDNESDAY OPENS LATE. Both city artefacts agree the counter opens at 10:00 AM on Wednesdays rather than 9:00 AM, though they disagree on whether it closes at 4:00 PM or 4:30 PM.
      • THREE PERCENTAGE FEES RIDE ON TOP OF THE HEADLINE FEE and are easy to miss when budgeting: a General Plan Maintenance Fee of all plan check and permit fees x 10%, a Technology Fee of all plan check and permit fees X 4%, and the state California Building Standards charge of $1.00 per every $25,000 or portion thereof in construction valuation.

      Frequently asked questions

      Riverside requires a building permit for: NOT PUBLISHED as a checklist on the artefacts read for this record.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Riverside Community & Economic Development Department, Building & Safety Division at (951) 826-5800 before starting work.

      Riverside does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Riverside Community & Economic Development Department, Building & Safety Division at (951) 826-5800 for current turnaround.

      Apply through City of Riverside Community & Economic Development Department, Building & Safety Division at 3900 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Riverside, CA 92522. Phone: (951) 826-5800, email: NOT PUBLISHED on the artefacts read for this record.. Office hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. THE CITY'S OWN ARTEFACTS DISAGREE ON WEDNESDAY: the Building & Safety contact page states "Wednesday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm", while the letterhead of the city's Building & Safety Fee Schedule states "Wednesdays 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM". Both are city documents; this record carries both rather than choosing.. Official information: https://riversideca.gov/cedd/building-safety.

      The California Building Standards Code, Title 24. California sets this statewide rather than city by city: Health and Safety Code section 18938 provides that standards adopted into the California Building Standards Code shall apply to all occupancies throughout the state.

      The city's Building & Safety Fee Schedule prints a Building Plan Check Fee (hourly) of $82.00 and a Building Inspection (hourly) of $82.00, alongside a Permit Issuance Fee of $39.00.

      Two local percentages and one state charge. The fee schedule lists a General Plan Maintenance Fee of all plan check and permit fees x 10%, a Technology Fee of all plan check and permit fees X 4%, and a California Building Standards charge of $1.00 per every $25,000 or portion thereof, in construction valuation.

      Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM, opening later at 10:00 AM on Wednesdays. The city's contact page gives a Wednesday close of 4:00 pm while the letterhead on its own fee schedule gives 4:30 PM, so confirm before a late Wednesday visit.

      Generally no, during the current statewide window. Health and Safety Code section 17958 provides that a city or county shall not make changes applicable to residential units during that period unless one of six listed conditions is met, such as home hardening or emergency standards.

      Sources & verification

      Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-18.

      Fee schedules

      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 Riverside building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

      Riverside's permit history isn't searchable here yet

      This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Riverside 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 Riverside lands. Privacy.

      Building Permit in other cities

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