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Building Permit in El Cajon, California

El Cajon runs everything through PACO, its Tyler-hosted portal, and publishes real plan check figures - three to four weeks for a first check, one to two for a recheck. Its inspection windows are labelled by a time they do not start at.

Verified 2026-09-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • PACO IS THE SUBMITTAL ROUTE: "The Project Assistance Center Online (PACO) is the method to submit for plan check", and "Submittals shall be in electronic format via PACO website."
  • AN ACCOUNT COMES FIRST, AND THE LOGIN CHANGED ON A NAMED DATE: "In order to submit an online application you must first register an account with the Project Assistance Center Online, or PACO", under a "New PACO Log-In Procedure as of 4/15/2024".
  • UPLOAD THE FORMS THE SCOPE DEMANDS: "Please complete and upload the permit application and any additional forms that may be required based on the complexity and scope of your project... Typical forms that may be required include the Certification of Easements, energy efficiency documentation, hazardous materials questionnaire, etc."
  • OWNER-BUILDERS NEED THREE THINGS: "Owner/Building declaration form completed and signed; A permit application with job description; Identification as the property owner." Owner-builder
  • CONTRACTORS NEED FOUR, INCLUDING A CITY BUSINESS LICENCE: "A permit application with project description; A workers' compensation certificate; Contractors State License information; A current City of El Cajon business license." Contractor
  • TWO SCOPES CARRY AN EXTRA DOCUMENT: "Reroofs you will need a reroof application" and "New meters or meter upgrades will need documentation of approved location from SDG&E." The meter location is signed off by the utility, not the city.
  • DO NOT COVER WORK BEFORE IT PASSES: "Do not cover any aspect of construction (underground, wall framing, etc.) until you have obtained a passing inspection."

Required documents

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

Fee schedule

Permit fees
"The fee structure in use by the City is updated on a periodic basis. Show full citation"The fee structure in use by the City is updated on a periodic basis. For an estimate of fees you may call the general information line of Building Safety and get an estimate of the fee for your particular project." The city offers a spoken estimate rather than a published table, and does not state a revision cadence beyond "periodic".
NOT PUBLISHED as a schedule; quoted by telephone.

Review timeline

Plan reviewEl Cajon’s published plan-review target
21–28 business days

How long did your Building Permit permit actually take in El Cajon?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Portal only, and the city is emphatic

    "Important: All inspections are required to be requested via the PACO portal."

  2. 2

    Two time frames, each labelled by a time it does not begin at

    "Building Inspections will be performed: 08:00 AM time frame is between 8:30 AM - 12 PM. 12:00 PM time frame is between 12:00 PM - 4 PM." The morning slot is called 08:00 AM and starts at 8:30 - a half-hour gap between the label and the window. The afternoon label and window agree.

  3. 3

    Different disciplines have different confirmation rules

    Planning: "Submit your Final Planning request via the Online Permit Portal, then call 619-441-1742 to confirm." Fire: "after requesting the inspection online, if no response is received within 48 hrs, please call 619-667-1355 to confirm." Engineering and Storm Water: "will be scheduled or cleared within 1 to 2 business days." Three disciplines, three different expectations from the same portal request.

  4. 4

    Daily inspection information is published

    The Building Permits page opens with "View daily inspection times, results and corrections HERE", and the portal carries a Today's Inspections view. No data from either is reproduced in this record.

  5. 5

    Required inspections are listed on the permit itself

    "Required inspections will be listed on the inspection sheet of your permit." The stage list is per-permit rather than published as a general sequence.

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

Tips

  • THE 8:00 AM SLOT STARTS AT 8:30 - read the window, not the label.
  • REGISTER FOR PACO FIRST; it is the only route for submittals and inspections.
  • FIRE INSPECTION SILENT AFTER 48 HOURS? Call 619-667-1355.

Frequently asked questions

El Cajon requires a building permit for: PACO IS THE SUBMITTAL ROUTE: "The Project Assistance Center Online (PACO) is the method to submit for plan check", and "Submittals shall be in electronic format via PACO website."; AN ACCOUNT COMES FIRST, AND THE LOGIN CHANGED ON A NAMED DATE: "In order to submit an online application you must first register an account with the Project Assistance Center Online, or PACO", under a "New PACO Log-In Procedure as of 4/15/2024".; UPLOAD THE FORMS THE SCOPE DEMANDS: "Please complete and upload the permit application and any additional forms that may be required based on the complexity and scope of your project... Typical forms that may be required include the Certification of Easements, energy efficiency documentation, hazardous materials questionnaire, etc."; OWNER-BUILDERS NEED THREE THINGS: "Owner/Building declaration form completed and signed; A permit application with job description; Identification as the property owner."; CONTRACTORS NEED FOUR, INCLUDING A CITY BUSINESS LICENCE: "A permit application with project description; A workers' compensation certificate; Contractors State License information; A current City of El Cajon business license."; TWO SCOPES CARRY AN EXTRA DOCUMENT: "Reroofs you will need a reroof application" and "New meters or meter upgrades will need documentation of approved location from SDG&E." The meter location is signed off by the utility, not the city.; DO NOT COVER WORK BEFORE IT PASSES: "Do not cover any aspect of construction (underground, wall framing, etc.) until you have obtained a passing inspection.". If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of El Cajon Community Development Department, Building & Fire Safety Division (Project Assistance Center) at (619) 441-1726, then choose from a menu - "Option 1 Hours; Option 2 Building Safety Staff; Option 3 Planning and Code Compliance Staff; Option 4 Engineering Staff". Also 619-441-1742 (to confirm a Final Planning request) and 619-667-1355 (to chase a Fire inspection). before starting work.

"You are required to divert 65% of construction and demolition waste from the landfill." The city points to its Construction and Demolition page for how to comply.

"Time periods vary depending on workloads but a typical plan check submittal will take about three to four weeks" - and "Typically, a recheck takes about one to two weeks." You are told by email when it is done, and corrections are viewed in PACO.

Depending on your project, El Cajon may also ask for: ; ; ; . See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Wait 48 hours, then call. "Fire Inspections: after requesting the inspection online, if no response is received within 48 hrs, please call 619-667-1355 to confirm." A Final Planning request is different again - submit it online, then call 619-441-1742 to confirm.

Apply through City of El Cajon Community Development Department, Building & Fire Safety Division (Project Assistance Center) at City of El Cajon Project Assistance Center, 200 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, CA 92020. Phone: (619) 441-1726, then choose from a menu - "Option 1 Hours; Option 2 Building Safety Staff; Option 3 Planning and Code Compliance Staff; Option 4 Engineering Staff". Also 619-441-1742 (to confirm a Final Planning request) and 619-667-1355 (to chase a Fire inspection)., email: NOT PUBLISHED on the pages read for this record - submittals and correspondence run through the PACO portal.. Office hours: THE HOURS ARE BEHIND A PHONE MENU, NOT ON THE PAGE. The published contact block offers "Option 1 Hours" on (619) 441-1726 - you ring and press 1 to hear them. What IS published in text is the closure pattern: "City of El Cajon Offices are closed on alternating Fridays." As with Fairfield and Vacaville, the city does not publish which Fridays. No counter hours appeared in text on the pages read, so none is asserted here.. Official information: https://www.elcajon.gov/your-government/departments/community-development/building-fire-safety-division/building-permits.

Read the window, not the label. "08:00 AM time frame is between 8:30 AM - 12 PM. 12:00 PM time frame is between 12:00 PM - 4 PM." The morning slot is named for 8:00 but does not start until 8:30.

Four documents: a permit application with project description, a workers' compensation certificate, Contractors State License information, and "A current City of El Cajon business license." An owner-builder instead needs a signed owner/builder declaration, a permit application with job description, and identification as the property owner.

El Cajon's permit history isn't searchable here yet

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

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