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Commercial Building Permit (Building - All other buildings) in San Diego, California

The same Building Permit governs non-residential work; the record type is 'Building - All other buildings (multi-dwelling, commercial, industrial, all others)'. San Diego also runs a same-day route for qualifying office work.

Verified 2026-09-11 · Source

When you need this permit

  • 'Building construction plans and other documents must be submitted for review to ensure that construction projects comply with federal, state and local standards'.
  • Professional Certification is limited by size and by who designed it: 'same-day permit for office tenant improvement projects up to 20,000 square feet that are designed by a licensed California architect or engineer.'
  • 'After an application is submitted online, a virtual appointment is required to obtain the permit.'
  • 'Hazardous Materials Reporting Form (DS-165) completed and signed for all non-residential projects'.

Required documents

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Fee schedule

General Plan Maintenance FeeCharged once per project at application, per Information Bulletin 501.
$737.00
Mapping FeePer Information Bulletin 501. Charged when plans, drawings, maps or other geographical documents are used for project review.
$12.16
Plan check and inspection - New CommercialFee Table 501A row 'New Commercial', with a base square footage of 3,000 and increment rates of $1.57 (plan check) and $0.48 (inspection). Table footnotes govern.
Plan check base $4,566.31; inspection base $1,570.80
Plan check and inspection - High RiseFee Table 501A row 'High Rise', base square footage 50,000, increments $0.24 and $0.24.
Plan check base $11,567.82; inspection base $10,350.16
Storm Water InspectionsIssuance fee, per Information Bulletin 501.
$1,466.11

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (Building - All other buildings) permit actually take in San Diego?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Construction inspections

    Required for all building construction projects; see Information Bulletin 120.

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

Tips

  • THE SAME-DAY ROUTE HAS THREE CONDITIONS AT ONCE - office tenant improvement, up to 20,000 square feet, AND designed by a licensed California architect or engineer. Missing any one puts the project back on the ordinary path. See IB-150.
  • PARTIAL PERMITS ARE A SEPARATE FEE TABLE. Foundation-only, frame-only and shell-only phases are priced in Fee Table 501B, not 501A.

Frequently asked questions

San Diego requires a commercial building permit (building - all other buildings) for: 'Building construction plans and other documents must be submitted for review to ensure that construction projects comply with federal, state and local standards'.; Professional Certification is limited by size and by who designed it: 'same-day permit for office tenant improvement projects up to 20,000 square feet that are designed by a licensed California architect or engineer.'; 'After an application is submitted online, a virtual appointment is required to obtain the permit.'; 'Hazardous Materials Reporting Form (DS-165) completed and signed for all non-residential projects'.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of San Diego - Development Services Department (DSD) at 619-446-5000 before starting work.

In San Diego, the published General Plan Maintenance Fee is: $737.00. Additional published fees: Mapping Fee — $12.16; Plan check and inspection - New Commercial — Plan check base $4,566.31; inspection base $1,570.80; Plan check and inspection - High Rise — Plan check base $11,567.82; inspection base $10,350.16; Storm Water Inspections — $1,466.11. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

San Diego does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of San Diego - Development Services Department (DSD) at 619-446-5000 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building construction plans, calculations and (as required) a geotechnical report; Hazardous Materials Reporting Form (DS-165). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

San Diego requires 1 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit (building - all other buildings), in order: Construction inspections. Schedule each through City of San Diego - Development Services Department (DSD) (619-446-5000).

Apply through City of San Diego - Development Services Department (DSD) at 7650 Mission Valley Road, MS# DSD-1A, San Diego, CA 92108 - the Mission Valley office, which the City calls 'This office is the primary location for in-person customer assistance, with most services requiring an appointment .' A second office at 550 West C St., 12th Floor (MS# DSD-2A), San Diego, CA 92101 serves pre-scheduled appointments for existing projects and permits only; 'Walk-in services are not available.'. Phone: 619-446-5000. Office hours: Mission Valley building hours Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Front Counter Customer Service Mon-Thu 8 - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 - 3 p.m., Fri 10 - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 - 3 p.m. Records Mon-Thu 7 - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 - 4 p.m. Cashiers Mon-Thu 7 - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. The Customer Service Line is listed separately as 619-446-5000, MONDAY - FRIDAY: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. NOTE: 'All in-person services at the Mission Valley location are closed on business days between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.'. Official information: https://www.sandiego.gov/development-services.

San Diego, California has adopted: 2025 California Building Standards Code (CBSC), Title 24 California Code of Regulations - the City's own document records that it 'has been adopted by the State of California and will be effective on a statewide basis on January 1, 2026.'; San Diego's local amendments to the 2025 CBSC are published by DSD. CAUTION: the adoption document is headed 'Proposed Local Amendments 2025 California Building Standards Code' and says the City 'proposes to adopt by reference certain parts of the CBSC'. It is dated Thursday August 28, 2025 and revised 2-13-2026. Confirm the enacted status with DSD before relying on any individual local amendment.. Local amendments apply — see the San Diego overview page for the full list.

Sometimes. The Professional Certification Program is a 'same-day permit for office tenant improvement projects up to 20,000 square feet that are designed by a licensed California architect or engineer.' A virtual appointment is required after applying online.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.

Fee schedules

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

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Other permits in San Diego

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