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Residential Building Permit (Combination Building - Single Dwelling Units, ADUs and Duplexes) in San Diego, California

San Diego states the trigger broadly: 'A Building Permit is required to construct any new structure or improve existing buildings and other structures.' Applicants choose a record type, and the residential one is 'Combination Building - Single Dwelling Units, ADUs and Duplexes'.

Verified 2026-09-11 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Check the exemption list first. The City directs applicants to 'review the list of projects in the San Diego Municipal Code 129.0203 exempt from a Building Permit.'
  • 'Building construction plans and other documents must be submitted for review to ensure that construction projects comply with federal, state and local standards'.
  • Historic review may be triggered by AGE ALONE: a project 'On a site containing a structure of 45 years or more.', 'Designated historic.' or 'In a historic district.' may require it.
  • 'For modifications to buildings 45 years or older, submit a photographic survey and copy of the building record from the County Assessor .'

Required documents

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This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our checklist will assemble all of them, free →

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 - Res-SDU/DUP
Fee Table 501A row 'Res-SDU/DUP (Single Dwelling Unit /Duplex/detached Group R-3 ADU over 500 or addition/remodel, including attached ADU/JADU over 1,100 SF)'. Show full citationFee Table 501A row 'Res-SDU/DUP (Single Dwelling Unit /Duplex/detached Group R-3 ADU over 500 or addition/remodel, including attached ADU/JADU over 1,100 SF)'. The table pairs a base rate with a base square footage of 3,000 and increment rates of $4.10 (plan check) and $4.21 (inspection). The table's own footnotes govern how the increments apply; they are not restated here.
Plan check base $8,085.26; inspection base $8,401.90
Lead Hazard Prevention FeeIssuance fee, per Information Bulletin 501.
$58.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential Building Permit (Combination Building - Single Dwelling Units, ADUs and Duplexes) permit actually take in San Diego?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Construction inspections

    'Inspections are required for all building construction projects and occur during different phases of construction.' The City points to Information Bulletin 120.

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

Tips

  • THE EXEMPTION LIST IS A MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION, NOT A WEB PAGE. SDMC 129.0203 is where San Diego publishes what does not need a building permit; the City links to it rather than restating it.
  • A 45-YEAR-OLD HOUSE CAN TRIGGER HISTORIC REVIEW EVEN IF NOTHING IS DESIGNATED. The trigger is a site 'containing a structure of 45 years or more', which catches a large share of San Diego's housing stock and adds a photographic survey plus a County Assessor building record.
  • ONE PROJECT DRAWS FEES FROM SEVERAL SCHEDULES. Information Bulletin 501 covers structures; Information Bulletin 103 covers mechanical, electrical and plumbing/gas. A single quoted building fee is not the project cost.

Frequently asked questions

Usually. 'A Building Permit is required to construct any new structure or improve existing buildings and other structures.' Check San Diego Municipal Code 129.0203 first - it lists the projects that are exempt.

In San Diego, the published General Plan Maintenance Fee is: $737.00. Additional published fees: Mapping Fee — $12.16; Plan check and inspection - Res-SDU/DUP — Plan check base $8,085.26; inspection base $8,401.90; Lead Hazard Prevention Fee — $58.00. 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; Storm Water Requirements Applicability Checklist (DS-560); Project Contacts Information (DS-345). Depending on your project, San Diego may also ask for: Water Meter Data Card (DS-16). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

San Diego requires 1 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (combination building - single dwelling units, adus and duplexes), 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.

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.

San Diego's permit history isn't searchable here yet

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

Other permits in San Diego

Commercial Building Permit (Building - All other buildings)Electrical PermitPlumbing/Gas PermitMechanical PermitDemolition/Removal PermitAccessory Dwelling Unit / Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit Permit

Residential Building Permit (Combination Building - Single Dwelling Units, ADUs and Duplexes) in other cities

Fresno, CaliforniaLong Beach, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSan Jose, CaliforniaAkron, ColoradoAlamogordo, New MexicoAlamosa, Colorado

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