You are viewing the permanent link for the record currently in effect, published 2026-09-21.
Santa Barbara building permits
VerifiedSanta Barbara, California — as published 2026-09-21.
Verified 2026-09-21 · Source
Codes adopted
Permit types & fees
Building Permit
VerifiedSanta Barbara publishes a first-review schedule banded by project size, with worked examples for each band - and then publishes two other answers to the same question in the same document. Its expiry rule discards your submittal and forfeits your fees, with no notice.
Verified 2026-09-21 · Source
Requirements
- PLANNING APPROVAL COMES FIRST AND IS A SEPARATE APPLICATION: "Planning approvals must be granted before you can apply for a building permit." Those fees "are separate from the building permit fees."
- SIX DIVISIONS REVIEW SIMULTANEOUSLY, NOT IN SEQUENCE. The Land Development Team is Building & Safety, Fire, Public Works Engineering / Water Resources / Transportation, Planning, Environmental Services, and Parks & Recreation Creeks Division. "All building permit reviews are completed by all City reviewers simultaneously."
- A PAYMENT GATE SITS BETWEEN YOUR FIRST REVIEW AND YOUR RECHECK: "Other division plan check fees will be invoiced after your first review, and must be paid before rechecks can begin, with any remaining fees due before permit issuance." An unpaid invoice stops the clock and the city does not chase it.
- A RESUBMITTAL CAN RESET YOU TO THE FIRST-REVIEW CLOCK: "The City's goal is to process rechecks within 5 days. If the initial plans were considered incomplete, another first review timeline may be instituted." So an incomplete first submittal does not merely delay the recheck - it can put you back on a 5-to-28-working-day band.
- A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL IS REQUIRED ABOVE STATED THRESHOLDS: "required for projects that are greater than two residential units on a lot, or greater than two stories in height. A licensed professional is required for all structural commercial tenant improvements and any work that alters the safety of a building."
- SOME WORK NEEDS NO PERMIT AT ALL, with numbers: "one-story detached accessory structure (sheds, playhouse, etc.) not exceeding 120 square feet, fences not over 42 inches high, retaining walls not over 4 ft. in height (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall) with no surcharge." The complete list is at SBMC 22.04.
Required documents
- Optional
- Optional
- Optional
- Optional
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plan check and permit fees | NOT PUBLISHED as figures on the pages read. | The structure is published even though the amounts are not, and the structure is the part that bites. Show full citationHideThe structure is published even though the amounts are not, and the structure is the part that bites. Fees are invoiced after submittal rather than paid at the counter - "City Staff will follow up electronically with an invoice for the appropriate fee amount." Other divisions' plan check fees are invoiced only AFTER the first review and must be paid before any recheck begins. Remaining fees are due before permit issuance. And on expiry "all fees forfeited". |
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-21.
Fee schedules
Applications & forms
Codes & ordinances
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 Santa Barbara building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.