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PermitBase

Building Permit in Redding, California

Redding publishes a closed list of eleven permit types that can be obtained online; everything else requires a visit to the Permit Center, which is open seven hours a day. Anyone with a portal account can request an inspection, whether or not they are on the permit.

Verified 2026-09-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • ONLINE IS A NAMED LIST, NOT A DEFAULT. The city publishes exactly which permits can be obtained online - Residential Mechanical; Residential Water Heater Replacement; Residential Solar PV; Pre-Approved Solar (SolarApp+); Residential Electric Vehicle Charger; Commercial Mechanical; Commercial Reroof; Commercial Sign; Commercial Water Heater Replacement; Commercial EV Chargers; and Encroachment - prefaced with "We are continually working to expand our offering of online building permits."
  • AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS IN PERSON: "You must come to the Permit Center at City Hall to fill out your permit application, submit the required documents, and pay applicable fees for all other building permits."
  • AN ACCOUNT IS NEEDED FOR THE PORTAL: "You will need an account to use our online portal."
  • EXEMPT FROM A BUILDING PERMIT IS NOT EXEMPT FROM REVIEW. The city flags it against specific numbered items: "(Items 1 through 4 and 7 through 9 generally require Planning Division review and approval even if no building permit is required.)" And more broadly, exempt items "may require approval by other departments such as Planning, Fire, Public Works, or other regional, state, and federal agencies."
  • EMERGENCY WORK IS PERMITTED AFTERWARDS, BUT FAST: "Where equipment replacement and repairs must be performed in an emergency situation, the permit application shall be submitted to the Building Official within the next working business day."
  • A PLUMBING REPAIR CAN BECOME NEW WORK BY ITSELF: clearing stoppages and stopping leaks are exempt, but "if any concealed trap, drain pipe, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe becomes defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with the new material, such work shall be considered new work, a building permit must be obtained, and inspections must be made and approved".

Required documents

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

Fee schedule

Permit feesFees are paid at the Permit Center for in-person permits and through the portal for the online list. No fee schedule was opened and no fee basis is stated on the pages read, so none is asserted.
NOT TRANSCRIBED for this record.
After-hours and weekend inspections
"After-hours and weekend inspections are subject to a 2-hour minimum charge in accordance with the approved Master Fee Schedule. Show full citation"After-hours and weekend inspections are subject to a 2-hour minimum charge in accordance with the approved Master Fee Schedule. If additional inspection time is required, the request must be submitted in writing." The Master Fee Schedule was not opened, so the hourly rate is not recorded.
A 2-hour minimum charge.
Re-inspection fees"Re-inspection fees may apply if the site is not ready or required documentation is unavailable at the time of inspection."
May apply where the site is not ready.

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Inspections run earlier than the counter

    "Building inspections are conducted Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM." The Permit Center itself opens at 8 am, so the first hour of the inspection day has no counter behind it.

  2. 2

    No same-day requests, and next-day is an aim rather than a promise

    "Same-day inspection requests are not accepted." On capacity the city is candid: "Inspection requests may be limited based on workload and staffing levels. Inspection capacity is generally set to accommodate next-day inspections whenever possible. Contractors should schedule inspections accordingly."

  3. 3

    AM or PM is a preference only

    "AM/PM inspection requests are noted as preferences only and cannot be guaranteed."

  4. 4

    You do not have to be on the permit to book one

    "An account is required to request inspections on our online portal. However, you do not need to be listed as a contact on the permit record to request an inspection." A subcontractor with their own account can book without being added to the record - unusual, and useful on a job with several trades.

  5. 5

    Gate codes go in the request

    The city's own step list ends: "Enter the requested inspection date and any comments or gate codes", then "Select 'Submit' to finalize the request. A confirmation email with a link to the inspection record will be sent within minutes." Cancelling follows the same path through the "Existing Inspections" table.

  6. 6

    Somebody qualified, with the plans and the card

    "Contractors are responsible for preparing the site for inspection. A qualified representative must be present on-site with approved plans and the permit/job card available for the inspector." Failing that, "Re-inspection fees may apply".

  7. 7

    After-hours inspections need five working days' notice

    "Requests for after-hours inspections must be submitted at least 5 working days before the requested inspection date", and they carry a 2-hour minimum charge. Anything beyond that minimum "must be submitted in writing."

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

Tips

  • CHECK THE ELEVEN-TYPE ONLINE LIST FIRST - anything not on it means a trip to the Permit Center.
  • THE COUNTER SHUTS AT 3 PM, an hour before most cities in this corpus.
  • AFTER-HOURS INSPECTIONS NEED FIVE WORKING DAYS and carry a 2-hour minimum.

Frequently asked questions

Redding requires a building permit for: ONLINE IS A NAMED LIST, NOT A DEFAULT. The city publishes exactly which permits can be obtained online - Residential Mechanical; Residential Water Heater Replacement; Residential Solar PV; Pre-Approved Solar (SolarApp+); Residential Electric Vehicle Charger; Commercial Mechanical; Commercial Reroof; Commercial Sign; Commercial Water Heater Replacement; Commercial EV Chargers; and Encroachment - prefaced with "We are continually working to expand our offering of online building permits."; AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS IN PERSON: "You must come to the Permit Center at City Hall to fill out your permit application, submit the required documents, and pay applicable fees for all other building permits."; AN ACCOUNT IS NEEDED FOR THE PORTAL: "You will need an account to use our online portal."; EXEMPT FROM A BUILDING PERMIT IS NOT EXEMPT FROM REVIEW. The city flags it against specific numbered items: "(Items 1 through 4 and 7 through 9 generally require Planning Division review and approval even if no building permit is required.)" And more broadly, exempt items "may require approval by other departments such as Planning, Fire, Public Works, or other regional, state, and federal agencies."; EMERGENCY WORK IS PERMITTED AFTERWARDS, BUT FAST: "Where equipment replacement and repairs must be performed in an emergency situation, the permit application shall be submitted to the Building Official within the next working business day."; A PLUMBING REPAIR CAN BECOME NEW WORK BY ITSELF: clearing stoppages and stopping leaks are exempt, but "if any concealed trap, drain pipe, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe becomes defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with the new material, such work shall be considered new work, a building permit must be obtained, and inspections must be made and approved".. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Redding Development Services Department, Building Division at 530-225-4415 (Deputy Building Official); 530-510-6742 (Senior Building Inspector) before starting work.

In Redding, the published Permit fees is: NOT TRANSCRIBED for this record.. Additional published fees: After-hours and weekend inspections — A 2-hour minimum charge.; Re-inspection fees — May apply where the site is not ready.. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Five working days' notice and a 2-hour minimum charge under the Master Fee Schedule. If more than two hours is needed, "the request must be submitted in writing."

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

Apply through City of Redding Development Services Department, Building Division at Permit Center, Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Avenue, 1st Floor, Redding, CA 96001 (mailing: City of Redding Permit Center, P.O. Box 496071, Redding, CA 96049-6071). Phone: 530-225-4415 (Deputy Building Official); 530-510-6742 (Senior Building Inspector), email: NOT PUBLISHED as a divisional mailbox on the pages read - the department routes enquiries through a Contact Us form and the online portal.. Office hours: THE COUNTER CLOSES BEFORE THE WORKING DAY DOES: Permit Center hours are "Monday-Friday 8 am-3 pm". Inspections run on a different and wider span - 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM - so inspectors are in the field an hour before the counter opens. Note that the two published direct numbers belong to named officers (a Deputy Building Official and a Senior Building Inspector); this record carries the roles and numbers rather than the individuals' names, because staff change and a name in a guide goes stale faster than a desk does.. Official information: https://www.cityofredding.gov/government/departments/development_services/building.php.

Eleven named types: residential mechanical, residential water heater replacement, residential solar PV, pre-approved solar through SolarApp+, residential EV charger, commercial mechanical, commercial reroof, commercial sign, commercial water heater replacement, commercial EV chargers, and encroachment. For "all other building permits" you must come to the Permit Center at City Hall.

Not if you act immediately. For emergency equipment replacement and repairs, "the permit application shall be submitted to the Building Official within the next working business day."

Read both numbers on the page. The building-permit exemption covers "Fences not over seven feet in height and not within 10 feet of a public right-of-way", but the city adds in the same entry that "The town limits most fences to 6 feet" under the Municipal Code. The permit exemption and the zoning limit are different, and the zoning limit is the lower of the two.

Redding's permit history isn't searchable here yet

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

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