Butte County Building Permits, Inspections & Development Services
Quick answer: Butte County’s Building Division, within the Department of Development Services, handles building permits, plan review and construction inspections primarily for properties in the unincorporated areas of Butte County. The County’s current online system is Accela Citizen Access, where users can apply for permits, pay fees, check records and request inspections.
Oroville, CA 95965
First: Make Sure Butte County Is Your Permitting Authority
This is the most important step before submitting plans. Butte County Development Services provides building and planning services for the unincorporated county jurisdiction, including communities such as Durham, Magalia, Forest Ranch and Cohasset.
Properties inside incorporated jurisdictions such as Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley and Biggs generally use their own city or town building and planning services. A mailing address that says Chico or Oroville does not by itself prove that the property is inside city limits.
Open Butte County parcel and plan-check resources ↗
Butte County Building Department Contact Information
| Service | Official Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Butte County Department of Development Services — Building Division |
| Office | 7 County Center Drive, Oroville, CA 95965 |
| Building Division | (530) 552-3699 |
| Development Services | (530) 552-3700 |
| Monday, Tuesday, Friday | 8:00 AM–4:00 PM |
| Wednesday, Thursday | 8:00 AM–3:00 PM |
| Time zone | Pacific Time |
| Official Building page | Butte County Building Division ↗ |
The County also advertises Development Services assistance at remote locations in Magalia and Berry Creek. Check the official contact page before traveling because location availability and hours can change.
How to Apply for a Butte County Building Permit
Butte County now directs applicants to Accela Citizen Access (ACA). Older County pages and documents may still reference eTRAKiT, so use the current Online Permit Portal page when beginning a new application.
- Verify jurisdiction. Confirm that the project is in unincorporated Butte County rather than an incorporated city or town.
- Identify the permit type. Determine whether the work involves a new dwelling, addition, remodel, electrical work, plumbing, mechanical equipment, reroofing, solar, manufactured housing, a pool, accessory structure or another permit category.
- Check zoning and site constraints. Review zoning, setbacks, flood conditions, fire-hazard requirements, septic/well issues and other agency approvals before completing construction plans.
- Prepare the application and plans. Use the County’s project-specific forms and checklists instead of submitting a generic drawing set.
- Create or sign in to your ACA account. Use the current official permit portal to submit supported applications and documents.
- Pay required fees and respond to corrections. A submitted application is not the same as an issued permit. Review plan-check comments and provide revised documents when requested.
- Wait for permit issuance before regulated work begins. Keep the approved permit and plans available at the job site.
- Request each required inspection. Do not conceal work that still requires inspection.
- Complete final inspection and closeout. The project is not complete merely because construction work appears finished.
Start at the official Butte County Online Permit Portal ↗
Documents You May Need Before Plan Review
The exact submittal depends on the project. Butte County publishes separate building packets and checklists rather than using one document list for every permit.
| Project Information | Commonly Required Material |
|---|---|
| Basic application | Building permit application, project address, owner/applicant information, contractor information and scope of work. |
| Site information | Site plan showing property lines, proposed and existing structures, setbacks, access, easements and utilities as applicable. |
| Architectural plans | Floor plans, elevations, doors/windows, stairs, guards, decks and relevant construction details. |
| Structural information | Foundation, framing, shear/braced walls, structural calculations, trusses or engineered details when required. |
| Energy compliance | Applicable California Title 24 energy documentation. |
| Trade systems | Electrical, plumbing and mechanical layouts or equipment information when required by the project. |
| Special conditions | Soils reports, flood documentation, special-inspection agreements, wildfire/WUI information or other agency approvals when applicable. |
Butte County’s forms library includes dedicated material for residential dwellings, kitchen and bathroom remodels, pools and spas, generators, garages, carports, greenhouse projects, manufactured homes, solar systems, electric-vehicle charging equipment, commercial buildings, tenant improvements, signs and as-built structures.
View official building forms, packets and checklists ↗
Owner-Builders
An eligible property owner may be able to apply as an owner-builder, but this is more than putting your own name on a permit. The County warns that an owner-builder can become responsible for construction management, worker safety, employment obligations and the work performed by hired people. If contractors are used, verify California licensing requirements before work begins.
Work That May Be Exempt From a Building Permit
Butte County publishes a specific Work Exempt From Building Permits handout. Examples listed by the County include certain:
- One-story detached tool sheds, storage sheds and similar accessory structures not exceeding 120 square feet.
- Non-masonry fences not over 7 feet high and masonry fences not over 6 feet high.
- Retaining walls not over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless they support a surcharge or certain liquids.
- Qualifying concrete flatwork not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade.
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting and similar finish work.
- Certain prefabricated residential swimming pools less than 24 inches deep and no more than 5,000 gallons.
- Qualifying detached residential decks not exceeding 200 square feet, not more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the dwelling and not serving an exit door.
Open the forms page and select DBP-20 for the current exemption handout ↗
Butte County Building Permit Fees in 2026
There is no single flat Butte County building permit price. The final amount depends on the project, required plan review, valuation or permit category, supplemental reviews and other agencies involved.
The County’s current fee page points users to the Master Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2025. Selected Building Division rates shown in that schedule include:
| Published Fee Item | Listed Rate |
|---|---|
| Fee estimate service | $134 per hour |
| General Building Division hourly service | $161 per hour |
| Expedited plan check | $222 per hour |
| Supplemental inspection | $156 per hour |
| Supplemental plan check | $167 per hour |
The schedule also identifies percentage-based surcharges for applicable construction fees. These rates are not a quote for your permit.
Building fees may be only part of the total. Depending on the property and project, additional charges can involve Fire, Public Works/Land Development, Environmental Health, Agriculture, Clerk-Recorder, drainage, school districts, impact fees or parks and recreation.
Check the current Development Services fee page ↗
How to Schedule a Butte County Building Inspection
After a permit is issued, inspections must be completed at the stages identified for the project. Butte County currently allows building-inspection requests through Accela Citizen Access, by phone and through other methods listed on the official portal page.
- Open your issued permit record. Make sure you are requesting an inspection for the correct permit and project address.
- Select the required inspection. The available inspection types depend on the permit and completed work.
- Request an available date. Do not assume next-day service is available.
- Finish and expose the work. The County specifically asks that relevant work be complete, visible and accessible.
- Check the inspection schedule. The County publishes an inspection schedule showing a two-hour estimated window and assigned inspector.
- Review the result. If corrections are required, complete them before requesting the applicable reinspection.
The County’s public schedule includes inspections such as footing/foundation, underground electrical, roof-nail and building-final inspections. Your issued permit controls the exact inspection sequence.
Check the current Butte County inspection schedule ↗
Building Codes Used in Butte County in 2026
A major change took effect for 2026. Butte County states that applications submitted for review after the end of the 2022 code cycle on December 31, 2025 are reviewed under the 2025 California Building Standards Codes.
| Code Area | 2026 Butte County Reference |
|---|---|
| Building | 2025 California Building Code |
| Residential | 2025 California Residential Code |
| Electrical | 2025 California Electrical Code |
| Mechanical | 2025 California Mechanical Code |
| Plumbing | 2025 California Plumbing Code |
| Energy | 2025 California Energy Code / Building Energy Standards |
| Fire | 2025 California Fire Code |
| Green building | 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) |
| Wildfire construction | 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code |
Butte County’s 2025-code design-criteria handout also references project-specific structural design standards and County ordinances. Do not design solely from a statewide-code summary; local site conditions and County requirements can materially affect the plans.
View California’s official 2025 Building Standards Codes ↗
Local Checks That Can Change Your Permit Requirements
Wildfire and Fire-Hazard Requirements
Butte County contains both State Responsibility Area (SRA) and Local Responsibility Area (LRA) properties. The County advises applicants to determine the property’s responsibility area and Fire Hazard Severity Zone before construction.
SRA properties can be affected by California fire-safe regulations, emergency-access requirements, addressing, vegetation management and defensible-space rules. Wildland-Urban Interface construction requirements may also apply to materials and building details.
Review official Butte County fire-safety checklists and standards ↗
Flood Zones
Development in mapped flood-hazard areas can trigger additional review. Before preparing final plans, use the County parcel lookup to check whether the site is within a flood zone. Depending on the location and project, elevation information, floodplain review or additional approvals may be required.
Septic, Wells and Environmental Health
Projects that rely on private septic or well systems may need Environmental Health review. Confirm that a proposed dwelling, addition or change of use can be supported by the property’s approved wastewater and water arrangements before assuming the building permit can be issued.
Planning and Setbacks
A building permit does not replace zoning approval. Setbacks, parcel configuration, allowed use, height, lot coverage and other planning rules can affect whether a proposed structure can be placed where you want it.
No-Cost Preapproved Small Residential Plans
Butte County currently promotes preapproved plans for certain small residential homes and accessory dwelling units. For qualifying projects, these plans may reduce some design work, but applicants still need to address property-specific site conditions, approvals and permit requirements.
Check Permit Status, Search Records & Track Plan Review
The current Accela portal supports public permit and property searches in addition to applicant account functions. For your own application, use the permit record to monitor status, payments, documents and available inspection actions.
If you are researching an older property:
- Search by the property address or available parcel information.
- Check whether permits or public property records appear in the current portal.
- Review the County’s monthly permit activity reports when you need broader permit-history information.
- If an older or migrated record is missing, contact Building Division rather than assuming no permit exists.
The County also publishes a live Plans Being Checked Today table on its Building page. This is more useful than relying on a fixed plan-review promise because the queue changes over time.
Official Butte County Building Resources
- Building Division — permits, plan review, code updates and current notices ↗
- Online Permit Portal — Accela Citizen Access instructions ↗
- Building forms, packets and project checklists ↗
- Development Services fee schedules and estimate information ↗
- Current building inspection schedule ↗
- Plan check, design criteria, parcel and flood resources ↗
- Fire-safety checklists and SRA/LRA information ↗
Related California Building Department Guides
Butte County Building Department FAQs
1. Does Butte County Building Division handle permits inside Chico and Oroville?
Generally no. Butte County Development Services primarily serves the unincorporated county jurisdiction. Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley and Biggs have their own building and planning services. Verify the parcel’s actual jurisdiction before applying.
2. How do I apply for a Butte County building permit online?
Start at the County’s current Online Permit Portal page, create or sign in to an Accela Citizen Access account, choose the applicable permit service, provide the required project information and upload the requested documents. Track corrections, payments and permit status through the record.
3. What phone number should I use for Butte County building inspections?
The Building Division lists (530) 552-3699 for building services and inspection scheduling assistance. Online inspection requests can also be made through Accela Citizen Access.
4. How long does a Butte County building inspection take to schedule?
The County’s current Building page says inspections are being booked about three days out because of staffing availability and that next-day inspections are unavailable. This can change, so check the live Building page or Accela before planning construction around a specific date.
5. Do I need a building permit for a 120-square-foot shed in Butte County?
The County’s exemption handout lists qualifying one-story detached tool sheds, storage sheds and similar accessory structures up to 120 square feet as exempt from the building permit. Utilities, zoning, setbacks, fire rules and other approvals can still apply.
6. How much does a Butte County building permit cost?
There is no universal permit price. Costs depend on the permit type, project characteristics, plan review and other agencies involved. The County publishes a fee schedule and offers paid project-specific fee estimates through the Permit Center.
7. Which building codes apply in Butte County in 2026?
Applications entering review after the 2022 code-cycle cutoff are reviewed under the applicable 2025 California Building Standards Codes, including the 2025 Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, CALGreen and Wildland-Urban Interface codes, together with applicable County requirements.
8. Can I check a Butte County building permit online?
Yes. The current Accela Citizen Access portal supports permit applications, status tracking, payments, inspection requests and public permit/property searches. Contact Building Division if a historic or migrated record does not appear.
9. What should I have ready before submitting residential plans?
Prepare the permit application, site plan, architectural drawings and applicable structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and Title 24 energy documents. Depending on the property, you may also need fire, flood, septic, well, Public Works or special-inspection information.
10. Does a building-permit exemption also exempt me from zoning rules?
No. Butte County specifically warns that a building-permit exemption does not authorize work that violates another code, ordinance or law. Setbacks, land-use restrictions, fire standards, easements and trade-permit requirements can still apply.