Contra Costa County Building Permits & Inspections: Start Here
If you need a building permit, plan review, permit status, construction inspection, or building-code information in Contra Costa County, the main government office is the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division.
Which Areas Does the Contra Costa Building Department Serve?
The County provides building permit and inspection services for unincorporated Contra Costa County and also provides building services for five incorporated communities: Clayton, Hercules, Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda.
| Property location | Building permit / inspections | Planning approval |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Contra Costa County | Contra Costa County | Contra Costa County |
| Clayton | Contra Costa County | City of Clayton |
| Hercules | Contra Costa County | City of Hercules |
| Lafayette | Contra Costa County | City of Lafayette |
| Moraga | Contra Costa County | Town of Moraga |
| Orinda | Contra Costa County | City of Orinda |
| Other incorporated cities | Usually the applicable city building department | Applicable city planning department |
For example, properties inside Antioch or Brentwood normally use their own city building departments instead of Contra Costa County. See our Antioch Building Department guide or Brentwood Building Department guide if your property is inside those city limits.
If you are unsure, use the County’s mapping and jurisdiction resources before preparing plans. This small check can save a frustrating permit rejection later.
Contra Costa Building Department Contact Information
| Official department | Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development — Building Inspection Division |
|---|---|
| Application & Permit Center | 30 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553 |
| Permit questions | 925-655-2700 |
| Building Inspection | 925-655-2704 |
| Building Code Hotline | 925-655-2737 |
| Inspection scheduling | 925-646-4108 |
| Public Works / drainage / encroachment | 925-313-2000 |
| Office hours | Monday–Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Friday: 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Counter service | Appointment-based for in-person permit assistance |
| Official contact page | Contra Costa DCD Contact, Location & Hours ↗ |
Do You Need a Building Permit?
Most construction that changes a structure or its electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or structural systems requires a permit. Common examples include new buildings, additions, remodels, demolitions, decks, pools, foundation repairs, ADUs, solar systems, batteries, generators, electrical work, plumbing changes, and mechanical work.
| Project | Typical permit situation |
|---|---|
| New home or building | Building permit, plan review, planning approval and possibly additional agency approvals. |
| Room addition | Building permit and plans normally required. |
| Kitchen or bathroom remodel | Permit generally applies when structural, plumbing, electrical or mechanical work is involved. |
| ADU / Junior ADU | Planning approval and building permit are required. |
| Solar / battery storage | Building/electrical approval is generally required; qualifying rooftop solar may use SolarAPP+. |
| Generator | Permit requirements depend on residential/commercial scope, electrical work and equipment installation. |
| Electrical panel upgrade | Building/electrical permit process applies. |
| Deck or patio structure | Permit depends on size, height, attachment, structural conditions and use. |
| Demolition | Permit and project-specific environmental documentation may be required. |
| Grading / major excavation | A grading permit may be required depending on depth, volume, slope and site conditions. |
You can review project-specific requirements on the County’s Common Building Permits page ↗.
Work That May Not Require a Building Permit
Contra Costa County publishes limited residential exemptions. These should be read carefully because being exempt from a building permit does not automatically exempt a project from zoning, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sanitation, fire, easement, or other rules.
For covered one- and two-family residential projects, examples published by the County include:
- One-story detached accessory structures not exceeding 120 square feet, subject to other approvals and restrictions.
- Fences not over 7 feet high.
- Certain retaining walls not more than 3 feet high, measured from the top of the footing to the top of the wall, when the wall does not have disqualifying surcharge, slope, or liquid-loading conditions.
- Certain sidewalks and driveways no more than 30 inches above adjacent grade and meeting the County’s other exemption conditions.
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, countertops and similar finish work.
- Certain prefabricated residential swimming pools meeting the County’s small-pool limits.
- Certain decks not exceeding 200 square feet, not more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the dwelling, and not serving the required exit door.
View the County’s work-not-requiring-a-permit guide ↗.
Before Applying: Check These Approvals First
A building permit is often only one part of the approval process. Before uploading plans, check whether your project also needs:
- Planning approval for new buildings, new residential units, ADUs, exterior expansion, changes in building size or height, change of use, and certain design-review areas.
- City planning approval if the property is in Clayton, Hercules, Lafayette, Moraga, or Orinda.
- Environmental Health approval for sites using wells or septic systems.
- Fire review when required by project type or location.
- Sanitation approval from the applicable sanitary agency.
- Public Works approval for work involving drainage, flood zones, public roads, sidewalks, curb cuts, or rights-of-way.
- Grading approval for qualifying excavation, fill, slope, erosion, or earthwork.
The County’s City and Agency Directory ↗ is useful when another agency must sign off before Building Inspection can finish review.
When Is a Contra Costa Grading Permit Required?
A grading permit may be triggered even when the project seems mainly like site preparation. County guidance lists several common thresholds.
- Excavation deeper than 5 feet.
- Excavation exceeding 200 cubic yards.
- In Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda, the published volume threshold is generally 50 cubic yards.
- Fill supporting a structure.
- Fill deeper than 3 feet.
- Fill exceeding the applicable volume threshold.
- Construction or disturbance near certain watercourses.
- Projects of 500 square feet or more on land with slopes over 10 percent may require further review.
- Sites with known flooding or erosion concerns may trigger additional requirements.
For grading projects involving 1,000 cubic yards or more, the County states that nearby property owners are notified before permit issuance.
Review Contra Costa grading permit requirements ↗.
Documents to Prepare Before You Apply
Contra Costa County reviews building plans digitally, so file preparation matters. A clean submittal can prevent avoidable delays.
| Document / file | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Construction plans | One multi-page PDF plan file rather than separate individual plan sheets. |
| Plan sheet size | Generally at least 18 × 24 inches in landscape format. Some minor projects may use 11 × 17 sheets. The County does not accept 8.5 × 11 plan sheets. |
| PDF security | Plan PDFs must be unsecured so reviewers can apply comments and stamps. |
| Plan content | Show property address, project scope, applicable/current code cycle and drawing scale. |
| Digital drawings | Generate drawings directly to PDF when prepared electronically; image files are not accepted as plan documents. |
| County stamp space | Leave the required blank area on the right side of plan sheets for County approval stamps. |
| Professional signatures | Plans and calculations requiring a registered design professional must contain applicable digital signatures and stamps. |
| Supporting reports | Energy documents, structural calculations, geotechnical/soils reports, specifications and applicable agency approvals. |
| Applicant declarations | Building Permit Declaration and authorization documents as applicable. |
The County’s electronic-plan guide requires a blank approval area approximately 3.5 inches wide by 6 inches high on the right side of applicable plan sheets.
Open the official electronic plan requirements PDF ↗.
Who Can Apply for a Contra Costa Building Permit?
The County allows several applicant types:
- Licensed contractor or contractor’s agent. Contractors must connect their California Contractors State License Board license to their ePermits account and receive County approval before successfully submitting a contractor application.
- Owner-builder. A property owner may apply for work on their own property, subject to ownership documentation and required declarations.
- Authorized owner agent. The agent must provide the required declaration and authorization.
- Design professional. A designer or architect may act as applicant, but the County may still require the permit to be issued to the responsible owner or licensed contractor.
For permits in Clayton or Hercules, contractors should also check the city’s business-license requirement before submitting.
How to Apply for a Contra Costa Building Permit Online
Determine whether the parcel is in unincorporated Contra Costa County, one of the five contract cities, or another incorporated city with its own building department.
Handle required Planning, Environmental Health, sanitation, fire, Public Works, floodplain, or city approvals before submitting the building package when they are required.
Collect your plan set, structural calculations, energy documents, soils report if applicable, agency approval sheets, contractor information, and applicant declarations.
Go to the official Contra Costa ePermits Center ↗. Register using the applicant type that matches your role. Contractors should connect their CSLB license before starting the final permit submission.
After signing in, choose Building, select Create a Permit, read the disclaimer, accept it, and continue. Select the permit type that best matches the project.
Search using the street number and street name. If the address does not appear, search by parcel number without hyphens. Confirm that the owner information is correct. If ownership records have not yet updated, the County may require a recorded grant deed.
Describe the entire job, including dimensions, quantities, equipment, building areas and other details requested for the selected permit type. Avoid vague descriptions such as “remodel” when the work includes structural, electrical or plumbing changes.
Upload the complete PDF plan set and all requested calculations, reports, declarations and outside-agency approvals. Follow the County’s electronic file rules rather than uploading photos or separate plan images.
The County states that its initial completeness review takes about 4–5 business days. If information is missing, staff will email the applicant. Once accepted for processing, an official permit/application number and reviewer are assigned.
For projects requiring plan review, follow the payment email, then monitor reviewer comments. Upload corrected documents when requested. More than one plan-review cycle may be necessary.
Once approvals are complete, pay the remaining permit fees through the authorized County payment process.
After issuance, download the permit card and County-approved plans. The County requires a printed permit card and full-size approved plans to be available at the job site.
How Long Does a Contra Costa Building Permit Take?
There is no single processing time for every project. Scope, planning approvals, outside agencies, plan quality, correction cycles, and payment timing all affect the schedule.
The County currently states that the initial application completeness review is about 4–5 business days. Its published general FAQ also describes a typical building plan-check period of roughly two to four weeks, but that should be treated as general guidance rather than a guaranteed turnaround time.
A complete first submission is one of the easiest ways to avoid losing time.
Contra Costa Building Permit Fees
Contra Costa building permit costs are not one flat amount. Building fees are largely tied to the project’s improvement or construction value and the services needed.
| Possible charge | What affects it |
|---|---|
| Plan review | Project valuation, scope and amount of review. |
| Permit review / processing | Improvement value and permit processing. |
| Building inspection | Improvement value and inspection program requirements. |
| Energy review | Applicable energy-compliance review. |
| Additional plan review | Major revisions, incomplete corrections, deferred submittals or field changes may create additional review charges. |
| Planning fees | Planning applications may use deposits and time-and-material billing. |
| Outside-agency fees | School, fire, sanitation, development or other agency charges may apply separately. |
The County’s published Land Development Fee Schedule remains the correct starting point for fee methodology, but the final invoice is project-specific. Building valuation data was updated by 5% effective January 1, 2025.
For a customized fee estimate, the County directs applicants to call 925-655-2700.
View official fee and payment information ↗.
How to Check Your Permit Status
- Open the Contra Costa ePermits Center ↗.
- Select the Building section.
- Choose the application/permit search option.
- Search using the project address or building permit/application number.
- Building record numbers generally begin with BI.
- Open the matching record to view available workflow, permit, inspection and fee information.
- Log in when an action requires applicant access, such as uploading documents or completing certain payments.
You generally do not need to call the department simply to see basic permit status information that is already available in ePermits.
How to Schedule a Building Inspection
You can schedule Contra Costa County building inspections online or by phone.
Option 1: Schedule Online
- Open the ePermits Center ↗.
- Search for the issued building permit.
- Select the available inspection scheduling option.
- Choose the required inspection.
- Provide a contact name and phone number for the inspection day.
- Submit the inspection request and confirm that it appears in the system.
The County states that you do not need an account or login simply to schedule an inspection online.
Option 2: Schedule by Phone
Call the automated inspection system at 925-646-4108. Same-day requests made through the automated system are accepted until 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. A same-day request left only as voicemail is not scheduled.
How to Find Today’s Inspection Time
The daily inspection schedule is posted after 8:45 a.m. Monday through Friday. Inspection time frames are given in approximately three-hour windows.
When the daily PDF opens, search for one of the following:
- Street address
- Building permit number
- Parcel number without dashes
Open the official inspection page and today’s schedule ↗.
Before the Inspector Arrives
Have the site ready. Contra Costa County specifically tells applicants to make sure:
- The building permit is available at the site.
- The reviewed and approved plans are onsite.
- A representative at least 18 years old is present to meet the inspector.
- The work scheduled for inspection is complete and accessible.
- Previously identified corrections have been completed.
- The inspector can physically access the work.
Failing to meet these conditions can result in a canceled inspection and a reinspection fee.
Online cancellations and rescheduling can be completed before 6:00 a.m. on the inspection day. After the cutoff, call 925-646-4108.
Permit Expiration, Extensions & Renewals
Do not assume an issued permit remains active forever.
| Situation | County timeframe |
|---|---|
| Permit application / plan check | An application may be considered abandoned 180 days after filing if it has not been pursued in good faith and no permit has been issued. |
| Issued building permit | Generally expires 365 days after issuance if there has been no approved required inspection. |
| Active construction | A permit may also expire if 365 days pass between approved required inspections. |
| Extension request | Submit the request approximately 30 days before the permit is due to expire. |
If a permit expires before work is completed, the County states that additional work must stop until the appropriate renewal or new permit is obtained.
Permit revisions, extensions and renewals ↗.
How to Find Old Building Permits, Plans or Inspection Records
For historical building records that are not available through the normal permit search, the Department of Conservation and Development Records Division handles research requests.
| Records office | Contra Costa County DCD Records Division |
|---|---|
| Address | 30 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553 |
| Phone | 925-655-2713 |
| Records commonly requested | Permit history, inspection history, certificates, plans, structural calculations, grading documents and planning files |
| Published average research time | Approximately 3–10 days per request; availability of every historical record is not guaranteed |
Copies of building plans can involve additional authorization. If you are not the property owner, owner permission may be required. Plans stamped by an architect or engineer can also require permission from the licensed professional before copies are distributed.
Open the Contra Costa DCD Records Research Request ↗.
2026 Building Codes Used in Contra Costa County
For the 2026 code cycle, California’s 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 became effective January 1, 2026. Contra Costa County’s building-code resources identify the 2025 California code set together with Contra Costa County Code Title VII and applicable local ordinances.
The applicable standards can include:
- 2025 California Building Code
- 2025 California Residential Code
- 2025 California Electrical Code
- 2025 California Mechanical Code
- 2025 California Plumbing Code
- 2025 California Energy Code
- 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code
- 2025 California Fire Code
- 2025 California Existing Building Code
- 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen)
- Contra Costa County Code Title VII
- Applicable city ordinances for contract-city projects
For a wider explanation of the statewide code cycle, see our California Building Code 2026 guide.
View Contra Costa building codes and ordinances ↗.
ADUs, Solar, Batteries, EV Chargers & Generators
These projects have dedicated County guidance and should not be submitted as a vague general construction permit if a more specific application type applies.
| Project | What to know |
|---|---|
| ADU / Junior ADU | Planning approval is required before the building permit process. Use the County’s dedicated ADU guidance. |
| Residential rooftop solar | Qualifying projects may use SolarAPP+ for automated code-compliance review before submitting the County permit. |
| Battery / energy storage | Use the appropriate residential or commercial energy-storage permit category. |
| EV charger | Permit type depends on residential/commercial conditions and electrical scope. |
| Generator | Residential and commercial generator projects have separate checklists and permitting requirements. |
Contra Costa ADU guidance ↗ | SolarAPP+ permit guidance ↗
Building & Zoning Code Complaints
The Contra Costa County Code Enforcement Program handles building and zoning complaints in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Common issues include construction without permits, unsafe structures, setback violations, abandoned buildings, unsecured swimming pools, and substandard residential structures.
To report a possible violation:
- Submit the County’s online Code Enforcement Complaint Form.
- Call 925-655-2710.
- Toll-free: 877-646-8314.
Official Contra Costa Code Enforcement page ↗.
Common Reasons a Permit Gets Delayed
- Applying to the wrong jurisdiction.
- Submitting before required planning approval.
- Missing fire, sanitation, Environmental Health, floodplain or Public Works clearance.
- Using the wrong permit type.
- Uploading incomplete plans.
- Submitting secured PDFs or image files instead of compliant plan PDFs.
- Missing signatures or applicant authorization.
- Contractor CSLB license not connected to the ePermits account.
- Owner information in the application does not match recorded ownership.
- Incomplete project description.
- Not responding to the plan reviewer’s correction email.
- Applicant checking the portal but not the email account where official notifications are sent.
- Unpaid plan-check or permit fees.
The permit process can feel confusing because several agencies may touch the same project. The easiest path is to solve jurisdiction and planning first, prepare a complete electronic package, and use the County portal only after those pieces are clear.
Contra Costa Building Department FAQs
1. Where is the Contra Costa Building Department located?
The Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development Application & Permit Center is at 30 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553. Building and Planning permit questions can be directed to 925-655-2700.
2. Can I apply for a Contra Costa building permit online?
Yes. Contra Costa County uses a 100% digital permit application process for Building, Planning and Public Works applications. Building permit applications are submitted through the official ePermits Center.
3. Does Contra Costa County issue building permits inside every city in the county?
No. The County handles building permits for unincorporated Contra Costa County and provides building permit and inspection services for Clayton, Hercules, Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. Other incorporated cities generally operate their own building departments.
4. Do I need planning approval before applying for a building permit?
Many projects do. New buildings, new residential units and ADUs, changes of use, exterior expansions, and certain design-review projects commonly require planning approval. In the five contract cities, planning approval comes from the city or town rather than County Planning.
5. How do I schedule a Contra Costa County building inspection?
Schedule online through the ePermits Center or call the automated inspection line at 925-646-4108. The County states that an ePermits login is not required simply to schedule an inspection online.
6. What is the same-day inspection cutoff?
The automated phone system accepts same-day inspection requests until 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. The day’s inspection schedule is published after approximately 8:45 a.m.
7. How can I check a building permit status?
Use the County ePermits Center, open the Building search, and search by project address or building record number. Building application and permit numbers commonly begin with BI.
8. How much is a Contra Costa building permit?
There is no single flat price. Fees depend on project valuation, plan review, permit processing, inspections, energy review and other project-specific or outside-agency charges. Call 925-655-2700 for a project-specific estimate.
9. Which building code applies in Contra Costa County in 2026?
The 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24, is the statewide code cycle effective January 1, 2026. Contra Costa also applies County Code Title VII and other applicable local ordinances.
10. When does a Contra Costa building permit expire?
An issued building permit generally expires after 365 days without an approved required inspection, or when 365 days pass between approved required inspections. Extension requests should be submitted before expiration; County guidance recommends approximately 30 days in advance.
Independent guide: USBuilding.org is not Contra Costa County and does not issue or approve permits. Permit requirements can change by parcel, project scope, agency approval and code interpretation. Use the official links above for final submission, payment and project-specific decisions.