Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law authorizes a county's or city's governing body to prescribe fees for permits, certificates, or other forms or documents required or authorized under the State Housing Law. Existing law entitles a permittee to reimbursement of the permit fees if the county or city fails to conduct an inspection of the permitted work for which the permit fees have been charged within 60 days of receiving notice of completion of the permitted work.
This bill would require a county's or city's building department to prepare a residential building permit fee schedule and post the schedule on the county's or city's internet website, if the county or city prescribes residential building permit fees. The bill would specify that the above-described provision entitling a permittee to reimbursement of permit fees does not apply to certain inspections performed by a private professional provider, as defined.
Existing law requires a county's or city's building department to enforce the State Housing Law and the California Building Standards Code, and other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law pertaining to standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law requires a county or city, upon the applicant's request, to contract with or employ temporarily a private entity or person to check the plans and specifications submitted with an application for a residential building permit to comply with the State Housing Law or local ordinances adopted pursuant to the State Housing Law, when the building department takes more than 30 days, as specified, to complete the plan check. Existing law authorizes an enforcement agency to inspect any building to secure compliance with the State Housing Law and the California Building Standards Code, and other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law.
This bill would require the building department to provide an applicant of a residential building permit with an estimated timeframe in which the inspection of the permitted work will be completed, upon receiving a notice of the completion of the permitted work. The bill would authorize an applicant to contract with or employ a private professional provider to inspect the permitted work, if the estimated timeframe exceeds 30 days or the building department has not conducted the inspection within 30 days of receiving the notice. The bill would require the private professional provider to prepare a specified affidavit, under penalty of perjury, and the applicant to submit to the building department a specified report of the inspection. The bill would require the building department, within 14 days of receiving the report, to consider the report and, based on the report, either issue a certificate of occupancy or equivalent final approval for the permitted work or notify the applicant that the permitted work does not comply, as specified. If the building department notifies the applicant that the permitted work does not comply, the bill would authorize the applicant to resubmit a notice of completion of permitted work to the building department or contract with or employ a private professional provider to conduct the inspection, as specified. The bill would apply these provisions only to specified new residential constructions of a building and residential additions to, or remodels of, an existing building. By expanding the crime of perjury and imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.

Statutes affected:
AB 1308: 65001 GOV
02/21/25 - Introduced: 65001 GOV
03/24/25 - Amended Assembly: 17951 HSC, 17951 HSC, 65001 GOV
04/24/25 - Amended Assembly: 17951 HSC