City Building Permits

Union City, CA Building Permit Guide

How to apply for a building permit in Union City, California. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.

California Alameda County Updated March 2026

Permit Authority

Applies to properties within the incorporated City of Union City. Separate Planning, Fire, Public Works, utility district, school district, and outside-agency approvals may also be required depending on project scope.

Department
City of Union City Economic and Community Development Department, Building Division
Address
34009 Alvarado-Niles Road, Union City, CA 94587
Phone
(510) 675-5313
Website
https://www.unioncity.org/210/Building

Online Permit Portal

Open No general self-service portal; SolarAPP+ for eligible solar permits

Platform: • Account required: No • Submission: Online or in-person

Application Process

  1. Confirm whether the project needs a permit and whether Planning, Fire, Public Works, Union Sanitary District, school-fee clearance, HOA approval, or other outside approvals are required.
  2. Decide the submittal path. Over-the-counter permit types can be handled at the Building Division counter, and certain minor permit types can also be submitted by email or mail. Eligible rooftop solar installers can use SolarAPP+ for an instant solar permit workflow.
  3. Prepare the application package. Union City requires a completed construction permit application and, for plan-check projects, the required plan sets and supporting documents for the project type.
  4. Submit the package to the Building Division. OTC applications may be submitted at the counter, by email, or by mail; plan-check submittals and resubmittals are accepted at the Building Division counter during posted business hours.
  5. Pay the required fees. For email or mail OTC permits, the City emails an invoice with payment instructions through the Finance Department. For plan-check projects, the City collects plan-check and related fees based on the adopted fee schedule.
  6. Respond to plan-check comments and resubmit if corrections are required. The Building Division routes plans to other City departments and may require outside-agency signoff depending on scope.
  7. After approval, pay any remaining balance and obtain the issued permit and approved job copy.
  8. Schedule inspections by phone and proceed through the permit-specific inspection sequence until final approval.

Typical processing time: Union City does not publish one citywide building-permit turnaround on its main Building page. An older City commercial submittal handout says initial plan review may take 3 to 4 weeks and resubmittals 2 to 3 weeks. The inspection handout says inspections are next-business-day only if requested before 3:00 p.m. the prior business day.

Source: City of Union City Economic and Community Development Department, Building Division

General Requirements

Union City states permits must be obtained before the start of any construction or demolition, and that building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits are needed for most construction unless specifically exempt. Its residential interior remodel handout says a permit is required whenever the owner or authorized agent intends to remove, add, alter, repair, or change walls, or convert, replace, or add electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems within a residence.

Required Documents

  • At minimum, a completed construction permit application. For plan-check projects, required documents vary by scope but City handouts call for complete plan sets plus supporting documents such as Title 24 forms, structural calculations, CALGreen checklists, plot plan, floor plans, framing and foundation plans, exterior elevations, soils report or geology study if applicable, HOA approval if applicable, Planning conditions of approval where applicable, survey report for qualifying projects, and any electrical, plumbing, and mechanical plans submitted with the building plans.
Permit validity
Union City's currently posted contractor and owner/agent permit applications state the permit expires if work is not commenced within 180 days from approval, or if work is suspended for 180 days, and must be renewed before work resumes. Because the City adopted the 2025 California Building Standards effective January 1, 2026, confirm with the Building Division whether any newer local form or code interpretation now controls before relying on the posted 180-day form language.
Building code
The Building Division states it adheres to Volumes 1 and 2 of the 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, and Green Building Standards Codes. City Ordinance No. 2025-006 was adopted on November 25, 2025 and took effect January 1, 2026.
Owner-builder
The property owner may pull the permit as owner-builder, but the City will not issue an owner-builder permit until the owner reads, initials, signs, and returns the Owner-Builder Authorization form. The form states an agent cannot execute the notice without prior approval of the permitting authority, and the owner-builder becomes the legally and financially responsible party of record.
Contractor requirements
Union City states permits may be issued to a State of California licensed contractor, the property owner of record, or an authorized agent for the owner. The contractor application requires the contractor to certify that the CSLB license is current and in full force and effect, list license number, class, and expiration date, and provide workers' compensation information.

Fees

Minimum permit fee
$59.00 for valuation from $1.00 to $500.00 under the publicly posted Building Division Fee Schedule Fiscal Year 2024-2025 document, plus applicable surcharges and add-on fees.
Plan check fee
100% of the building permit fee under the posted fee schedule, plus hourly plan-check or planner plan-check charges where applicable.
Permit fee formula
Mixed. Main building permit fees are valuation-based using the Building and Fire Permit Fees table. Additional fees include General Plan Cost Recovery, SMIP, plan storage, technology fee, planning review/inspection where applicable, and various flat or time-and-materials charges.
Reinspection fee
Reinspection is listed at $215.00 per inspection. After-hours, Friday-off, Saturday, Sunday, and holiday inspections are charged at higher per-inspection rates. I did not locate a clearly labeled separate building-permit penalty or work-without-permit fee in the posted public fee schedule PDF reviewed.
Payment note
For email or mail OTC permits, the City emails an invoice with payment instructions through the Finance Department at (510) 675-5312. The posted fee schedule also lists a 2.25% credit-card convenience fee for transactions over $2,500.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

  • One-story detached accessory structures, other than storm shelters, up to 120 square feet, with no mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work
  • Fences not over 7 feet high
  • Retaining walls not over 4 feet high as measured from bottom of footing to top of wall, supporting a surcharge of 3 feet of soil or less
  • Water tanks supported directly on grade up to 5,000 gallons with qualifying height-to-width ratio
  • Sidewalks and driveways
  • Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
  • Prefabricated swimming pools less than 24 inches deep
  • Swings and other playground equipment
  • Window awnings supported by an exterior wall that project no more than 54 inches and need no additional support
  • Detached 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
  • Listed cord-and-plug temporary decorative lighting
  • Reinstallation of attachment plug receptacles, but not the outlets
  • Same-capacity replacement of branch circuit overcurrent devices in the same location
  • Electrical equipment operating at less than 25 volts and not more than 50 watts
  • Minor electrical repair work, including lamp replacement or connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved receptacles
  • Portable heating, cooking, or clothes-drying appliances
  • Minor gas-equipment part replacement that does not alter approval or create an unsafe condition
  • Portable heating appliances, portable ventilation appliances, portable cooling units, portable evaporative coolers, and qualifying small refrigeration systems
  • Minor plumbing leak stopping, stoppage clearing, and like-kind repair or reinstallation of water closets when no replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes, or fixtures is involved

Important: Union City's exemption handout says permits are still required for most construction unless specifically exempt. The same handout notes that Planning approval may still be required for accessory structures and fences, and Public Works approval may still be required for sidewalks and driveways. Separate MEP permits may still be required where the exemption does not apply.

Inspections

How to Schedule

  • (510) 487-0711 (phone)
  • (510) 675-5470 (phone)
Scheduling deadline
Requests must be made before 3:00 p.m. for next-business-day inspection service, subject to schedule capacity.
Inspection hours
Requests must be made before 3:00 p.m. for next-business-day inspection service, subject to schedule capacity. AM inspections are 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. PM inspections are 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. The City does not perform inspections on alternating Fridays, and the Building Division tells applicants to check the operating calendar.
Time windows
AM inspections are 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. PM inspections are 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. The City does not perform inspections on alternating Fridays, and the Building Division tells applicants to check the operating calendar.

Typical inspection sequence: Union City does not publish one universal citywide inspection sequence in the cited handouts. In practice, the sequence is permit-specific and typically follows the approved plans through applicable foundation or under-floor stages, rough framing and rough trade inspections, insulation or other concealment-stage inspections when required, and final inspection.

Additional Resources

Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the City of Union City Economic and Community Development Department, Building Division before applying.

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Important: This page is an educational resource provided by jaspector.com. It is not legal advice, and it does not substitute for official guidance from the permit authority listed above. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with the issuing department before beginning any construction project. Use of this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Jaspector assumes no liability for any outcomes arising from reliance on this information.

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