Town of Danville, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Applies within the Town of Danville town limits. Properties outside Town limits are under Contra Costa County jurisdiction. Danville also requires outside-agency review for some projects, including San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District review for all building permits and CCCSD approval for certain sewer/footprint-expansion projects.

Department

Town of Danville Development Services, Building Division / Permit Center

Address

500 La Gonda Way, Danville, CA 94526

Phone

925-314-3330

Email

building@danville.ca.gov

Website

https://www.danville.ca.gov/155/Permit-Center

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm the property is inside Danville town limits and check zoning/setbacks with Planning before preparing plans.
2. Review the Permit Directory for the specific project type and gather the required plans and supporting documents.
3. Obtain any required outside-agency approvals before submittal, especially SRV Fire review and CCCSD review/stamp where applicable.
4. Complete the Town's building permit application and prepare PDFs in the Town's required electronic format if filing online.
5. Submit through the online portal or the Permit Center, depending on project type.
6. Monitor portal status during review. Town FAQ states plan review can take up to 5 or 10 working days depending on scope.
7. After approval, pay remaining fees, sign the permit card in all required places, satisfy pre-issuance conditions, and wait for permit status to change to `Issued` before starting work.
8. Keep stamped plans and the inspection card on site, schedule required inspections, and complete/finalize the permit within the permit term.

Typical processing time: Town FAQ says reviews can last up to 5 or 10 working days depending on scope. The Business Concierge page says certain architect-prepared commercial tenant improvements with no structural or Title 24 energy work are generally reviewed within 5 business days instead of the normal 10-day commercial review.

Source: Town of Danville Development Services, Building Division / Permit Center

General Requirements

Danville states a permit is required for most construction and repair work, including plumbing, electrical, or mechanical work; structural changes; residential additions; remodels; accessory structures such as patios and decks; ADUs; HVAC/water-heater/AC replacement; retaining walls supporting more than 3 feet of soil height or any retaining wall with surcharge loading; and pools/spas/hot tubs. Encroachment permits are separately required for work in the public right-of-way.

Required Documents

• Building permit application; project drawings; supporting documents/letters required by the project-specific submittal checklist; and, for online filings, PDFs formatted per the Town's electronic submittal instructions. Before issuance, the permit card must be signed in four places: contractor or owner-builder declaration, authorization for inspections, workers' compensation declaration, and owner/contractor signature. Depending on scope, applicants may also need structural calculations, Title 24 energy forms, geotechnical reports, fire review, CCCSD-stamped sheets, and other outside-agency approvals.

Permit validity

The Town FAQ states issued permits have 365 days from issuance to complete the work. If a permit expires, reinstatement may be possible by emailing the Building Division with justification; the FAQ lists a $115 reinstatement fee if approved. The fee schedule separately lists Permit Reactivation at $118 minimum. Applications with no activity can expire after 180 days, and approvals can expire if not issued within 180 days after approval.

Building code

Danville's current building codes became effective January 1, 2026 and include the 2025 California Administrative, Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, Green Building Standards, and Wildland-Urban Interface codes.

Owner-builder

Danville will not issue an owner-builder permit until the owner-builder acknowledgment form is read, initialed, signed, and returned. The Town warns owners they may be liable for injuries to unlicensed workers and notes property owners generally do not need to sign permits unless acting as owner-builder.

Contractor requirements

Contractors are required by law to be licensed and bonded in California, and Danville's forms require contractor license information and workers' compensation information. The outside-agency checklist also directs applicants to verify CSLB license and workers' compensation status. For encroachment permits, contractors and subcontractors must have a Town business license.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Minimum building permit inspection fee is $118.

Plan check fee

Structural and architectural plan review is 65% of the building fee. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical plan review fees are percentages of the structural/architectural plan review. Additional plan review rounds are charged hourly.

Permit fee formula

Building permit fees are valuation-based under the Town's building permit fee table. Separate sub-permits apply for electrical (20% of building permit fee), plumbing (17%), and mechanical (18%). Some permit categories also have fixed established fees.

Reinspection fee

Reinspection/administration fee is $118 minimum.

Penalty (no permit)

Investigation fees may apply for work without a permit.

Payment note

The fee schedule states credit-card payments are subject to a 2.99% processing fee with a $2.00 minimum. Fees are generally collected before permit issuance.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Detached accessory structures of 120 square feet or less do not require a building permit, based on the Town handout stating permits are required for accessory structures greater than 120 square feet.
• Electrical and plumbing permits are still required for accessory structures regardless of size.
• Retaining walls supporting 3 feet or less of soil height and not subject to surcharge appear to fall outside the Town's project-specific retaining-wall permit trigger. The Town FAQ uses different wording, so applicants should confirm borderline cases with the Permit Center.
• Detached residential cabanas, sheds, and patio structures not attached to the home are not required to go through SRV Fire review, even though they may still need Town approval depending on size and scope.

Important: Danville's public materials reviewed here do not publish a single comprehensive local "no permit required" list. Even where a Town building permit is not required, zoning setbacks, fire rules, and other code requirements may still apply.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• 925-314-3333 (phone)
• 925-314-3330 (phone)
• https://www.danville.ca.gov/CSS (online)

Scheduling deadline

Inspection requests must be made before 3:00 p.m.

Inspection hours

Inspection requests must be made before 3:00 p.m. for next-business-day inspections. Inspections may be scheduled up to 5 days in advance. The next day's 2-hour inspection window is posted online after 5:00 p.m.

Time windows

Inspection requests must be made before 3:00 p.m. for next-business-day inspections. Inspections may be scheduled up to 5 days in advance. The next day's 2-hour inspection window is posted online after 5:00 p.m.

Typical inspection sequence: After permit issuance, the permit holder schedules inspections by permit number/PIN and requested inspection code. Previously scheduled inspections and statuses are visible in the portal, and finalization closes the permit. Reinspection note: Fee schedule lists a reinspection/administration fee of $118 minimum. No inspections can be ordered on expired permits unless the Town approves reinstatement/reactivation.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Danville's current building codes became effective January 1, 2026 and include the 2025 California Administrative, Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, Green Building Standards, and Wildland-Urban Interface codes.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

Other cities in Contra Costa County