El Dorado County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)

Permit Authority

All properties within the unincorporated area of El Dorado County. Unincorporated Tahoe Basin projects may also require Tahoe Regional Planning Agency approvals, but El Dorado County remains the building permit authority for the county's unincorporated area.

Department

El Dorado County Planning and Building Department, Building Division

Address

Placerville Office: 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667; South Lake Tahoe Office: 924 B Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Phone

(530) 621-5315; inspections line: (530) 621-5377; South Lake Tahoe Office: (530) 573-3330

Email

bldgdept@edcgov.us , South Lake Tahoe Office: tahoebuild@edcgov.us

Website

https://www.eldoradocounty.ca.gov/Land-Use/Planning-and-Building/Building-Division

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm whether your project needs a permit and pull the correct county guidance or checklist from the Building Division's What's Required and How to Submit page.
2. Prepare the application package, including the signed application, required forms, and project plans such as site or plot plan, floor plan, foundation plan, framing plans, elevations, structural details, energy forms, and any project-specific items like fire sprinklers, CALGreen, stormwater, MWELO, grading, or TRPA materials.
3. Include ownership, contractor, and authorization documents as applicable. Owner-builders must complete the owner-builder supplement; contractor applicants must provide current CSLB information, workers' compensation information, and current El Dorado County business license information.
4. Submit the application. Contractor applications for trade permits, residential solar, and EV charging stations can be emailed to epermit@edcgov.us; all other permits must be applied for in person.
5. Wait for plan review. Plans are reviewed in the order received, and incomplete applications lose their place in line until missing information is resubmitted.
6. Pay the required fees. The county collects half of the building permit fee and the full planning fee at application, with the balance and outside-agency fees due at issuance.
7. Do not start work until the permit is issued, then schedule inspections online or by phone as construction progresses toward final approval.

Typical processing time: The county does not publish a fixed turnaround. Processing can range from a few days to several weeks depending on project complexity, and reviews are handled in the order received.

Source: El Dorado County Planning and Building Department, Building Division

General Requirements

A permit is required before an owner or authorized agent constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves, demolishes, or changes occupancy of a building or structure, or installs, enlarges, alters, repairs, removes, converts, or replaces regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems. The county FAQ also says major renovations, new construction, electrical work, plumbing, and structural changes typically require permits.

Required Documents

• Signed permit application
• Owner-builder or agent authorization forms as applicable
• Site or plot plan
• Floor plan
• Foundation plan
• Floor and roof framing plans
• Elevations
• Building sections or structural plans
• Electrical or mechanical plan and gas schematic if applicable
• Title 24 energy forms
• CALGreen checklist
• One additional floor plan for the Assessor
• Project-specific documents such as fire sprinkler design, stormwater documents, MWELO materials, grading information, utility or septic approvals, and TRPA materials for Tahoe Basin projects

Permit validity

Applications become null and void if the permit is not issued within 365 days from the application date. Once issued, the permit expires two years from issuance if the work is not completed with final approval. The county allows up to two one-year renewals if construction has been pursued in good faith with regular inspections, and reactivation may be requested after the four-year permit period if the structure is still unfinished and unoccupied. Tahoe Basin permits affected by TRPA follow the Tahoe-specific exception noted by the county.

Building code

Effective January 1, 2026, El Dorado County is using the 2025 California Building Standards Code package in Title 24, together with applicable county ordinances, including Building Title 110 and Zoning Title 130.

Owner-builder

The county will not issue an owner-builder permit until the property owner completes the owner-builder acknowledgement and verification form. Owner-builders are legally and financially responsible for the work, may become employers under state and federal law, and must verify licensing and workers' compensation status for any hired contractors.

Contractor requirements

Contractors acting as agent for the owner must have a current active California contractor's license, workers' compensation coverage, and a current El Dorado County business license. The contractor supplement also requires CSLB and workers' compensation disclosures.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

$167 minimum for construction building permits and trade permits under Ordinance 5238

Plan check fee

The county collects half of the building permit fee at application and the remainder at issuance. For grading permits, Ordinance 5238 sets plan check at 0.01 x valuation with a $292 minimum. Revised plan reviews and resubmittals are $167 per hour.

Permit fee formula

Valuation-based for most building permits. Ordinance 5238 sets construction building permits at 0.0130 x value with a $167 minimum, and trade permits at 0.0130 x value with a $167 minimum. Grading permits are split into plan check and inspection components using valuation-based formulas, with separate minimums.

Trade permit fee

$167 minimum; valuation-based at 0.0130 x value for trade permits under Ordinance 5238

Reinspection fee

Additional inspections and reinspections during business hours are $167 per hour.

Penalty (no permit)

If work starts without the required permit, the county may charge an investigation fee equal to the permit fee, in addition to the permit fee itself. Administrative citations may also apply under the county code.

Payment note

The county accepts cards with a 3% service fee. Personal checks, bank draft checks, and U.S. currency are also accepted. Multiple checks may be required at issuance because school, air quality, and DOT or other outside-agency fees may be collected separately.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• One-story detached accessory structures not over 120 square feet, other than storm shelters
• Fences not over 7 feet high
• Retaining walls not over 4 feet high unless supporting a surcharge
• Water tanks supported directly on grade if capacity does not exceed 5,000 gallons and the height-to-width ratio does not exceed 2:1
• 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 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 a dwelling or townhouse, and not serving the required exit door
• Minor electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing items listed in the county's 2025 permit-exemption handout, including certain portable equipment, minor part replacements, leak repairs, and stoppage clearing where piping and fixtures are not replaced or rearranged

Important: Permit exemptions do not authorize work that violates the code or any other law or ordinance. Separate zoning, grading, stormwater, fire safe, utility, septic, floodplain, HOA or CC&R, or TRPA approvals may still be required depending on the parcel and scope.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• eTRAKiT portal (online)
• (530) 621-5377 (phone)
• Permit status / linked permit management (online)

Scheduling deadline

Requested inspection dates can be selected from 3 to 10 days out.

Time windows

AM means on site between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM; PM means noon to 3:30 PM. Requests for AM or PM are not guaranteed.

Typical inspection sequence: Required inspections depend on scope and can include foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, sheetrock, and final inspections. County checklists and permit conditions may add project-specific inspections such as grading, driveway, fire sprinkler, or stormwater stages.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Effective January 1, 2026, El Dorado County is using the 2025 California Building Standards Code package in Title 24, together with applicable county ordinances, including Building Title 110 and Zoning Title 130.
• Verify contractor license: CSLB License Lookup
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Building Division main page
• Building checklists and guidance
• Applications and forms
• Fees page
• California building standards in effect
• Property Information Lookup
• County Ordinance Code
• 2025 permit exemption handout
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement