Willows, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

The City of Willows Building Division handles building permits within the incorporated City of Willows. The city application packet shows that Planning, Building, Engineering, Public Works, Fire, Glenn County Environmental Health, and Glenn County Air Pollution approvals may all be required before permit issuance.

Department

City of Willows Community Development Services Department, Building Division

Address

201 N. Lassen Street, Willows, CA 95988

Phone

(530) 934-7041

Email

trustenhoven@cityofwillows.org , building@cityofwillows.org

Website

https://www.cityofwillows.org/dept/community-development-services-department/building-division

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm zoning and any planning constraints first. Willows publishes a zoning map and zoning clearance form, and the building permit form routes projects through Planning before issuance when applicable.
2. Complete the city building permit application with project address, APN, detailed scope, valuation, owner or applicant information, and contractor or design-professional information.
3. Assemble a complete submittal package. The city checklist calls for three complete plan sets plus supporting items as applicable, including site plan, foundation plan, floor plan, framing details, elevations, energy forms, structural calculations, fire sprinkler and green building documentation, soils or seismic information, and flood documentation where required.
4. Obtain outside approvals needed for the project before permit issuance. The checklist says all applicable agency approvals must be obtained before issuance, and the city application has approval blocks for Engineering, Public Works, Fire, Glenn County Environmental Health, and Glenn County Air Pollution.
5. Submit the application and plans to the Community Development Services Department and pay the required plan check fee at submittal.
6. Respond to plan review comments, secure issuance approvals, and pay remaining permit, impact, school, sewer, and other applicable fees before permit issuance.
7. After permit issuance, schedule inspections at least 24 hours in advance by phone. Inspections are performed Monday through Thursday.
8. Obtain final inspection approval at project completion. For reroofs, the city separately identifies tear-off, roof nailing when applicable, and final inspection steps.

Source: City of Willows Community Development Services Department, Building Division

General Requirements

Willows requires a building permit for construction, remodeling, and demolition work, and its published exemption sheet states permits are required unless the work is specifically exempt. The city and Glenn County published examples of permit-triggering work include decks and balconies, patio or porch covers, sheds over 120 square feet, accessory buildings, carports, garages, additions, remodeling, reroofing, spas, fireplaces or woodstoves, electrical wiring, plumbing, and demolition.

Required Documents

• Completed building permit application
• Three complete sets of plans
• Site plan
• Structural and architectural details as applicable
• Energy calculations for all new or conditioned space
• Engineering and calculations where required
• Fire sprinkler documentation
• CALGreen compliance documents
• Soils report where required
• Seismic design category information
• Flood elevation certificate where applicable
• Any other agency approvals required for issuance

Permit validity

The city fee schedule includes a renewal fee for expired permits, but the public-facing city materials reviewed do not state the expiration trigger or permit life in the posted application packet.

Building code

As of January 13, 2026, the City Council adopted Ordinance 768-2026 adopting by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Code and local amendments in Title 15 of the Willows Municipal Code. The January 13, 2026 agenda materials describe the adoption as including the 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Administrative, Energy, Historical Building, Referenced Standards, and CALGreen codes. The city separately adopted 2025 California Fire Code amendments through Ordinance 767-2026 on January 13, 2026.

Owner-builder

Willows publishes a dedicated owner-builder notice. The city will not issue an owner-builder permit until the property owner completes the required acknowledgment and verification form, and an agent cannot execute that notice without prior approval from the permitting authority.

Contractor requirements

The application requires contractor state license number, license class, and workers' compensation information. The checklist states permits are issued only to property owners and or licensed contractors. The owner-builder packet states the city verifies contractor license applicability and status with CSLB before issuing a permit when a licensed contractor is the permit holder.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

$48.77 for projects valued from $1.00 to $500

Plan check fee

The checklist says a plan check fee is due at plan submittal. The master fee schedule lists Building Plan Review as a cost recovery agreement item at 4% of total project cost.

Permit fee formula

New buildings, additions, alterations, and generator installations use a valuation formula. The published valuation table is: $1-$500 = $48.77; $501-$2,000 = $49.83 plus $6.47 per $100; $2,001-$25,000 = $146.84 plus $29.69 per $1,000; $25,001-$50,000 = $829.60 plus $21.42 per $1,000; $50,001-$100,000 = $1,364.99 plus $14.84 per $1,000; $100,001-$500,000 = $2,107.13 plus $11.87 per $1,000; $500,001-$1,000,000 = $6,856.77 plus $10.07 per $1,000; $1,000,001 and up = $11,892.67 plus $6.72 per $1,000. Many common permit types also have flat fees, such as reroof ($261.35), demolition ($160.05), sign permit ($160.05), and 200-amp-or-less main panel upgrade ($100.29).

Reinspection fee

Additional inspection fee $94.21 on the building permit fee schedule; separate other-building-fees line item lists additional inspections at $80.03 per inspection.

Penalty (no permit)

Permit revisions $89.14; renewal of expired permit $101.30; working without permit $350.00. The city's exempt-work handout also states that starting work without a required permit triggers an additional penalty fee equal to the permit fee under WMC Chapter 15.

Payment note

The master fee schedule lists a 3% credit card convenience fee. The checklist also notes impact fees, school fees, and sewer connection fees must be paid before permit issuance when applicable.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025).

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• One-story detached accessory structures not over 120 square feet and up to 12 feet to ridge
• Fences not over 7 feet high
• Retaining walls not over 4 feet from bottom of footing to top of wall unless supporting a surcharge
• Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons where height-to-diameter or width ratio does not exceed 2:1
• Sidewalks
• 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 projecting no more than 54 inches and not requiring added support
• Detached decks not over 200 square feet, not over 30 inches above grade, not attached to the dwelling, and not serving the required exit door
• Limited plumbing repair work such as clearing stoppages and stopping leaks, subject to concealed-pipe and replacement caveats
• Limited electrical work such as temporary decorative lighting, reinstallation of attachment-plug receptacles, same-location overcurrent device replacement, low-voltage and low-wattage equipment, and minor repair work
• Limited gas work such as portable appliances and replacement of minor parts that do not alter approval or create unsafe conditions
• Limited mechanical work such as portable heating, ventilation, and cooling equipment, certain piping within regulated equipment, minor-part replacement, portable evaporative coolers, and certain small self-contained refrigeration systems

Important: Exemptions do not authorize work that violates other laws or ordinances. Emergency repairs requiring immediate work must be followed by permit application on the next working business day. Ordinary repairs lose exemption if they involve structural cuts, egress changes, or work affecting public health or general safety.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• (530) 934-2465 (phone)

Scheduling deadline

Schedule at least 24 hours before inspection.

Inspection hours

Inspections are on Monday through Thursday.

Typical inspection sequence: Based on the city checklist and reroof inspection sheet, inspections vary by project but typically follow the approved plans and include relevant foundation and framing stages, rough trade inspections where applicable, specialty inspections such as reroof tear-off and roof nailing, and final inspection at completion.

Additional Resources

• Building code: As of January 13, 2026, the City Council adopted Ordinance 768-2026 adopting by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Code and local amendments in Title 15 of the Willows Municipal Code. The January 13, 2026 agenda materials describe the adoption as including the 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Administrative, Energy, Historical Building, Referenced Standards, and CALGreen codes. The city separately adopted 2025 California Fire Code amendments through Ordinance 767-2026 on January 13, 2026.
• Verify contractor license: CSLB License Lookup
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Owner-builder rules: View rules
• Building Division Resources
• Building Permit Application Checklist
• Ordinance 767-2026 Summary After Adoption
• Ordinance 768-2026 Summary After Adoption
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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