San Gabriel, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Covers incorporated City of San Gabriel addresses; the city notes some mailing addresses in San Gabriel are in unincorporated Los Angeles County and must use LA County permitting instead.

Department

City of San Gabriel Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division

Address

425 S Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Phone

(626) 308-2806

Email

commdevinfo@sgch.org

Website

https://sangabrielcity.com/146/Building-and-Safety-Division

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm whether Planning Division approval is required before building permit submittal; the city says this is usually required first. Source: https://sangabrielcity.com/396/Permits
2. Use the city checklists/flowcharts to identify the project type and submittal package requirements for single-family, multi-family, ADU, mixed-use, tenant improvement, window replacement, and similar work. Source: https://www.sangabrielcity.com/165/Application-Forms-General-Information
3. Complete the City of San Gabriel building permit application with property, owner, contractor, applicant, valuation, and scope information. Source: https://www.sangabrielcity.com/DocumentCenter/View/10887/BUILDING-APPLICATION
4. Submit the application and supporting materials at San Gabriel City Hall; the city states permits are obtained by visiting City Hall, and the property owner or licensed contractor may obtain the permit. Source: https://sangabrielcity.com/396/Permits
5. Provide any required supplemental approvals before issuance, such as approved grading plans if required, County Sanitation District approval for a new single-family residence, school-fee clearance for new habitable construction of 500 square feet or more, and wet-stamped/signed grading certifications when grading is required. Source: https://sangabrielcity.com/396/Permits
6. If the applicant is acting by proxy or as owner-builder, submit the applicable proxy and owner-builder forms and show ID. Source: https://sangabrielcity.com/396/Permits ; https://www.sangabrielcity.com/DocumentCenter/View/21186
7. After issuance, post or keep the permit documents and approved plans available for inspections, then request inspections online or by contacting the inspector. Source: https://www.sangabrielcity.com/150/Building-Inspections

Source: City of San Gabriel Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division

General Requirements

The city states permits are required when someone constructs, alters, demolishes, or repairs a structure, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical system. Examples the city expressly says require permits include window replacement, gas lines, sprinklers, sinks/showers/toilets, central air-conditioning, water heaters, new outlets, new plumbing, pools/spas, patio enclosures, additions, patio covers, reroofing, solar, business signs, dumpsters in front of property, and walls or fences.

Required Documents

• At minimum, the city's building permit application requests property address/APN, owner information, contractor license and city business license information, applicant contact information, project type/class, valuation, square footage, and scope of work. Depending on project type, additional checklists, plans, planning approvals, grading approvals, sanitation/school-fee clearances, proxy forms, and owner-builder forms may be required.

Permit validity

San Gabriel Municipal Code section 150.002 amends CBC section 105.5.1 so a permit becomes invalid unless work starts within 12 months after issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 12 months after commencement. The building official may grant written extensions of up to 180 days each for justifiable cause.

Building code

The city states updated building codes took effect January 1, 2026. Ordinance No. 726 adopts the 2025 California Building Standards Code family, including the California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, Green Building Standards, Historical Building, Existing Building, and Referenced Standards Codes, with local amendments.

Owner-builder

A homeowner may obtain a permit for work on a one- or two-family dwelling and related accessory buildings/facilities if the owner resides or intends to reside there, shows proof of residence and ownership, performs the work, and signs that no person will be employed so as to trigger workers' compensation laws. Applicant identity must be verified. The city also uses owner-builder declaration/acknowledgment forms.

Contractor requirements

Contractors must hold a valid California contractor's license in good standing. If they have employees, proof of workers' compensation insurance is required at permit issuance. The city also requires San Gabriel business licenses for general contractors and subcontractors working in the city, and final approval/certificate of occupancy can be delayed until city business-license fees are paid.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

The current schedule lists issuance fees of $42 for a single permit and $60 for a combination permit. The schedule does not separately label a single universal "minimum building permit fee," so these are the lowest published issuance fees. Source: https://www.sangabrielcity.com/1684/Fee-Schedule-FY25-26

Plan check fee

85% of the permit fee (LAC rate). Additional plan review required by plan changes/additions/revisions is $385 for the first 2 hours, then staff fully burdened rate plus outside costs.

Permit fee formula

Building permits are based on Los Angeles County fees, with San Gabriel charging 140% of LAC for building permits. The city also adds a 3% Permit Automation & Technology Fee and a 5% General Plan Fee; state fees such as SMIP and green building fees also apply.

Reinspection fee

Reinspection and other inspections without a specific fee are charged at staff fully burdened rate plus outside costs.

Penalty (no permit)

Investigation fee for work without a permit and noncompliance fees are also charged at staff fully burdened rate plus outside costs.

Payment note

The permit page states accepted payment forms are cash, check, Visa, and Mastercard. Effective July 1, 2021, credit card transactions are subject to a 2.9% processing fee.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective July 1, 2021).

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• One-story detached accessory structures such as tool/storage sheds, playhouses, and similar structures up to 120 square feet, with no mechanical, electrical, or plumbing, still subject to zoning setback/height and fire-code compliance
• Landscape planters up to 24 inches above lowest adjacent grade, subject to zoning height limits
• Decks, platforms, walkways, sidewalks, and driveways not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, not over a basement/story below, and not part of an accessible route; one city handout version also notes decks/platforms not exceeding 200 square feet and not attached to a dwelling
• Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, and similar finish work that does not involve electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work and is not part of a code-enforcement case
• Prefabricated above-ground swimming pools accessory to a single-family dwelling under the stated depth/capacity thresholds in the city handout
• Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two-family dwellings
• Window awnings meeting the stated projection/support limits
• Non-fixed and movable fixtures, cases, racks, counters, and partitions under 5 feet 9 inches high
• Retaining walls not over 4 feet high, unless supporting a surcharge
• Electrical exemptions listed by the city handout include temporary decorative lighting, reinstallation of attachment-plug receptacles, and same-capacity replacement of branch-circuit overcurrent devices
• Mechanical exemptions listed by the city handout include portable heating/ventilating/cooling equipment, certain closed-system piping within equipment, replacement components not altering approval, certain refrigerating equipment, and unit refrigerating systems
• Plumbing exemptions listed by the city handout include stoppage clearing and certain leak repairs that do not involve replacing or rearranging valves, pipes, or fixtures

Important: The city states exemptions do not authorize work that violates other laws or ordinances, and separate plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permits may still be required for otherwise exempt building items. The city's handout also gives examples of common work that still requires permits, including windows, reroofing, solar, walls/fences, patio covers, additions, plumbing fixtures, HVAC, and pools/spas.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Online inspection request form at (online)
• inspector contact listed on the inspection page as call/text 626-476-7960 and email dhernandez@sgch.org. Source (online)
• dhernandez@sgch.org (email)
• (626) 308-2806 (phone)
• 626-476-7960 (phone)

Scheduling deadline

Inspection request cutoffs are 4:00 p.m.

Inspection hours

The daily building inspection schedule is posted at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday except weekends and holidays. Inspection request cutoffs are 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3:00 p.m. Friday. Building & Planning counter hours are 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. walk-in and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. by appointment only. Source: https://www.sangabrielcity.com/150/Building-Inspections ; https://sangabrielcity.com/146/Building-and-Safety-Division

Time windows

The daily building inspection schedule is posted at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday except weekends and holidays. Inspection request cutoffs are 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3:00 p.m. Friday. Building & Planning counter hours are 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. walk-in and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. by appointment only. Source: https://www.sangabrielcity.com/150/Building-Inspections ; https://sangabrielcity.com/146/Building-and-Safety-Division

Typical inspection sequence: The city does not publish one universal sequence on the main inspection page. Applicants should follow the inspection card/approved plans for the permitted scope and request inspections as the work reaches each required stage. The inspector must see the approved plans and inspection card at the time of inspection.

Additional Resources

• Building code: The city states updated building codes took effect January 1, 2026. Ordinance No. 726 adopts the 2025 California Building Standards Code family, including the California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, Green Building Standards, Historical Building, Existing Building, and Referenced Standards Codes, with local amendments.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Permit page
• Application forms/checklists/flowcharts
• Building inspections
• Municipal code
• EV charger permits
• SolarAPP+ page
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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