Mariposa County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)

Permit Authority

All properties within unincorporated Mariposa County. Mariposa County has no incorporated cities, so the County Building Department is the building permit authority countywide and development services are routed through the County permit center.

Department

Mariposa County Building Department

Address

5100 Bullion Street, PO Box 1268, Mariposa, CA 95338

Phone

(209) 966-3934

Email

building@mariposacounty.gov

Website

https://www.mariposacounty.org/67/Building

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm zoning and parcel constraints with the Planning Department and GIS zoning tools before preparing plans.
2. Confirm water, septic or sewer, and any special-district utility requirements with Environmental Health or Public Works as applicable.
3. Determine whether outside approvals are needed before submittal, such as driveway encroachment permits, Caltrans access permits, or National Park Service approvals for affected areas.
4. Create or log into the county's EnerGov Self Service portal and submit the permit application and project documents. Digital submissions are encouraged, but paper plans are still accepted for a digitization fee.
5. After intake review, the county invoices the plan-review fee and routes plans through Code Compliance, Planning, and any other required reviewing agencies.
6. After approvals are complete, pay the remaining permit fees and any required school fees, then obtain permit issuance before starting construction.
7. Schedule required inspections before covering work, keep approved plans on site, and obtain final sign-off and a certificate of occupancy when the project is complete.

Typical processing time: Mariposa County does not publish a general turnaround standard on its Building page or fee schedule. Timing depends on routing and outside-agency sign-offs.

Source: Mariposa County Building Department

General Requirements

Permits are generally required to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, or equip a building or structure, or to install, alter, repair, remove, convert, or replace electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems, subject to listed exemptions.

Required Documents

• Permit application
• Project-specific supporting documents
• Plans
• Site plan
• Floor plans
• Structural details
• Title 24 energy documents
• Truss calculations
• Engineering
• Septic or well information
• Grading or access approvals
• Owner-builder disclosures

Permit validity

County materials do not publish a plain-language validity rule on the main Building page, but the county provides a permit-extension process and its forms reflect the standard 180-day lapse rule if work is not started or inspected. Extension requests are handled by the Building Department.

Building code

Mariposa County Building Department materials state the department enforces the 2025 editions of the California Building Standards Codes.

Owner-builder

The county posts California owner-builder verification and workers' compensation disclosure forms and requires owner-builders to acknowledge their responsibilities when pulling permits without a licensed contractor.

Contractor requirements

Permit forms require contractor information, and California law requires most contractors performing work over the threshold amount to hold an active CSLB license.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Residential or commercial permit issuance starts at $171 for non-structural permits and $285 for structural permits; valuation-based building permit fees start at $341 for projects valued up to $500.

Plan check fee

Valuation-based. The schedule starts at $86 up to $500 valuation, $142 at $501, then adds incremental charges by valuation tier. Additional plan-check time is billed at $171 per hour.

Permit fee formula

Mixed. General building permit fees and plan-check fees are valuation-based; many common permit types use flat fees; some services are hourly or actual cost.

Reinspection fee

Reinspection fee is $256 each, or the county's greater actual hourly cost where applicable. Inspections outside normal business hours are $371 minimum, and other unspecified inspections are $256 minimum.

Payment note

The county collects the plan-review fee after initial intake review, then requires payment of the remaining permit fees and any applicable school fees before permit issuance. Paper plan submittals remain available, but a digitization fee applies.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective 2024).

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• One-story detached accessory structures used as tool or storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses when the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet
• Fences not over 7 feet high
• Oil derricks
• Retaining walls not over 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall unless supporting a surcharge or impounding Class I, II, or IIIA liquids
• Water tanks supported directly on grade if capacity does not exceed 5,000 gallons and the ratio of height to diameter or width does not exceed 2 to 1
• Sidewalks and driveways that are not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade and are not over any basement or story below
• Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
• Prefabricated swimming pools accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy that are under 24 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons, and are installed entirely above ground
• Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two-family dwellings
• Window awnings supported by an exterior wall in Group R-3 or U occupancies when projecting 54 inches or less and not requiring additional support

Important: Exemptions are narrow and do not waive zoning, grading, floodplain, wildfire, septic, utility, or other agency approvals. Separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire, or grading permits may still be required even when a building permit is exempt.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• EnerGov Self Service (online)
• (209) 966-3934 (phone)

Time windows

Inspection days are area-based rather than time-window based. Tuesdays serve Coulterville, Greeley Hill, Lake Don Pedro, Hornitos, and Buck Meadows; Thursdays serve Fish Camp, Wawona, and Yosemite West; Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays serve all other county areas.

Typical inspection sequence: The county requires inspection requests before covering any part of the work. Sequence varies by project, but generally follows foundation, framing, rough trades, insulation, and final, with approved plans kept on site and outside-agency sign-offs completed before final.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Mariposa County Building Department materials state the department enforces the 2025 editions of the California Building Standards Codes.
• Verify contractor license: CSLB License Lookup
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Planning Department
• Public Zoning Lookup Tool
• Building Permit Application Forms and Handouts
• Permit Center
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement