Seal Beach, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Issues building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits within the City of Seal Beach. Planning pre-approvals may be required before a building permit submittal, depending on project scope.

Department

City of Seal Beach Department of Community Development, Building & Safety Division

Address

211 Eighth Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740

Phone

(562) 431-2527; Building questions: ext. 1323; inspections: ext. 1519

Email

comdev@sealbeachca.gov

Website

https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm whether Planning Division approval is required before permit submittal.
2. Create or log into an account in the City's Civic Access Portal and submit the building permit application online.
3. Pay initial plan review fees if the project requires plan check.
4. After the application is processed and initial fees are paid, create an account in GoPost and upload the processed application, plans, and related supporting documents in PDF format.
5. Track the application in the portal and respond to correction comments or additional document requests.
6. Once the permit is issued, begin work and request inspections through the portal.
7. Obtain final inspection approval before occupancy or final completion.

Source: City of Seal Beach Department of Community Development, Building & Safety Division

General Requirements

A permit is required before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing, or changing occupancy of a building or structure; performing grading on private property; or installing, altering, repairing, removing, converting, or replacing regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems.

Required Documents

• Building permit application through the Civic Access Portal
• for plan-check projects, a copy of the processed application showing plan check number and fees paid, plans, and related documents such as calculations and reports. Additional project-specific documents may be required.

Permit validity

Permit applications are deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith or extended. Issued permits expire if work is not commenced within 180 days, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 90 days after commencement. Written extensions may be granted for up to one year, and renewals/reinstatements may be available under City rules.

Building code

Seal Beach Municipal Code Title 9 adopts the California building code family by reference. Current City permit materials state that work must conform to the 2022 CBC, CMC, CEC, CPC, CRC, CGC, and 2022 California Energy Code.

Owner-builder

The City's owner-builder materials indicate an owner may claim an exemption under Business and Professions Code section 7044, either by doing the work personally or by exclusively contracting with licensed contractors. The City provides an Owner/Builder Declaration form.

Contractor requirements

Contractors must have the proper license to obtain a permit. City forms require the contractor to declare that the CSLB license is current and in full force and effect. Seal Beach also maintains a contractor business license application.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

No single citywide minimum permit fee was expressly stated for all project types. For valuation-based building permits, the schedule shows a $95 permit issuance fee per permit plus the underlying permit fee and surcharges. Some stand-alone permits have flat fees, such as $33 for a water heater change-out and $71 for a residential HVAC change-out.

Plan check fee

Building plan review is generally 65% of the building permit fee; MEP plan review is 65% of the permit fee when applicable. Additional Public Works engineering plan check fees apply to certain project types. Expedited plan check is an additional 50% of the standard plan check fee.

Permit fee formula

New buildings, additions, tenant improvements, residential remodels, pools, and combined MEP permits are generally charged at 10% of permit valuation. Many common stand-alone permit types are charged at flat rates.

Penalty (no permit)

Re-inspection fee (third time or more) is $95 per inspection; missed inspection fee is $95; investigation fee for work done without permits or outside permit scope is 2x the permit fee; renewal of expired permits is 50% of permit fees for new work if there are no changes to the original work.

Payment note

Credit card processing fee is 3% of fees paid.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses not over 120 square feet, if compliant with zoning.
• Masonry walls or fences not over 4 feet high, and other walls or fences not over 6 feet high, unless supporting surcharge or certain liquids.
• Retaining walls not over 4 feet in height measured from bottom of footing to top of wall.
• Water tanks supported directly on grade with capacity not exceeding 5,000 gallons and height-to-diameter/width ratio not exceeding 2:1.
• Sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, not over a basement or story below, not part of an accessible route, and not part of a commercial site.
• Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work.
• Prefabricated swimming pools accessory to Group R-3 occupancy that are less than 18 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons, and are entirely above ground.
• Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two-family dwellings.
• Window awnings meeting the City's dimensional limits for Group R-3 and U occupancies.
• Minor electrical repair and maintenance, certain temporary testing systems, limited gas/mechanical replacement of minor parts, and limited plumbing leak repairs or clearing stoppages where no replacement or rearrangement of concealed piping/valves/fixtures is required.

Important: Permit exemptions do not authorize work that violates codes, state law, ordinances, or City policies. Emergency equipment replacements/repairs still require a permit application by the next working business day. Ordinary repairs lose the exemption if they involve structural work, egress changes, concealed piping replacement, or other regulated work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Inspection requests for current projects must be submitted through the Civic Access Portal at https (online)
• Inspection requests for current projects must be submitted through the Civic Access Portal at https (online)
• (562) 431-2527 (phone)

Inspection hours

Inspections are conducted Monday through Friday, except holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The City posts the next business day's inspection schedule by 5:30 p.m.

Typical inspection sequence: Inspection sequence depends on project scope, but the municipal code requires requested inspections during construction and a final inspection after all permitted work is completed. Work may not proceed beyond a required inspection point until approval is obtained.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Seal Beach Municipal Code Title 9 adopts the California building code family by reference. Current City permit materials state that work must conform to the 2022 CBC, CMC, CEC, CPC, CRC, CGC, and 2022 California Energy Code.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety/Forms-Requirements ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety/Permit-Contractors-License ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Title%209%20-%20Public%20Property%2C%20Public%20Works%2C%20and%20Building%20Regulations.pdf
• https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/EPL-Information ; ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety/Permit-Contractors-License ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Title%209%20-%20Public%20Property%2C%20Public%20Works%2C%20and%20Building%20Regulations.pdf
• https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/EPL-Information ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety/Forms-Requirements ; ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Title%209%20-%20Public%20Property%2C%20Public%20Works%2C%20and%20Building%20Regulations.pdf
• https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/EPL-Information ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety/Forms-Requirements ; https://www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/Community-Development/Building-Safety/Permit-Contractors-License ;
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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