Wildomar, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

The City of Wildomar Building & Safety Department handles building permits inside Wildomar city limits. Riverside County TLMA Building & Safety is the county authority for unincorporated Riverside County, and Riverside County Environmental Health is separately listed by the city for septic system approval.

Department

City of Wildomar Building & Safety Department

Address

23873 Clinton Keith Road, Suite 110, Wildomar, CA 92595

Phone

951-677-7751

Email

bldgpermits@wildomar.gov for permit submittals , bldginspect@wildomar.gov for inspection requests

Website

https://www.wildomar.gov/158/Building-Safety-Department

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm site constraints first if needed. For zoning and land-use questions, use the Planning Department page and Title 17 zoning ordinance before preparing plans.
2. Complete the City of Wildomar Building and Safety Permit Application and assemble plans and supporting information for the scope of work.
3. Email the application package to bldgpermits@wildomar.gov. The city states it accepts only electronic submittals for new permits and does not accept applications at the building counter.
4. Respond to plan review comments and outside-agency requirements as applicable. The city separately flags school fees, utility meters, and Riverside County Environmental Health approval for septic work.
5. Pay permit fees online when instructed. Wildomar provides a separate online payment portal.
6. After issuance, request inspections by emailing a completed inspection request form to bldginspect@wildomar.gov or by calling 951-677-5616.

Typical processing time: No general turnaround is posted for standard permits. The city states applicants have a 12-month application timeline for plan review or permit issuance, made up of an initial 180 days plus two 90-day extensions. For qualifying residential solar and battery permits, the city says Symbium can issue permits automatically without manual review.

Source: City of Wildomar Building & Safety Department

General Requirements

Wildomar requires permits before construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy change, or regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing work. The city webpage states permits include building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and associated permits.

Required Documents

• The city application form calls for project address/APN, proposed use and occupancy, square footage, work description, valuation, owner information, contractor information, designer/applicant information, and signatures/declarations. Supporting plans and reports depend on scope. The city also notes carbon monoxide and smoke detector notification forms and project-specific submittal materials, and it flags outside approvals for items like septic, utilities, and school fees.

Permit validity

Wildomar states applications for plan review or permit issuance have a 12-month life consisting of 180 days plus two 90-day extensions; no further extensions are granted beyond 12 months if the permit has not been issued. The fee schedule also lists a permit extension fee and renewal charges for expired permits based on how much work was completed.

Building code

The city webpage lists the 2025 California Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Energy, Existing Building, Electrical, and Green Codes as current adoptions.

Owner-builder

The application includes owner-builder declarations under Business and Professions Code Section 7044, including limits tied to sale of the property and frequency of use of the exemption.

Contractor requirements

The application requires contractor state license number, class, expiration, and business license information. The form also cites Business and Professions Code Section 7031.5 requiring either a valid contractor license or a signed statement of exemption.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Permit issuance fee $111.00, plus a $7.00 professional development fee and $11.00 technology fee on all permits issued; state-mandated SMIP and BSASRF pass-through fees also apply on building permits

Plan check fee

For valuation-based permits, add building plan check at 75% of the base permit fee. The fee sheet also shows development review at 20% of base and general administration at 15.58% of base, plan check, and plan review totals.

Permit fee formula

Mixed. Many permit types use fixed fees. Valuation-based permits use a base formula of $91.68 plus 0.00909 x ICC valuation, then add plan check, development review, and general administration charges.

Reinspection fee

Reinspection fee is $147.00 for a one-hour inspection. Work conducted without a valid permit is subject to double the base permit fee. Permit extension fee is $144.00. Expired permits may be renewed at 75%, 50%, or 25% of initial fees depending on work completed.

Penalty (no permit)

Reinspection fee is $147.00 for a one-hour inspection. Work conducted without a valid permit is subject to double the base permit fee. Permit extension fee is $144.00. Expired permits may be renewed at 75%, 50%, or 25% of initial fees depending on work completed.

Payment note

Wildomar provides a separate online payment portal on the Building & Safety page.

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
• Fences not over 7 feet high
• Retaining walls not over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, if not supporting a surcharge and not impounding certain liquids
• Ordinary finish work such as painting, papering, tiling, cabinetry, countertops, and similar finish materials
• Sidewalks and driveways meeting code exemption limits
• Prefabricated swimming pools with limited depth and capacity under the code exemption thresholds
• Certain small playground equipment, shade-cloth agricultural structures, and residential window awnings where the code exemption criteria are met

Important: Based on Wildomar's adoption of the California Building and Residential Codes, common state-code exemptions generally include: Exemptions are narrow and depend on the exact adopted California code section, occupancy, structural loading, utility connections, fire/septic/zoning impacts, and project location. Even if a building permit is not required, separate planning, grading, floodplain, fire, encroachment, or utility approvals may still apply. Confirm the exemption with Wildomar Building & Safety before starting work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• form URL (online)
• 951-677-5616 (phone)
• bldginspect@wildomar.gov (email)

Scheduling deadline

Inspections are scheduled Monday through Thursday only. Requests received by 4:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day. Requests made after 4:00 p.m. on Thursday are scheduled for the following Tuesday. AM/PM requests are not guaranteed.

Typical inspection sequence: The city describes inspections at stages such as foundation, framing, electrical, and final, depending on the project scope.

Additional Resources

• Building code: The city webpage lists the 2025 California Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Energy, Existing Building, Electrical, and Green Codes as current adoptions.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• https://ecode360.com/43472000
• https://wildomar.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html-id=e9ca066febb24b35bbbafa68a5fe5ae1
• https://building.rctlma.org/plan-check/code-ordinance-requirements
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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