City Building Permits

San Juan Bautista, CA Building Permit Guide

How to apply for a building permit in San Juan Bautista, California. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.

California San Benito County Updated March 2026

Permit Authority

Applies within the incorporated City of San Juan Bautista. Unincorporated San Benito County projects are handled by San Benito County, not the city.

Department
City of San Juan Bautista Planning Department / Building Department contacts under Community Development
Address
311 2nd Street / P.O. Box 1420, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045
Phone
(831) 623-4661; Building Permit Technician direct line listed as (831) 623-4661 ext. 1011
Website
https://www.san-juan-bautista.ca.us/departments/planning/index.php

Online Permit Portal

Open Planning & Building Applications

Platform: Revize Document Center for forms and handouts; SolarAPP+ for eligible residential rooftop solar projects • Account required: No • Submission: Online or in-person

Application Process

  1. Confirm whether the project needs only a building permit or also planning or historic review. The city directs applicants to check with Planning first, especially for historic properties, parcels with structures older than 40 years, ADUs, and projects in historic areas.
  2. Download the applicable forms from the city's Planning & Building Applications page. Standard building permit forms include the Building Permit Application, Owner/Builder Declaration, Plan Revision Form, Smoke & Carbon Declaration Form, and Special Inspection & Testing Form.
  3. Prepare the application package. The Building Permit Application asks for project address and APN, project type, occupancy and construction type, valuation, square footage, work description, owner and applicant information, design professional information if any, and contractor or owner-builder information. Project-specific plans and supporting documents will also be needed.
  4. Submit the application to the city. The city site does not publish a universal online intake portal for standard permits, but it repeatedly directs applicants to the Building Department by email and phone, and the Solar Permits page specifically instructs applicants whose projects are not eligible for SolarAPP+ to send the standard Building Permit Application to building@san-juan-bautista.ca.us for processing. For other project types, applicants should confirm whether the city wants email or counter submittal.
  5. Pay plan check and permit fees as applicable. The city fee schedule states permit fees are valuation-based for most work, with separate plan review fees and additional charges for some planning and engineering review.
  6. Respond to corrections and obtain permit issuance. The municipal code states plan review fees are separate from permit fees and that additional plan review fees apply when plans are incomplete or changed.
  7. Schedule inspections with the Building Department as work progresses. The Planning page says inspection appointments are scheduled directly through the Building Department.

Source: City of San Juan Bautista Planning Department / Building Department contacts under Community Development

General Requirements

The city municipal code makes it unlawful to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, equip, use, occupy, or maintain any building or structure contrary to Chapter 10-1 and the adopted codes. The city's historic-preservation page also says city review or a permit is likely required for changes to windows, doors, siding, roofing materials, additions, exterior structural changes, new signage in a historic district, and demolition of any part of a historic structure.

Required Documents

  • Building Permit Application
  • Project valuation
  • Address and APN
  • Description of work
  • Square footage
  • Owner details
  • Applicant details
  • Contractor details
  • Contractor license class and number if applicable
  • Design professional information if applicable
  • Owner-builder declaration when applicable
  • Plan Revision Form when applicable
  • Smoke & Carbon Declaration Form when applicable
  • Special Inspection & Testing Form when applicable
  • Plans and supporting documents when the scope triggers plan review
Permit validity
The municipal code states plan review expires if no permit is issued within 180 days after application, unless the applicant receives one extension of up to 180 days based on circumstances beyond the applicant's control. The city also publishes a permit-extension request form. Applicants should confirm the currently enforced permit-expiration rule after issuance with the Building Department.
Building code
2022 California Building Standards, Title 24, including the California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Historical Building, Existing Building, and Green Building Standards Codes
Owner-builder
The city publishes a required Owner/Builder Declaration and states it will not issue a building permit until the property owner reads, initials, signs, and returns that form. The form warns that owner-builders assume legal and financial responsibility for the work, may be treated as employers for labor-law purposes, and must provide signature verification before permit issuance.
Contractor requirements
The Owner/Builder Declaration states California contractors are required by law to be licensed and bonded and to list their license numbers on permits and contracts. The standard Building Permit Application also asks for contractor license number and license class. SolarAPP+ is limited to contractor-submitted projects and does not accept owner-builder submissions.

Fees

Minimum permit fee
$119
Plan check fee
Structural and architectural plan review is 65% of the building fee; plumbing, electrical, and mechanical plan review is 55% of the structural/architectural plan review; master plan verification review is $150; Planning Division plan check over $100,000 valuation is $300; Engineering Division plan check over $300,000 valuation is $100; additional plan review required by changes, additions, or revisions is $141 per hour.
Permit fee formula
Primarily valuation-based for general permits using the city's Building Permit Fee Table, plus separate listed flat fees for common residential scopes such as reroofs, remodels, window replacement, furnace and A/C replacement, water-heater replacements, sheds, pool demolition, and photovoltaic systems.
Reinspection fee
$119 minimum. Inspections with no specific fee are also $119 minimum.
Penalty (no permit)
Investigation fees for work without a permit are set by the Chief Building Official up to $1,000 under the 2018 fee sheet, and the municipal code also states investigation fees for unpermitted work are charged in addition to permit fees.
Payment note
The city provides an online payment page for business licenses, utilities, and permits through its CPTeller portal, but the city pages reviewed do not publish card-processing details or whether all permit invoices can be paid online.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

  • Routine maintenance such as touch-up interior painting and minor repairs
  • Interior-only renovations that do not alter historic elements

Important: These are not broad exemptions from all building-permit requirements. The city page is written for historic-preservation screening and says permit or city review is likely required for exterior changes such as windows, doors, siding, roofing materials, additions, exterior structural work, signage in historic districts, and demolition of any part of a historic structure. Because the city adopts the 2022 California Title 24 code package, code-based permit exemptions may still apply to some minor work, but the city pages reviewed did not publish a general exemption handout. Applicants should confirm any claimed exemption with the Building Department before starting work, especially on older or historic properties.

Inspections

How to Schedule

  • building@san-juan-bautista.ca.us (email)
  • (831) 623-4661 ext. 1011 (phone)
  • (831) 623-4661 (phone)
Inspection hours
Building Permit Technician office hours are Monday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Typical inspection sequence: The city pages reviewed do not publish a standard inspection-card sequence. Applicants should expect inspections to follow the approved permit scope and applicable Title 24 requirements, with final inspection after completion. SolarAPP+ applicants are instructed to bring the SolarAPP+ approval document as the inspection checklist.

Additional Resources

Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the City of San Juan Bautista Planning Department / Building Department contacts under Community Development before applying.

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Important: This page is an educational resource provided by jaspector.com. It is not legal advice, and it does not substitute for official guidance from the permit authority listed above. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with the issuing department before beginning any construction project. Use of this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Jaspector assumes no liability for any outcomes arising from reliance on this information.

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