Victorville, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Applies within incorporated City of Victorville limits. Projects outside city limits in unincorporated San Bernardino County are handled by San Bernardino County Land Use Services, not the City of Victorville.

Department

City of Victorville Development Department, Building Division / Permit Center

Address

14343 Civic Drive, PO Box 5001, Victorville, CA 92393-5001

Phone

(760) 955-5100

Email

planreview@victorvilleca.gov , inspection@victorvilleca.gov

Website

https://www.victorvilleca.gov/government/city-departments/development/permit-center

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Prepare plans to current City of Victorville and California code standards.
2. Check the City's Fees & Forms page for project-specific submittal requirements, standard details, and fee schedules.
3. Create or log into the Citizen Self Service Portal and apply for the appropriate permit online.
4. Upload digital plans and documents; the City states it accepts digital submittals for plan review.
5. Pay the initial plan review fee once assessed.
6. Respond to plan review comments if revisions are required.
7. After approval, pay remaining development and permit fees and wait for permit issuance.
8. Build according to the approved plans, then schedule required inspections through the portal.
9. Obtain final approval from the Development Department.

Typical processing time: No standard public turnaround is posted on the cited Victorville permit pages; plans are reviewed in the order received.

Source: City of Victorville Development Department, Building Division / Permit Center

General Requirements

The City states that permitted projects generally follow the Permit Center process and publishes a non-exhaustive list of common residential work requiring permits, including additions or alterations to mechanical, plumbing, or electrical systems; decks/balconies over 30 inches high; demolition; certain fences and retaining walls; garage conversions; gazebos over 120 square feet; guest houses; new HVAC units; mobile home carports/awnings and set-downs; new garages or carports; attached patio covers or patio covers over 120 square feet; patio enclosures; re-roofing over 1 square; slabs with footings; photovoltaic systems; sheds over 120 square feet; pools/spas 18 inches deep or deeper; water heater replacements; and service upgrades/relocations. If work is not listed, the City instructs applicants to contact the Building Division to confirm requirements.

Required Documents

• Digital plans and supporting documents uploaded through the portal
• project-specific submittal requirements are on the Fees & Forms page. The City also publishes forms including contractor declaration, property owner declaration, special inspection authorization, construction waste management plan, sewer fee calculation request, and other project-specific supplements

Permit validity

Victorville's current permittee authorization forms state a permit becomes void if no inspection is requested within 12 months from issuance, or if after the first inspection the work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days. The City also provides a Plan Review or Permit Extension form; the extension form references one-time extensions for up to 180 days for plan review, and permit expiration rules under Victorville Development Code sections 16-5.01.100 and 16-5.01.110.

Building code

The City's Building Codes page lists the 2025 California Building Code, 2025 California Residential Code, 2025 California Mechanical Code, 2025 California Electrical Code, 2025 California Plumbing Code, and 2025 California Green Code. The City's building code handout also references 2025 T-24 and the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.

Owner-builder

The City requires an Owner-Builder Declaration if the applicant is claiming exemption from contractor licensure. The form cites Business and Professions Code sections 7031.5 and 7044 and requires the owner to state the exemption basis. It also warns that, except for a personal residence occupied for at least one year before completion, an owner-builder generally cannot legally sell a structure not built entirely by licensed contractors.

Contractor requirements

The City's contractor declaration form requires the applicant to affirm under penalty of perjury that the contractor is licensed under California Business and Professions Code chapter 9, that the license is in full force and effect, and to provide license class and number. The form also requires workers' compensation disclosure.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

No universal minimum fee is stated on the main fee schedule page. In the City's 2026 stand-alone permit fee chart, the lowest listed stand-alone permit fee is $74 for electrical circuits.

Plan check fee

Yes. The City states an initial fee assessment is made to determine the applicable plan review fee, and residential fee kits list separate plan check amounts.

Permit fee formula

Mixed. Many standard permits use flat fees from the stand-alone chart. New residential construction and additions use square-foot-based plan review and inspection fee tables. Additional fees may include technology fees, SMIP seismic fees, green building fees, sewer fees, impact fees, drainage fees, school fees, and location-based bridge fees.

Reinspection fee

The public inspection page says failed inspections are emailed with reasons, but it does not publish a general reinspection fee there. Project-specific engineering notes and some permit documents indicate reinspection fees may apply. Additional penalty fees are not clearly summarized on the main building permit pages reviewed.

Payment note

The City instructs applicants to pay development and permit fees after plan approval and before issuance through the online portal. Exact fees are calculated after plan submittal/review; published fee kits are estimates only.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Residential on-site flat concrete work such as sidewalks or driveways does not require a building permit, though curb cutting and driveway approaches may require separate Engineering Division review
• Small sheds at 120 square feet or less are implied exempt because the City lists storage sheds over 120 square feet as requiring permits
• Small gazebos at 120 square feet or less are implied exempt because the City lists gazebos over 120 square feet as requiring permits
• Detached patio covers at 120 square feet or less are implied exempt because the City lists attached patio covers or patio covers over 120 square feet as requiring permits
• Fences at or below 3 feet in height, and front-yard fences at or below 18 inches, are implied exempt because the City lists larger fences as requiring permits
• Retaining or garden walls at or below 18 inches in height, or at or below 30 inches where no footing is required, are implied exempt because the City lists taller walls as requiring permits
• Pools or spas less than 18 inches deep are implied exempt because the City lists pools/spas 18 inches deep or deeper as requiring permits

Important: The City says its published permit-required list is not comprehensive. Even if a building permit is not required, separate planning, zoning, fire, engineering, utility, school district, air district, or right-of-way approvals may still apply depending on the project.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Schedule online through the Citizen Self Service Portal (online)
• (760) 955-5100 (phone)

Inspection hours

Monday-Friday.

Time windows

a.m. window 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. p.m. window 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., except Friday p.m. inspections end at 4:00 p.m.

Typical inspection sequence: The City does not publish one universal sequence on the cited page. Based on the permit and inspection process it uses, the sequence depends on scope and typically follows the approved permit stages for the job; for standard building work this generally means applicable foundation/slab or underground inspections, framing/rough trade inspections, and final inspection. This sequence is an inference from the City's permit/inspection framework rather than a step list published on one Victorville page.

Additional Resources

• Building code: The City's Building Codes page lists the 2025 California Building Code, 2025 California Residential Code, 2025 California Mechanical Code, 2025 California Electrical Code, 2025 California Plumbing Code, and 2025 California Green Code. The City's building code handout also references 2025 T-24 and the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
• Verify contractor license: CSLB License Lookup
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• - Building codes
• - Residential permit guidance / permit triggers
• - Plan review forms
• - Inspection process
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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