City Building Permits
Redwood City, CA Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Redwood City, California. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
City permit jurisdiction (Redwood City proper). City staff notes the permit counter team issues building permits except for mobile home parks.
- Department
- Building Division, Building Inspection & Code Enforcement, City of Redwood City
- Address
- 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA 94063
- Phone
- (650) 780-7350 (counter); inspection request line (650) 780-7361
- permits@redwoodcity.org
Online Permit Portal
Platform: CentralSquare eTRAKiT permit portal • Account required: Yes • Submission: Online or in-person
Application Process
- Confirm permit type and scope by calling the Building Department at (650) 780-7350 or visiting City Hall counter.
- Complete the Building Permit Application PDF and upload it (plus required documents) through the eTRAKiT upload link.
- If doing One Stop, request it via permits@redwoodcity.org after permit submission.
- Pay plan review fees (often by email invoice/Authorize.net).
- Assign permit to a plan reviewer, then schedule review/inspection sequence through eTRAKiT.
- Work cannot begin until permit is issued; permit is issued after approval of plans.
- Track permit status online; call (650) 780-7350 for support.
Typical processing time: plan-review range on city page is 3-8 weeks for many building permit categories, and FAQ also cites 6-24 weeks depending on project scope.
Source: Building Division, Building Inspection & Code Enforcement, City of Redwood City
General Requirements
permits are generally required for all work not exempted under CBC 105.2, including interior remodels, alterations/additions, new construction, repairs with permit scope beyond simple routine exceptions.
Required Documents
- - completed building permit application form (including owner/contractor details and project data) - signed contractor declaration or owner-builder declaration - construction plans/drawings - workers compensation and other declarations as required - additional supporting docs for specific permit types (e.g., owner/business license, plans, engineering documents)
- Permit validity
- permit is valid for 365 days from issue; each passed field inspection extends validity by 365 days.
- Building code
- City references California Building Code provisions (CBC/IEBC/IRC framework), and permits/exemptions are linked to CBC 105.2.
- Owner-builder
- owner/builder option allowed with signed exemption declaration (CBC/state licensing declaration), but only for work performed by owner and owner’s employees; resale/intent-to-sell triggers additional legal risk.
- Contractor requirements
- work must be performed by appropriately licensed contractors for commercial/multifamily; California licensed contractor declaration is required on permit application; California Business & Professions Code references apply.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- $125
- Plan check fee
- typically 65% of permit fee (minimum $125) for building, mechanical, plumbing, fire permits; electrical is 25% of permit fee (minimum $125).
- Permit fee formula
- valuation-based fees with tiered increments by permit value; plus review fees; separate schedules for building/plumbing/mechanical/electrical/fire depending permit type.
- Reinspection fee
- reinspection listed at $125 per hour; additional plan-review revisions also commonly billed by the hour ($125/hour).
- Payment note
- eTRAKiT supports online permit and inspection transactions; planning/permit staff notes include payment by online methods, in person, or wire transfer for large charges; permit review invoices are also sent via Authorize.net.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Important: exemptions do not override all laws/code compliance; emergency work still must be reported the next business day, and many projects require a permit when in doubt.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- CentralSquare eTRAKiT permit portal (online)
- (650) 780-7361 (phone)
- Inspection hours
- Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. for inspection operations; requests are typically scheduled 3-8 days ahead.
Typical inspection sequence: submit permit and obtain approvals, use eTRAKiT to request inspections (including pre-added inspection sets), then complete each inspected trade/phase in sequence under active permit.
Additional Resources
- Building code: City references California Building Code provisions (CBC/IEBC/IRC framework), and permits/exemptions are linked to CBC 105.2.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Building Applications Handouts
- Building Permit Checklist
- One Stop Service
- Inspections.
- License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Building Division, Building Inspection & Code Enforcement, City of Redwood City before applying.
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