Town of Windsor, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Town of Windsor municipal building permits and inspections within Windsor limits; other permits may still be required from other agencies.

Department

Town of Windsor Building Division

Address

9291 Old Redwood Hwy #400, Windsor, CA 95492

Phone

707-838-5341

Email

buildingdivision@townofwindsor.ca.gov

Website

https://www.townofwindsor.ca.gov/163/Building-Division

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Call or email the Building Division to confirm permit requirements and request account access if needed.
2. Start the permit submission in eTRAKiT.
3. Complete the Building Permit Application and submit project, owner, contractor, valuation, and work-description details.
4. Attach supporting forms based on project scope.
5. Pay required fees based on the current master fee schedule.
6. Request inspections through eTRAKiT as work progresses.

Typical processing time: Residential plan check 15 working days; non-residential plan check 20 working days.

Source: Town of Windsor Building Division

General Requirements

The town advises calling the Building Inspection Division to determine whether a permit is required.

Required Documents

• Completed Building Permit Application
• Property owner authorization when the applicant is not the owner
• Contractor license details, including business license and state license where applicable
• Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide affidavit, special inspection form, erosion plan, and construction waste management plan as triggered by the project

Permit validity

Expired permit renewals are charged at 80% of the Building Permit Table, and a one-year permit extension is available for $220 per application.

Building code

California Building Standards Code Title 24 and the Windsor Municipal Code.

Owner-builder

Owners must submit a signed owner-builder declaration when claiming exemption from contractor licensing.

Contractor requirements

Applicants must either be licensed contractors or provide a lawful exemption basis.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

$38

Plan check fee

0.65 times the Building Permit Table.

Permit fee formula

Base-and-variable valuation formula under the Building Permit Table, with additional building-related statutory fees of 0.204 and 0.153 times the Building Permit Table.

Reinspection fee

$220

Penalty (no permit)

Working without permit penalty can be up to 2x the Building Permit Table.

Payment note

The fee schedule includes site review, permit, and inspection line items, and town pages link online payment options.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective FY 2025-26).

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Side and rear yard fencing generally up to 6 feet
• Fencing between a house and the street up to 3 feet

Important: Fence exemptions are location-specific and can change by site. Zoning exceptions are separate from building permit exemptions, and right-of-way work usually still needs an encroachment permit.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• eTRAKiT inspection scheduling (online)
• SelecTXT 877-813-1904 (text)
• (707) 522-8346 (phone)

Inspection hours

Inspections are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Time windows

Construction is allowed weekdays 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Typical inspection sequence: Typical sequence includes pre-construction or site inspection, form and footing, foundation, framing and MEP stages, intermediate and rough inspections, hold-downs, final, and occupancy-related inspections.

Additional Resources

• Building code: California Building Standards Code Title 24 and the Windsor Municipal Code.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Zoning code update
• Fees
• Permit Center
• Inspections
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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