Building Safety, Inspection and Permits

Please be advised that new 2025 California Codes will take effect on January 1, 2026 Learn More

The Elk Grove Building Division handles a variety of services, including inspections, safety standards, and permits. Building works closely with Planning, Development Engineering, Public Works, Fire, Police, and Finance to offer you the best care and service. Your business is our top priority. The Division issues permits and performs plan checks and inspections for Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical permits. Our permit process helps ensure the safety of the general public and tenant occupants within the City. Feel free to browse through our website and see what Building services we have to offer.  

It’s one of the most frequently asked questions from homeowners and even some contractors – and it’s a question that’s easily answered. If you want to protect your home and your family, your biggest investment and your piece of mind, get a building permit before doing any construction around the house.

• Your home is your biggest investment. It’s also an investment in your family’s comfort, safety and well being. Construction mistakes can be exasperating, extremely costly, and in some cases even deadly.
• A building permit ensures that a certified inspector will examine the project to determine if the work is done safely and according to code. This also allows you to ask questions from an un-biased expert. For do-it-yourselfers who don’t do installations or construction work every day, this is particularly valuable. Incorrect building or remodeling can cause house fires, flood damage and structural problems.
• Think safety. Think value.
• Permit inspections are an essential component to a successful construction project and for maintaining your home’s integrity. Cutting corners puts the value of your home and the safety of your family at risk.
• Prevent mistakes. Preserve your investment.
• Inspections should be viewed as a help, not a hindrance. Not only do inspections reveal minor problems that could lead to costly repairs later, they also uncover liability and life threatening issues like structural weakness, dangerous wiring or defective plumbing.
• When selling your home, you are required by California law to fully disclose all remodeling work and whether or not permits were obtained. With permits and inspections, you can expect a smoother closing process free of last minute hassles, inspections and repair work if the home isn’t up to code.

Remodeling or building a new home? Learn about the benefits of having an energy efficient home

There’s a very simple reason why building permits are required for construction – it’s all about safety. Building codes help ensure that the structures in which we live, work and play meet standards against collapse, fire and other potential dangers. If structures aren’t up to code, insurance companies may not pay on damage claims, and property owners could be liable if someone is injured.

If you’re starting a construction or remodeling project, make sure to find out if a building permit is required. You’ll need to pay the required fees, submit plans and have inspections performed during construction. That way, you’ll know your project is safe.

But what if you’ve acquired a property where work was performed without a permit, or you’ve done work yourself without a permit? You’ll need to apply for a building permit, pay an investigative fee and other required fees. If certain aspects of the construction can’t be readily seen, you may be required to arrange an inspection by a licensed California engineer or architect. It’s likely that at some point in the future, someone will want proof that your building complies with local building codes, so there’s no time like the present to take action.

For further information, visit the Elk Grove Building Safety and Inspection Services staff at 8401 Laguna Palms Way, or on the website at www.elkgrovecity.org/building-permits, or call 478-2235.

The City of Elk Grove now offers a Tenant Improvement Expedited Plan Review Program or T.I.E.R. 

The T.I.E.R. Program is designed to provide applicants with an "expedited plan review" process for Tenant Improvements in existing commercial buildings. This program allows applicants to submit minor tenant improvement plans to the City of Elk Grove's Building, Planning, and Fire Departments for the purpose of providing an expedited plan review on simple tenant improvements of a Business (B) or Mercantile (M) occupancy with a floor area of 5,000 square feet or less to obtain a permit quickly. 

T.I.E.R. Program

The City of Elk Grove is committed to develop and implement customer service improvements with the ultimate goal of enhanced customer service and providing a positive customer experience. 

To see if your project qualifies, please contact the Building Department by calling (916) 478-2235 or by email.

The Program provides grants to small businesses to defray the cost of obtaining City planning and/or building permits and approvals required to construct or retrofit commercial space that the business will occupy. Small businesses are defined under the Program as businesses with less than 20 employees and revenues under $3 million dollars.

View Policy, Guidelines, and Procedures.

Apply for the Small Business Permit Assistance Program