Building Permits | City of Albany, CA

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The Albany Building Department utilizes electronic permit submittals. All Building Permit Applications and supporting documents/plan sets can be emailed in PDF format to permits@albanyca.org for processing.

Documents can be scanned into PDFs with the use of an iPhone or Android device.

Do I need a permit?

Who can pull a permit?

Contractors - State-licensed Contractors may apply for and pull all necessary building permits
Agents - Third Party representatives can act on behalf of the property owner, with their written authorization, and apply for and pull building permits. The state-licensed contractor performing the work needs to be listed on the application.
Owners - Property Owners can apply and pull building permits, either listing the hired contractor on the application, or as an Owner-Builder, acting as their own general contractor.
- To pull a permit as an Owner-Builder, the applicant MUST own the property, consider the property their primary residence for a minimum of 12 months prior to completion of work, and complete work themselves.
- For more information on state law regarding acting as Owner-Builder, seeContractors State License Board website.
- Contractors State License Board Owner Builder Brochure

Any contractor or handyman hired to perform work in Albany must have a current Albany business license at the time of permit issuance. Please see the Business License page for more information on how to apply for or renew a business license.

Small Scale/Over-the-Counter Permits

Smaller residential projects limited to only minor or no structural changes can typically be issued within 1-2 business days, such as:

Furnace Replacements
Water Heater Replacements
Electrical Panel Change-outs and Upgrades
Siding Replacement or Repair

Other documents in addition to the Building Permit Application may be required for Over-the-Counter Permits such as:

Window Replacements
- Photos of existing windows
- Illustration or spec sheet showing appearance and dimensions of new window(s)
- Site Plan showing location of windows to be replaced
HVAC installations
- Site Plan showing location of condenser or outdoor unit and distance to property lines
Re-Roofs
- Fire Code Acknowledgement Form for materials applied with a heat source; Fire Code Section - Open Flames
Sewer Laterals
- An Encroachment Permit is needed for any work in the Public Right-of-Way and must be completed by a licensed contractor

Solar Permits

Licensed Contractors can apply for PV permits and receive instant plan review for qualifying residential projects through SolarApp+, an online review system designed to provide a code-compliance check for the majority of residential, roof-mounted, retrofit photovoltaic systems. To see which systems are eligible, please refer to the Eligibility Checklist.

Apply to SolarApp+ for instant permit approval:

Submit your design through SolarAPP+
Email SolarApp+ approval documents AND City of Albany Building Permit Application to permits@albanyca.org
An Albany Building Permit and Inspection Record Card will be issued and emailed to applicant to be kept on site for inspections.

Applicants whose projects are not eligible for or who do not wish to use SolarApp+ can apply for photovoltaics and energy storage system building permits via email using our standard submittal process.

Plan Review Permits

Other projects that do not qualify for an Over-the-Counter permit will typically require Plan Review.

For detailed information on Building Permit Submittal Requirements for projects requiring Plan Review, see Plan Review page.

Information regarding building designs and plan sets can be found in:

Accessory Dwelling Unit Handout

Building Permit Submittal Checklist for ADUs

Building Design Authority List

Bathroom Remodel Submittal List

Kitchen Remodel Submittal List