Start Your Project is the best way to identify which permit service fits your project.

Overview 

Our range of permit services addresses the types and complexity of building projects:

ADU Service - Specifically for accessory dwelling units.

Simple Projects Service - Walk-in permit issuance for qualifying residential projects that are simple but require us to verify information.

Over-the-Counter Service - Walk-in permit issuance for qualifying single-family/duplex projects that have limited structural changes.

Residential Express Service - Virtual permit issuance for qualifying accessory structures or additions/remodels on single-family/duplex properties.

Standard Plan Review Service - Available to all commercial, industrial, and residential projects that require plan review and that do not qualify for another service. 

Streamlined Restaurant Program - Qualifying restaurants, cafés, and food or beverages services that are less than 3,000 sq. ft. can have our expert small business allies guide them through the permit process.

Streamlined Tenant Alteration Review (STAR) Service - Only for office and commercial tenants undertaking eligible interior improvements or industrial tool installations. The permit is issued in a single group meeting.

Resubmittal/Revision Service - Use this service if a) you need to submit revised plans for a project that has been issued a permit, or b) you are not using SJePlans and you need to resubmit plans. 

Approved Permit Issuance - If plans are approved but you still have required documents to submit in order to be issued a permit, use this service.

Online Building Permits - Self-service permits are available 24/7 for more than 50 types of simple building projects.

The 2025 Building Codes became effective Jan. 1, 2026. View codes at Building Standards Commission.

To help provide customers with timeline expectations, the Customer Service Dashboard shows current timelines at key phases of the permit process. The dashboards are real-time and show either a green check mark to indicate achievement of our goal or a red exclamation mark to indicate falling short of the goal. Click the metric below for details or to explore the full dashboard. For Commercial/Industrial projects, see the "time to first comments" dashboard.