Building & Safety
Please note, as with most city administrative offices, Community Development and all 630 Garden Street Public Counters will be closed for the winter holidays from Friday, December 20, 2024 through Friday January 3, 2025. Offices will reopen on Monday, January 6, 2025.
For more details, on Land Development closure read the End of the Year Bulletin. For information on other City offices closure, visit the City’s December Holiday Closures webpage.
What We Do
- Building Counter & Plan Review provides guidance for the public and staff for all types of building related issues including preparing and issuing building permits. They review engineering and architectural plans for compliance with state laws, ordinances and health and safety codes.
- Building Inspection and Code Enforcement perform building inspections for compliance with approved plans, design review details, and conditions. They also investigate in response to citizen and other agency reports of sub-standard and/or dangerous structures. This team also provides technical assistance in assessing the safety of structures following a disaster.
- Records & Archives provide cashiering services for all Land Development transactions. They coordinate and provide for the imaging, storage, archival and accessibility of Community Development Property Records for the community and staff in adherence with State laws and City Council policies.
New California Building Standards Code Changes to Take Effect on January 1, 2023: Beginning January 1, 2023, the City of Santa Barbara Building and Safety Division will be required by State law to enforce the 2022 Edition of California Building Standards Codes (also known as Title 24 of the California Codes of Regulations). Projects submitted on or before December 20, 2022, are permitted to comply with the 2019 Edition of the California Building Standards Code.
City of Santa Barbara Construction Codes & Amendments - Effective January 1, 2023