Building and Safety Division
We encourage you to contact us by emailing us at buildingpermits@cityofsoledad.com
or visiting us at the Building & Safety Division before you submit your Building Permit Application.
We will answer your questions and let you know if your proposed project is within the City’s development guidelines.
As of 6/19/2023
All Building Permits are now handled through our new SmartGOV portal. Please read the sections below for more information before submitting.
Solar Permit portal is now live.
Click on the button above to create an account with the SolarAPP+ portal to start the process.
Building & Safety Division
The mission of the Building & Safety Division is to provide quality services to the community in a manner that is comprehensive, effective, knowledgeable and helpful to the public. The Building & Safety Division promotes and ensures that all new development in Soledad is constructed in accordance with the highest standards of safety and that all existing structures are maintained in a safe condition.
Overview
Regulating the construction or renovation of buildings is an important aspect of consumer protection that benefits both the residents and visitors of our city. Before a building is constructed or altered, the property owner is responsible for obtaining a building permit from the City. During this process, plans are reviewed to ensure the design will satisfy all city and state construction codes. Once plans have been checked and any necessary corrections have been approved, the permit is issued and construction may begin. Our staff of certified inspectors will conduct inspections of the project during various stages of construction to verify that building code requirements are adhered to and that the work is consistent with the plans approved by the City.
Code Enforcement
The Building & Safety Division of the Community & Economic Development Department is also responsible for enforcing various land use, property development, building and sign regulations. Our municipal ordinance enforcement program is handled on a complaint-driven basis and we respond to over 50 cases per year. For more information, please visit Code Enforcement.
Building Permits
You may be referred to other staff members to determine if your project will require any Planning approvals before you can apply for a Building Permit. Approval may require action by staff, the Architectural Review Committee, the Planning Commission or the City Council.
If your project requires Planning approval, you must file a Planning Application and pay required fees. Those fees are separate from the Building Permit fees. Required planning approvals must be granted before you are allowed to apply for a Building Permit.
Our Staff may also have you discuss your project with the Public Works Department, the Fire Department or the Monterey County Health Department to determine if there will be any special requirements. Staff may suggest ideas to make the Building Permit process easier for you. Asking us questions early in the process may save you time.
All Building & Planning Permit Applications are to submitted via SmartGov.
You will have to sign up and create an account. Once your application has been submitted and processed, you will get an email notification letting you know if there are changes that need to be made or the total amount of fees due. Permit fees can only be paid in person, via: cash, check or credit card.
| name | title | phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeanette Barbosa-Boykin | Building Permit Technician | 831-223-5170 |
Building Inspection Services
Inspection requests must be made at least 2 days before the inspection date by scheduling through SmartGov Portal. Cancelled/rescheduled inspections need to be made 24 hours prior to inspections. Building Inspections are available, Monday-Friday, 9:30 to 11 am, except for Tuesday: 11am to 1pm.
Planning inspections are available by appointment only.
Tuesday 10 am to 11 am.
Inspections at Mobile Home Parks: Santa Elena (980 Front St.), Nielsen’s Trailer Park (34055 Front St.), Soledad Motor Lodge and Trailer Park (263 Front St.), Greenleaf Estates (1800 Metz Rd.), and Almond Acres (311 Orchard Lane) in the City of Soledad are provided by the State of California. Call Housing and Community Development at (916) 255-2501.
When To Call For Inspections
The general contractor/owner-builder or a duly authorized representative is responsible for verifying that all work is complete prior to requesting an inspection. This authorized representative shall also be responsible for walking with the Inspector on all inspections and for coordinating all sub-contractors duties relevant to correction items cited by the inspector. The City Stamped “Approved” plans, permit card and all prior “Correction Notices” must be on the job site for all inspections. Re-inspections must be requested after all corrections have been made and before any work is covered.
The following sequence should provide a guideline for clarifying then to call for inspections. Deviation from this sequence may be granted by the Inspector if sufficient reasons or conditions are cited and code compliance can be met without adverse effects. The General Rule is all work shall remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes until inspection approval is obtained.
Foundation Inspection
- Concrete Slab or Under-Floor Inspection
- Roof Sheathing
- Exterior Shear Inspection
- Masonry Fireplace Inspection
- Framing Inspection
- Insulation Inspection
- Drywall/Exterior and Interior Lath Inspection
- Building Sewer/Water Services (from Meter or Street to House or Business) Inspection
- Stucco Inspection
- Gas Line Air Test Inspection
- Final Inspection
Please be advised that all inspections must be cleared (in writing) before utilities are released and Certificate of Occupancy is issued. This included final clearances from not only the Building Division, but also the Planning, and the Public Works and Fire Department.
Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
In 2015, in compliance with Executive Order No. B-29-15, the State of California Department of Water Resources updated the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) which requires irrigation efficiency in landscaping. All projects requiring a building permit, design review, or plan check are reviewed for applicability of this ordinance. The MWELO applies to the following projects:
Construction projects with 500 square feet or more of new landscape area, and which require a building permit, plan check or design review; or,
Rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more, and which require a building permit, plan check or design review.
New landscape areas for residential and non-residential projects between 500 and 2,499 square feet requiring a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review may comply with the ordinance utilizing the Prescriptive Compliance Option, available below.
Rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or greater shall comply with the Performance Compliance Option, available below.
New landscape areas for residential and non-residential projects between 500 and 2,499 square feet requiring a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review may comply with the ordinance utilizing the Prescriptive Compliance Option, available here:
New landscape areas for residential and non-residential projects between 500 and 2,499 square feet requiring a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review may comply with the ordinance utilizing the Prescriptive Compliance Option, available here:
For more information contact the Building and Planning Division at (831) 223-5000 or visit Soledad Municipal Chapter 15.11- Water Efficient Landscape Design Requirements
Staff
Community & Economic Development Director
Kao Nou Yang
Email: kyang@cityofsoledad.gov
Phone: 831-223-5179
