Complete Building Permit Application.  Permits will not be processed until a completed application has been received. All parts of the application must be signed and dated within 30 days of submittal.

Email completed building permit application to [email protected]  and include the following information in your email: 

• Project Address 

• APN 

• Complete Project Description (Scope of Work) that includes floor areas for all new, remodeled, addition areas, grading quantities, length of retailing walls, etc. (link to our Permit Submittal page) 

• Contact Name and Phone Number

• Email Address that must be used consistently throughout the permit process

WAIT : After application is received by County Staff, applicant will receive an email with instructions to upload plans online and a permit number. (This could take 24-48 hours during business hours.) 

Wait until you have received an email from County Staff. Use instructions found in the email, and upload all plans and supporting documentation to PermitSLO using the proper naming conventions. See Residential Naming Convention Guides and Commercial Naming Convention Guides for online application assistance. See Attaching Documents to a Permit for how to upload plans and supporting documentation to PermitSLO. Email County Staff contact when you have uploaded the plans.

Please Note: All applicants need a PermitSLO account. If you do not have an account, you will need to register by selecting “My Account.” Contractors should begin by selecting “Guide for Contractors.” For more information, please use the Quick Reference Guide. 

You will need to update plans within 5 to 10 days from permit application submittal or your permit application will be deemed expired.

• Once all plans and supporting documentation has been uploaded, staff will route the permit application to Planning for a zoning clearance and estimate the fees for the building permit.
• The applicant will receive a confirmation email with the invoice number. 

Pay the invoice (1st installment) through our online payment system (CSS). For help, CSS Payment Guide. 

When payment is made, please send an email to your county staff contact. (Payment must be received within 5 days from staff notifying the applicant or the permit application will be deemed expired.  Review will not start until payment is made and confirmed.) 

Once the plans have been reviewed, you will receive an email that will include details of corrections, conditions, school fees, and remaining fees as applicable. 

• Please review this information and resubmit the corrected plans and supporting documentation into the CSS portal under your projects assigned permit number. 

• Please remember to follow the naming convention (BLD-3045 for Residential permits and BLD-3046 for Commercial permits) that was sent to you at the start of the project as this will help us facilitate moving the project along. 

Once all previous steps are completed, you will receive an email with the Permit Issuance Report.  

• Please sign the appropriate areas and initial each page on the bottom left corner where indicated.  

• Scan or take photos of each page and email them to the staff contact in a single file.  

Once all steps are completed, you will receive email notification that the approved plans are ready for download within the CSS portal.

The applicant will need to print the plans and supporting documentation to have available onsite at time of inspections. Also, an inspection card and site ID card will be email to applicant / contractor.