Building permits in Contra Costa County, California
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Contra Costa County, 5 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division
- Application and Permit Center, 30 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553
- Phone: 925-655-2700
- Email: permits@dcd.cccounty.us
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
What needs a permit in Contra Costa County
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Contra Costa County, 5 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | area of a deck that is also no more than 30 inches above grade at any point, is not attached to a dwelling, and does not serve a code-required exit door | No deck-specific flat fee is published |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Land Development Fee Schedule S-002 C.6, "Electrical Permit (Other) $75.00 minimum."... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | height of a fence, with concrete and masonry walls treated as walls rather than fences | ..."Fences Greater than 7ft": Building Permit / Inspection, chain-link or wood $116.00... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | Land Development Fee Schedule S-002 D.6, "Mechanical Permit (Other) $75.00 minimum."... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | roof area of a trellis, arbor, or pergola accessory to a residence, treated by the county as a one-story detached accessory structure | ...cover (includes pre-fab types, usually with ICBO research listing)" at $25.73 per... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | Land Development Fee Schedule S-002 E.6, "Plumbing Permit (Other) $75.00 minimum."... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | depth of a prefabricated pool accessory to a one or two family dwelling that is installed entirely above ground and holds no more than 5,000 gallons | The Building Valuation Data Supplement sets a "Swimming pool, lump sum of: $39,514.98"... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Schedule item 14, "Re-Roofs - Residential": Building Permit / Inspection $150.00... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure | No shed-specific flat fee is published |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...mount," photovoltaic systems 15 kW or less: Building Permit/inspection $86.00 per... |
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Contra Costa County permit fees compared with nearby California localities
| California locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa County | No deck-specific flat fee is published | ...Schedule S-002 D.6, "Mechanical Permit (Other) $75.00... | ...Schedule S-002 C.6, "Electrical Permit (Other) $75.00... |
| Alameda County | ...A building permit fee table (for example, '$381.46... | ...Permit 18% of Building Permit Fees, $140.00... | ...Permit 20% of Building Permit Fees, $140.00... |
| Fresno County | No flat deck permit fee is published | ...Code Fees, FY 2026-27: Issuing each permit... | ...Code Fees, FY 2026-27: Issuing permits $42.77... |
| Los Angeles | ...valuation per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A, posted base $65... | ...Fee Sch.3 (7/2017), for example a gas furnace at $19... | ...Permit Fee Schedule (rev 12/2016): minimum $55 for... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that California jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Contra Costa County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Contra Costa County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Contra Costa County, 5 always require a permit (for example an electrical permit), 5 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance). Each Contra Costa County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Contra Costa County?
- Contra Costa County publishes a fee for 10 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Contra Costa County?
- Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division issues permits in Contra Costa County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 925-655-2700. The Contra Costa County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Contra Costa County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 6 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Contra Costa County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.