Tustin Building Permits Guide for Homeowners and Sellers

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team. Information comes from the City of Tustin; sources are listed at the end.

Tustin’s Building Division counter, at 714-573-3130, has a building technician available to give permit information during normal office hours. The city’s Permits Process page covers grading, building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical projects.

Tustin building permits at a glance

How do I check permits on a Tustin property?

Call the Building Division at 714-573-3130 and ask what is on file for the address, and look at the city’s City Records page for records requests. If an addition, garage conversion or remodel has no permit, treat it as unpermitted work.

Why does unpermitted work matter in Tustin?

Tustin’s code enforcement team takes concerns by phone, email and an online form. See our Tustin code enforcement guide.

How permits affect selling a house in Tustin

In California, sellers generally have to disclose known problems, including work you know was done without a permit. On a traditional sale, buyers often ask for a closed-out permit, repairs or a price cut. A cash buyer can purchase the house with the permit problem unresolved and price the risk into the offer.

How to sell a house in Tustin with unpermitted work or open permits

1. Check the city record. Call the Building Division about the address.
2. List what you know. Who did the work, when, and whether you have receipts or plans.
3. Compare options. Finish the permit, sell with a price credit, or sell as-is to a cash buyer.
4. Disclose honestly. A cash offer does not change what you must disclose.

We buy Tustin houses as they are. Read selling a house as-is in Tustin or our Tustin cash-offer process.

Not sure what your permit history means for a sale? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. No cost, no obligation.

What the city’s Permits Process page covers

The city’s Permits Process page is described as information about grading, building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical projects. That list is a useful way to think about your own property.

A house can carry permits in any of those five categories: a regrade or retaining wall, a structural addition, a furnace or air conditioner replacement, a repiped bathroom or water heater swap, and an electrical panel upgrade.

Walk the property and write down every change in those categories, then ask the Building Division about each. The city’s Building and Development page also lists building submittal and checklist documents, which show what the city expects for a given type of project.

Contacting the right line at City Hall

The city lists the Building Division counter at 714-573-3130, with a building technician available to give permit information during normal office hours. Inspection requests go to a separate line at 714-573-3141, where you leave the permit number, project address and your name.

City Hall is at 300 Centennial Way, Tustin, CA 92780, with a main line of 714-573-3000. Use the counter number for records and permit status questions and the inspection line only when a permit already exists and you are ready for a visit.

Requesting records for a Tustin address

The city has a City Records page for records requests. For a seller, the key point is to ask in writing when the answer will matter later, for example to a buyer’s lender.

A written reply from the Building Division about what is on file for the address, saved with its date, is stronger evidence than a phone conversation. If the answer is that no permit exists for visible work, you know what to disclose.

A Tustin seller’s permit checklist

1. List improvements in the city’s five categories: grading, building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical.
2. Call 714-573-3130 and ask what is on file for each.
3. Ask for records in writing if a buyer or lender is waiting.
4. Identify open permits and ask what is needed to finish them, then request an inspection at 714-573-3141 when ready.
5. Gather plans and receipts for finished work.
6. Choose how to sell. Our California as-is and unpermitted work guide explains disclosure, and the seller closing costs guide shows what a traditional sale costs.

Mistakes to avoid in Tustin

• Assuming a contractor pulled a permit because the invoice mentions one.
• Calling the inspection line before a permit exists.
• Treating a verbal answer from the counter as proof.
• Starting new work on a house you are about to sell without checking the permit rules for it.

More Tustin permit questions

What kinds of projects does Tustin’s permits page cover?

The city describes the page as information about grading, building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical projects.

Where is Tustin City Hall?

The city lists 300 Centennial Way, Tustin, CA 92780, with a main line of 714-573-3000.

Where do I request records in Tustin?

The city has a City Records page for records requests.

Three Tustin situations and how each plays out

A replaced furnace or water heater. Mechanical and plumbing work are two of the five categories on the city’s permits page. Ask the Building Division at 714-573-3130 whether a permit exists.

An older addition. Building additions fall under the city’s building category. If nothing is on file, treat it as unpermitted work and plan your disclosure.

A permit that was opened but never inspected. The inspection line at 714-573-3141 takes permit numbers, so you can request one once you know the permit exists. Ask the counter what must be completed first.

A note on source limits

The city’s permits pages render poorly for automated readers, so this guide relies on the phone numbers, categories and addresses the city lists. Fees, review timelines and forms are not stated here. Confirm those with the Building Division before you plan around them.

Planning the timeline around permit work

Permit work has its own clock: an application, plan review where needed, inspections and corrections. If a closing is near, compare the cost of delay with the discount a cash buyer might ask for taking the house as it is.

Tustin building permits FAQ

Who do I call for Tustin building permit information?

The Building Division counter at 714-573-3130.

How do I request an inspection in Tustin?

Call 714-573-3141 and leave your permit number, project address and name.

Can I sell a house in Tustin with an open permit?

Yes. An open permit does not legally stop a sale, but it can slow a traditional one. A cash buyer can purchase the house with the permit still open.

How do I sell a house in Tustin with unpermitted additions?

Disclose the work, then choose between permitting it, discounting the price, or selling as-is to a cash buyer who accounts for the risk in the offer.

Sources

• City of Tustin: Building
• City of Tustin: Permits Process

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules change; confirm requirements with the City of Tustin.