Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara Building & Safety pages; sources are listed at the end.

In Santa Barbara, building permits are handled by the Building & Safety Division of the Community Development Department. If you are selling a house with permit questions, or planning work before you list, this guide covers what the city says about applying, inspections and the building codes now in force.

Santa Barbara building permits at a glance

What does the Building & Safety Division do?

The city describes three services. The Building Counter and Plan Review team gives guidance on permits and reviews architectural and engineering plans for compliance with state law, ordinances and health and safety codes.

Building Inspection and Code Enforcement checks work against approved plans and investigates reports of substandard or dangerous structures. Records and Archives keeps Community Development property records, which can help when you are sorting out what was permitted on a house.

Which building code applies now?

The division says it must enforce the 2025 California Building Standards Codes starting January 2, 2026. Projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025 may comply with the 2022 edition. If you are starting work on an older house now, expect the newer code to apply.

Forms and policies the city lists

The Building & Safety forms index includes a building permit application and application guide, a project plan submittal guide, an owner-builder disclosure form, a building permit extension request, a permit reinstatement, renewal and expiration policy, a void building permit form, a temporary certificate of occupancy request and an appeal process document.

Fee schedules are linked there too. If a past owner left a permit open, the expiration and reinstatement policy is the place to start.

How permits affect selling a house in Santa Barbara

Buyers and lenders often ask whether additions, garage conversions or remodels were permitted, and sellers generally have to disclose known issues. Unpermitted work may need to be legalized or removed, and that can mean plans, fees and inspections. For rules on reports of unpermitted construction, see our Santa Barbara code enforcement guide.

How to sell a house in Santa Barbara with permit issues

1. Find out what is on record. Ask the Building & Safety Counter about permit history for the address.
2. Check for open permits. Read the city’s extension, renewal and expiration policy.
3. Compare your options. Legalize and list, sell with a credit, or sell as-is to a cash buyer.
4. Disclose honestly. A cash offer does not change what you must disclose.

We buy Santa Barbara houses as they are. See how we buy houses in Santa Barbara or read our Santa Barbara cash-offer process.

Santa Barbara permit details worth knowing before you sell

The Building & Safety counter is at 630 Garden Street. The city lists the counter phone as (805) 564-5485 ext. 4371 and the email as CDBuildingCode@SantaBarbaraCA.gov. City Hall, at 735 Anacapa Street, keeps 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours Monday through Thursday and on alternate Fridays.

Fees are paid through the Accela Citizen Access portal, and the city warns that it will never ask for payment by wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer apps.

The city says it began enforcing the 2025 Edition of the California Building Standards Codes on January 2, 2026, while projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025 could follow the 2022 edition. If your permit dates from around that change, ask the counter which edition governs it.

The city’s forms index also lists a permit extension request, a permit reinstatement, renewal and expiration policy, an owner-builder disclosure form and a process for legalizing unpermitted ADUs and JADUs, so an old or unfinished permit usually has a route to be resolved.

California disclosure rules when permits are in question

Permit rules are local, but disclosure rules are statewide. Under Civil Code section 1102.1, delivery of the transfer disclosure statement cannot be waived in an as-is sale, and your duty to disclose material facts that affect value or desirability stays in place.

If you know of an addition or conversion done without a required permit, treat it as a material fact and raise it with your agent or escrow officer. Our California as-is and unpermitted work guide explains what as-is changes and what it does not.

Need to talk it through? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. There is no cost and no obligation.

Santa Barbara’s preapproved ADU plans and what they mean for a seller

If you own a Santa Barbara lot with room for an accessory dwelling unit, the city’s preapproved ADU program is worth knowing about.

The city lists three plan sets: the BESHDA Gable400 at 406 square feet, the Bevyhouse at 740 square feet (a factory-built unit on a foundation), and the Godkin at 526 square feet, which the city notes is not eligible under the 2025 codes.

The city says the program reduces the plan-check fee by 25 percent and that plan check generally takes about 10 business days, half the standard time. The city also says these units are not allowed in the front yard.

The steps the city describes are: verify the lot with Planning at (805) 564-5578, choose a plan, apply with the building application and the Preapproved ADU Supplemental, go through plan check, receive the permit, and pass inspections. For a seller, a permitted ADU can be a selling point, while an unpermitted one is something a buyer’s inspector may flag.

Code-year deadlines and the 2025 update

The city says projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025 may comply with the 2022 California Building Code. Later submittals follow the newer code. If you have a half-finished project or an old permit application on file, ask the Building & Safety counter which code cycle governs it, because that affects what the final inspection will look for and what a buyer can rely on.

Avoiding permit-payment scams

Santa Barbara warns that the city will never ask for payment by wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer apps. Permit fees are paid through the city’s Accela Citizen Access portal or at the counter. If anyone claiming to be from the city asks for payment another way, stop and call the counter at (805) 564-5485 ext. 4371 to verify.

When permits meet a sale deadline

The counter is on Garden Street and, per the city, City Hall hours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on alternating Fridays, so check the calendar before planning a visit. If you are selling and have an unresolved permit, you can ask the city what closing it would take, then weigh that against selling as-is. Read our California as-is guide for how that sale works.

Santa Barbara building permits FAQ

Where do I apply for a building permit in Santa Barbara?

The city lists Accela Citizen Access (ACA) for submitting building permit applications, paying invoiced fees and submitting revisions. You create a public user account first.

Which building code does Santa Barbara enforce?

The city says the division enforces the 2025 California Building Standards Codes starting January 2, 2026. Projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025 may comply with the 2022 edition.

Who do I call with a permit question?

The Building & Safety Counter is at (805) 564-5485 ext. 4371 or CDBuildingCode@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.

Can I sell a Santa Barbara house with unpermitted work?

Yes. It does not legally stop a sale, but it can slow a traditional one. A cash buyer can purchase the house as it is.

Where is the Santa Barbara Building & Safety counter?

It is at 630 Garden Street. The city lists the counter phone as (805) 564-5485 ext. 4371.

How do I pay Santa Barbara permit fees?

Through the Accela Citizen Access portal. The city says it will never ask for payment by wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer apps.

Which building code does Santa Barbara enforce?

The city says it began enforcing the 2025 Edition of the California Building Standards Codes on January 2, 2026. Projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025 may comply with the 2022 Edition.

Does Santa Barbara have preapproved ADU plans?

Yes. The city lists the BESHDA Gable400 (406 sq ft) and the Bevyhouse (740 sq ft, factory-built on a foundation) as available options. A third plan, the Godkin, is noted as not eligible under the 2025 codes. The city says the program cuts the plan-check fee by 25 percent.

How does Santa Barbara say I should pay permit fees?

The city says it will never ask for payment by wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer apps. Use the Accela Citizen Access portal or the counter, and call (805) 564-5485 ext. 4371 if you are unsure.

Sources

• City of Santa Barbara: Building & Safety Division
• City of Santa Barbara: Building & Safety Forms and Applications

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm requirements with the City of Santa Barbara.