Del Mar Building Permits Guide for Homeowners

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.

Del Mar is a small coastal city with steep bluffs, canyons, a beach overlay and a design review process that reaches well beyond the building code. For a homeowner thinking about selling, that means the permit history of a house can matter as much as its paint and flooring.

A deck added without approval, a remodel that never received a final inspection or a garage converted to a bedroom can all come up during escrow.

This guide explains how permits work in Del Mar based on the city’s own pages, who to call, what the process looks like and what to do if you find a gap before you sell.

Del Mar building permits at a glance

Topic	What the city says
Who handles permits	The Planning Department and Building Services at City Hall, 1050 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014
How to start	Email a request to Planning@delmar.ca.us or call (858) 755-9313 to begin a building permit application or plan check submittal
Online portal	The city operates an eTRAKIT online portal for permit activity
Inspection requests	Call (858) 375-9528 or email Inspector@delmar.ca.us
Design review	Some projects need a Design Review permit before building plan check can begin
Work in the public right of way	Requires a separate encroachment permit
Fees and timelines	Not published as a single table on the pages reviewed for this guide

The city’s pages do not post a plan-check turnaround or a complete fee schedule in a form that could be quoted here, so this guide does not give one. Ask the counter for a current estimate before you plan a repair around a listing date.

Where permit work starts in Del Mar

Building Services in Del Mar is housed with the Planning Department. The city’s Building Services page tells applicants to start a building permit application or plan check submittal by emailing Planning@delmar.ca.us or calling (858) 755-9313.

That is different from cities with a separate building department and a walk-up counter for every permit, so expect to begin with a conversation or an email rather than showing up with a stack of plans.

The city’s operating hours page also lists remote services, which means many steps can be handled without a trip to City Hall.

The city’s permit application form is a fillable PDF that asks the applicant to agree to comply with city and county ordinances and state construction law and to authorize city representatives to enter the property for inspection. Read that language before you sign, because it is the commitment that the inspections described below rest on.

Design review and coastal rules can come first

Del Mar is in the California coastal zone and has its own Local Coastal Program, and the municipal code adds overlays for the bluff, slope and canyon areas and for the beach. For many exterior projects, a building permit is only one of several approvals.

The city’s Design Review Board guide says that to begin the building plan check, the Planning Department prepares a Building Department Transmittal form that the applicant carries to the next step.

In plain terms, the planning approval has to be in hand, or at least in motion, before the building side takes over.

The city’s ADU ordinance gives a good example of how this works for one type of project. It requires an Administrative Coastal Development Permit for most accessory dwelling units unless a specific exemption applies, and it sets extra standards for bluff geotechnical reports, protected trees and scenic views.

If you plan to add or legalize any structure on a lot near the bluff, the beach or a canyon, ask Planning early which approvals apply, because those answers decide how long everything takes.

How the process works, step by step

1. Contact Planning and Building Services

Email Planning@delmar.ca.us or call (858) 755-9313 and describe the project. Staff can tell you whether it needs planning approval, a coastal permit or only a building permit.

2. Prepare the application and plans

Complete the city’s building permit application and gather plans. The city says a building permit application or plan check is started through that same request, and the eTRAKIT portal is the city’s online system for permit activity.

3. Plan check

Plans are reviewed for compliance with the building code and the city’s rules. If the reviewers have comments, revise and resubmit.

4. Pay fees and receive the permit

Fees apply to planning and building review. The pages reviewed for this guide do not publish a single schedule, so ask for a written estimate.

5. Schedule inspections

To schedule a building inspection, call (858) 375-9528 or email Inspector@delmar.ca.us. Keep the approved plans and the inspection card on site.

6. Final inspection

A permit is not finished until the final inspection is signed off. An open permit is the item a buyer’s inspector is most likely to ask about.

Encroachment permits and the public right of way

Work that touches a city street, sidewalk or easement is handled separately. The city’s encroachment permit guide explains the process for work on or into city rights of way and easements. Retaining walls, driveway aprons, landscaping or utility work at the edge of a lot can all fall into that category, and a missing encroachment permit is a common loose end on older properties.

Permits and selling a Del Mar home

Del Mar homes are often older, heavily remodeled and set on small or sloped lots, so permit history deserves attention before you list. Gather the following:

• Permit numbers and signed final inspections for additions, kitchen and bath remodels, re-pipes, roofs, decks and retaining walls
• Any design review or coastal approvals tied to the work
• Open or expired permits that were never finaled
• Records for any guesthouse, garage conversion or other extra living space

If you find work with no permit, you usually have three paths: apply after the fact and correct what the city requires, remove the work, or sell the home as-is and let the buyer decide.

The first two cost time and money, and the city, not an agent or a buyer, decides what it will accept. California sellers must also disclose known unpermitted work. Our guide to selling a California home with unpermitted work covers the disclosure side.

How to sell a house in Del Mar when permits are a problem

1. Collect what you have. Pull permits, final sign-offs and receipts, and ask the city what is on file for your address.
2. List the gaps. Note any remodel, conversion, deck or wall with no permit or no final inspection.
3. Price the fix. Get a contractor quote and add the planning and building fees and the time a coastal or design review step could add.
4. Decide how to sell. A retail sale may require the work to be legalized first. A cash sale lets you sell as-is and move on.

Related local pages: sell a house as-is in Del Mar, sell my house fast in Del Mar, we buy houses in Del Mar and the Del Mar cash offer process.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Del Mar?

Building Services works with the Planning Department at City Hall, 1050 Camino del Mar. To start a building permit application or plan check, the city says to email Planning@delmar.ca.us or call (858) 755-9313.

How do I schedule a building inspection?

The city says to call (858) 375-9528 or email Inspector@delmar.ca.us.

Does Del Mar have an online permit portal?

Yes. The city has an eTRAKIT online portal page on its website for permit activity.

Do I need design review or a coastal permit before a building permit?

It depends on the project. Del Mar has a Design Review process and a Local Coastal Program, and many exterior projects need those approvals before building plan check. Ask Planning which apply to your lot.

How much do Del Mar permits cost and how long does plan check take?

The pages reviewed for this guide do not publish a single fee table or a plan-check turnaround, so ask the counter for a current written estimate.

Can I sell a Del Mar house that has unpermitted work?

Yes. You can sell as-is to a cash buyer without legalizing the work first. Traditional buyers and lenders may ask for permits or repairs, and California sellers must disclose known unpermitted work.

More guides

• Del Mar Code Enforcement Guide
• Del Mar Zoning and ADU Guide
• We Buy Houses in Del Mar
• We Buy Houses in San Diego County
• San Diego County Property Tax Guide
• Selling a California Home With Unpermitted Work

Sources

• City of Del Mar, Building Services
• City of Del Mar, Operating Hours and Remote Services
• City of Del Mar, FAQ: Planning and Building
• City of Del Mar, Design Review Permit Applicant Guide
• City of Del Mar, Encroachment Permit Applicant Guide

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the city.