Delano Building Permits Guide for Homeowners

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

Delano’s Building Division, part of Community Development, handles permit applications at 1005 11th Avenue, lists an online permit system for applications and tracking, and says plans are reviewed by Building, Engineering and Planning. This guide walks Delano homeowners through the permit facts the city publishes, what its FAQ says about review time and fees, how plan review is split among three departments, and how permit history affects a sale.

Delano permits at a glance

Department	Building Division, Community Development, City of Delano
Office	1005 11th Ave, Delano, CA 93215
Phone	(661) 721-3360
Mailing address	City pages list P.O. Box 3010, Delano, CA 93216-3010
Online	Online Permit System (public portal) for permit applications and tracking
Plan review time	City FAQ: four to six weeks; reviewed by Building, Engineering and Planning
Fees	City FAQ: vary with square footage or valuation; plan check fee due when plans are submitted
Planning	1015 11th Avenue, (661) 721-3303 for planning questions

What the Delano Building Division handles

The Building Division’s page offers the city’s building permit application for download and tells residents to contact the division with questions. The application itself lists a required-documents section for permit applications, so check the current list before you submit. If you are unsure whether a project needs a permit, call (661) 721-3360 before work begins rather than after.

Typical residential work that homeowners ask about includes room additions, garage conversions, re-roofing, water heater and HVAC replacement, electrical service changes, patio covers and detached structures. The city’s pages do not publish a single exemption list in the text we could read, so ask the division which of your items need a permit and keep the answer in writing.

Plan review: three departments, four to six weeks

The city’s building FAQ answers the question of how long it takes to approve submitted plans with four to six weeks, and explains that three departments review the plans: Building, Engineering and Planning. That matters for timing. A small interior remodel may touch only Building, while an addition or new accessory structure can pull in Planning for setbacks and lot coverage and Engineering for drainage or utility connections.

The same FAQ says a building permit’s cost varies with square footage or valuation and that a plan check fee is required when plans are submitted. The city’s pages we could read do not publish a current fee table, so ask for a written estimate before you commit to a project or to a sale price.

Step by step: a Delano building permit

1. Confirm what you need

Call the Building Division at (661) 721-3360 or visit 1005 11th Avenue. Ask whether your project needs Planning or Engineering sign-off as well as a building permit.

2. Prepare the application and documents

Download the city’s building permit application and gather the required documents it lists. Incomplete packets are the most common reason review starts late.

3. Submit and pay the plan check fee

The city says a plan check fee is required when plans are submitted. The city also lists an online permit system where applicants sign up or log in to submit applications and track permits.

4. Wait for review and answer comments

Allow four to six weeks per the city FAQ, and respond to comments promptly so the clock does not restart.

5. Inspect and finalize

Keep every inspection card or record. The final sign-off is the proof a buyer’s agent, appraiser or lender will ask for. The city pages we could read do not publish inspection scheduling hours, so ask the division how to request each inspection.

Older city planning documents: use with care

Delano’s housing element chapter on constraints, an older city planning document, describes typical building permit review for a single-family home, addition or remodel as taking two to four weeks and lists development impact fee categories such as water, sewer, parks, police, fire, general government and traffic, plus school district fees charged separately.

Because that document predates today’s fee schedule and building codes, treat it as background only. The current FAQ and the Building Division are the better guide for timing and cost.

Why permit history matters when you sell

An open or expired permit can surface when a buyer’s agent, appraiser or lender checks city records or the online permit portal. If you bought a Delano home with an enclosed patio, converted garage or room addition, ask the division whether permits exist and whether they were finalized.

If not, you can legalize the work, disclose it and price accordingly, or sell as-is to a cash buyer who takes on the permit cleanup.

Delano sits in Kern County, so county property tax, recording and probate steps still apply when a Delano home changes hands. See our Kern County property tax guide, recorder and deed transfer guide and probate and inherited home guide.

Permits and selling a Delano house

Buyers and lenders ask about permit history, and California sellers generally disclose known unpermitted work on the Transfer Disclosure Statement. Our statewide guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work explains what disclosure involves, and the seller closing costs guide shows what else to budget. If tenants live in the home, read the tenant-occupied home sale guide.

When a Delano home has an open permit, an expired one, or work done without a permit, you generally have three options: finish and finalize the permit before listing, disclose the work and negotiate on the open market, or sell as-is to a cash buyer who takes the house in its current condition. Use this checklist:

• Ask the city’s building division for the permit record on your address.
• List every addition, garage conversion, enclosed patio or outbuilding, and note which have permits.
• Gather final inspection records, plans and contractor invoices.
• Ask what plans, fees and inspections it would take to permit each unpermitted item.
• Compare that cost and time with a no-repairs cash sale. New construction can also be reassessed for property tax, which our Prop 13 guide explains.

Questions to ask the Delano building division before you start

• Does my project need Planning or Engineering approval in addition to a building permit?
• Is there an exemption that applies, and what conditions come with it?
• What plan-check deposit and fees apply, and how long will review take right now?
• What inspections will be required, and in what order?
• Can an existing unpermitted structure be legalized, and what would that involve?

Common permit mistakes homeowners make

The most common problems are starting work before the permit is issued, letting a permit expire, skipping a required inspection, and assuming a contractor pulled a permit when none exists. Each one can surface years later when a buyer’s agent, appraiser or lender asks for records.

A lapsed or never-finalized permit is easier to resolve while you still own the home and can answer questions from the city. If you are not planning to stay, decide early whether finishing the permit or selling the house as it stands makes more sense.

If you hired a contractor, ask for a copy of the permit and the final inspection record and keep them with your closing documents. A finaled permit is the clearest evidence that the work was inspected. Our capital gains guide also explains how improvement costs may matter when you sell.

How to sell a house in Delano

1. Ask the Building Division for the permit record on your address.
2. Collect permits, final inspection records and any city notices.
3. Request a no-obligation cash offer for the house as it stands.
4. Choose your closing date.
5. Close with no repairs, permit cleanup or showings required.

See also our Delano page, the Delano cash offer process, selling a Delano house as-is, selling a Delano house fast, selling an inherited Delano house and the Kern County hub.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Delano take to review building plans?

The city’s FAQ says four to six weeks, with Building, Engineering and Planning each reviewing the plans.

What is the Delano Building Division phone number?

The city lists (661) 721-3360 for the Building Division at 1005 11th Avenue.

How much does a Delano building permit cost?

The city says cost varies by square footage or valuation and that a plan check fee is required when plans are submitted. Ask the division for a current written estimate.

Does Delano have an online permit system?

Yes. The city lists an Online Permit System where applicants can sign up or log in to submit permit applications and track permits.

Which Delano departments review plans?

The city’s FAQ names Building, Engineering and Planning.

Can I sell my Delano house with unpermitted work?

Yes. You can disclose it and sell as-is, including to a cash buyer. Our statewide guide explains the disclosure rules.

More guides

• We Buy Houses in Delano
• We Buy Houses in Kern County
• Kern County Property Tax Guide
• Delano Code Enforcement Guide
• Delano Zoning and ADU Guide
• Bakersfield Building Permits Guide
• Tulare Building Permits Guide
• All California Guides

Sources

• City of Delano: Building
• City of Delano: Building FAQ
• City of Delano: Online Permit System
• City of Delano: Building Division staff directory
• City of Delano: Housing Element chapter on constraints (older draft)

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