Avalon Building Permits Guide for Homeowners

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

Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island, adopts the California Building Code through Chapter 8-1 of its Municipal Code, keeps the code on file with the Planning and Building Department, and doubles the permit fee when work starts before a permit is issued. This guide explains how the city’s building code chapter works, which local amendments the code lists, what happens if work begins without a permit, and how permit history affects a sale.

Island rules can differ from the mainland, so confirm every detail with the Planning and Building Department before you start.

Avalon permits at a glance

Department	Planning and Building Department, City of Avalon
Address	410 Avalon Canyon Road, Avalon, CA 90704 (mailing: P.O. Box 707)
Phone	310-510-0220
Building code chapter	Avalon Municipal Code Chapter 8-1
Code adopted in the chapter	California Building Code and its Chapter 1 administrative provisions (the online chapter text cites the 2019 edition)
Work without a permit	Penalty equal to double the permit fees plus the cost of special investigation (CBC Section 109.4 as amended)
Fee refunds	Up to 80% of permit and plan review fees on written application within 90 days (CBC Section 109.6 as amended)
Fire sprinklers	Required in all new buildings and in existing buildings undergoing specified rehabilitation or change of use (CBC Section 903.2 as amended)

How the building code works in Avalon

Chapter 8-1 of the Avalon Municipal Code adopts the California Building Code and states that a copy is kept on file with the city’s Planning and Building Department.

It also adopts Chapter 1 of the code as the administrative, organizational and enforcement rules for the state building standards in Title 8 of the Municipal Code. In practice that means the permit, plan review, inspection and enforcement process follows the state administrative framework, with the local changes the chapter spells out.

The Building Official, appointed by the City Manager or City Council, and authorized representatives enforce the codes. The edition shown in the online text of the chapter is the 2019 California Building Code, and California revises its codes on a three-year cycle, so ask the department which edition and local amendments apply to a project you are starting now. Do not assume the online chapter reflects the most recent state update.

Local amendments homeowners should know

The chapter lists several amendments to the state code. Section 109.4, on work commencing before permit issuance, sets a penalty equal to double the permit fees plus the cost of special investigation when someone starts work that needs a permit before obtaining it.

Section 109.6, on refunds, allows a refund of up to 80 percent of permit and plan review fees when requested in writing within 90 days. Section 903.2 requires automatic fire sprinklers in all new buildings, and in existing buildings that go through rehabilitation or remodeling of specified percentages or a change of use.

Roof coverings are also amended: Table 1505.1 and Section 1505.1.3 address fire-retardant classification, at least Class B, and Sections 1505.5 and 1505.7 are deleted.

For a homeowner, the sprinkler and roofing amendments matter most. A remodel that crosses the percentage threshold in the sprinkler section can add a significant system cost, and a reroof must meet the local fire classification. Ask the department how the thresholds apply before you sign a contract, and get the answer in writing.

Step by step: starting a project in Avalon

1. Call before you design

Contact Planning and Building at 310-510-0220. The city’s municipal code preserves the California Coastal Act, so ask whether a coastal development permit or other approval applies in addition to a building permit.

2. Gather your documents

The city’s forms page is the central place for applications, licenses and permits. The page text available to us did not list specific forms or fees, so ask the department for the current list.

3. Check separate permits

The Public Works Department requires its own excavation permit for trenching, digging, boring, tunneling and drilling. Work that touches streets, utilities or public right-of-way may need that permit even when a building permit is also required.

4. Build to the approved plans

Do not start before the permit is issued. The local amendment doubles the fee for work that begins early, and the work may be subject to special investigation.

5. Get the final inspection

Keep the signed inspection card or final record. A finaled permit is the clearest evidence for a future buyer that the work was inspected.

Penalties and enforcement

The chapter provides that a violation of the building codes is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment in the county jail for up to six months, or both, and that each separate day or portion of a day is a separate offense.

In most cases a city will first seek correction and a permit rather than prosecution, but the exposure is real, and it is one reason to resolve unpermitted work before it surfaces in a sale.

Other Avalon rules that affect a sale

Avalon has a nontransient rental inspection chapter, Chapter 5-40, that applies to residential property rented for 30 consecutive days or longer.

It requires a city business license, provides for periodic inspections about every three years, and allows the inspection certification to pass to a new owner when the buyer notifies the city within 45 days of a change of ownership.

If you own an Avalon rental, ask the department where your property stands before you list. Our Avalon code enforcement guide covers the program in more detail.

Permits and selling an Avalon 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 an Avalon 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 Avalon 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 Avalon

1. Ask Planning and Building 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 Avalon page, the Avalon as-is sale page, the inherited house page, the Avalon cash offer process and the Los Angeles County hub.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Avalon Planning and Building Department?

The city lists Planning and Building at City Hall, 410 Avalon Canyon Road, Avalon, CA 90704, with the Planning Department phone at 310-510-0220. The mailing address is P.O. Box 707.

Which building code does Avalon use?

Chapter 8-1 of the Avalon Municipal Code adopts the California Building Code and its Chapter 1 administrative provisions, with local amendments. The online chapter text cites the 2019 edition, so ask the department which edition applies to a new project.

What happens if I build in Avalon without a permit?

Under the local amendment to Section 109.4, the penalty is double the permit fees plus the cost of special investigation. Violations are also a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.

Do Avalon homes need fire sprinklers?

The chapter requires automatic fire sprinklers in all new buildings and in existing buildings undergoing specified percentages of rehabilitation or remodeling, or a change of use. Ask the department how the thresholds apply to your project.

Does Avalon require a separate excavation permit?

The Public Works Department says an excavation permit is required for trenching, digging, boring, tunneling and drilling.

Can I sell my Avalon 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 Avalon
• We Buy Houses in Los Angeles County
• Los Angeles County Property Tax Guide
• Avalon Code Enforcement Guide
• Avalon Zoning and ADU Guide
• Sell an Avalon House As-Is
• Avalon Cash Offer Process
• All California Guides

Sources

• City of Avalon Municipal Code: Chapter 8-1 Building Code (eCode360)
• City of Avalon: Staff Directory
• City of Avalon: Public Works
• City of Avalon Municipal Code: Chapter 5-40 Nontransient Rental Inspections (eCode360)

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