Concord Building Permits Guide for Homeowners

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

Concord takes building, planning and engineering applications through its online Virtual Permit Center, and the city lets anyone search permit and inspection records online around the clock. This guide explains how a Concord building permit works, which documents the city asks for, which outside agencies may need to sign off, and why permit history matters if you plan to sell.

Concord permits at a glance

Department	Community Development Department, Building Division, 1950 Parkside Drive, MS/51, Concord, CA 94519
Building phone and email	925-671-3107, bldgpermits@cityofconcord.org
Planning and zoning questions	925-671-3152, zoning@cityofconcord.org
How to apply	Virtual Permit Center (online ePermit portal); applications are processed electronically through issuance
Permit and inspection records	Searchable online 24 hours a day
Fees due at submittal	Plan check and administrative fees; remaining permit fees are due after approval
Building code complaints	Building inspector line, 925-671-3330

Start with the online Virtual Permit Center

The city describes its Virtual Permit Center as the place to submit building, engineering and planning applications. Once you register for an account you can apply for various permit types online, and the city says all applications are handled electronically from submittal through issuance.

The same portal lets anyone research building, planning, engineering and public works permits and inspection results at any hour, which is useful before you buy, remodel or list a home. Questions about building applications go to bldgpermits@cityofconcord.org, and planning questions go to zoning@cityofconcord.org.

Concord also publishes a separate submittal requirements handout for new buildings and additions. Read it before you upload anything, because an incomplete package is the most common reason a plan check takes longer than expected. The sections below walk through what that handout asks for.

Step by step: how a Concord permit works

1. Decide whether your project needs a permit

Structural work, additions, new dwellings, accessory dwelling units, and changes to plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems are the kinds of projects that normally go through the Building Division. If you are unsure, call 925-671-3107 or email the division before you start.

Concord’s municipal code also treats a structure left in a state of partial construction without a valid permit as a public nuisance, so work that begins without a permit can turn into a code enforcement case later. Our Concord code enforcement guide explains that process.

2. Gather the forms

The city’s checklist lists several forms. A Contractor’s Declaration is required for licensed contractors. An Owner-Builder Acknowledgement and Information Verification Form is required when the building owner, or an agent for the owner, applies for the permit. A Special Inspection and Observation Program form and the CALGreen Residential Checklist are also on the list.

3. Prepare the design documents

All design documents are submitted as PDFs. The drawings must be stamped and signed when a licensed professional prepared them, and electronic stamps and signatures are accepted. Drawings prepared by someone who is not a licensed design professional must be signed and carry the preparer’s contact information. Depending on the project the city also asks for:

A geotechnical or soil report, required for all new homes, projects on hillsides, and projects where the proposed foundation differs from the original foundation.
Structural calculations, required when the design does not meet the prescriptive conventional framing requirements of the California Residential Code.
A Title 24 energy report.
A flood elevation certificate and a foundation designed per CRC R306 when the site is in a flood zone other than Zone X. The city points applicants to its online parcel lookup to check the zone and to the Engineering Division for questions.
An ISA certified arborist report when the Planning Division decides existing trees may be affected.

4. Pay the submittal fees

Plan check and administrative fees are due when you submit. The Building Division has a fee page you can use to estimate costs in advance. The remaining permit fees, such as inspection and engineer fees, are due once all required divisions have approved the permit and all conditions are met.

5. Line up the other city approvals

Several projects need approvals beyond the Building Division. The checklist says Planning Division approval is required, and Engineering and Transportation sign-offs may also apply.

A Site Development Permit from the Engineering Division is required for new homes, ADUs of 750 square feet or larger, and residential additions or garages of 750 square feet or larger.

An Encroachment Permit is required when a building permit includes work in the public right-of-way, a sewer connection to a public main, or a storm drain connection. Contractors working inside the city also need a Concord business license, and new addresses or address changes go through the Virtual Permit Center.

6. Get outside agency approvals

Some approvals come from agencies outside the city, and the city says to contact them directly because they have their own permit and review rules:

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Fire district approval is required for new residences, detached ADUs, and additions that trigger fire sprinklers. Plans go to the district separately, and the city will not issue a building permit without the district’s approval letter.
Contra Costa Water District. All new homes and detached ADUs need water district approval before permit issuance, with an approval letter supplied to the city.
Mt. Diablo Unified School District. New homes and additions of 500 square feet or more trigger school district fees, and every detached ADU must file a developer certificate. The city hands the applicant a Developer Fee Certificate at permit approval, and the applicant files it and pays any fees directly with the district.

7. Plan for waste management

Concord’s waste management process is required for all new homes, for additions of 500 square feet or more, and for any project with a construction cost of $50,000 or more. A construction and demolition deposit is held for the length of the project and returned after the project is finaled if the process was followed.

8. Inspections and final approval

Your permit sets out the inspections required for your project, and the work is not complete until the building inspector signs off. Use the portal to check inspection results, and call the Building Division at 925-671-3107 if you need to confirm what is outstanding on an older permit.

Why permit history matters when you sell

Buyers, lenders and appraisers often ask whether additions, garage conversions and remodels were permitted. Because Concord posts permit and inspection records online, a buyer’s agent can look up your address in minutes and spot an open permit or a missing final.

California sellers also generally have to disclose known unpermitted work, which our statewide guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work explains. The seller closing costs guide covers the other costs to budget for.

If you own a Concord home with open permits, expired permits or unpermitted improvements, you generally have three paths: finish and close the permit before listing, disclose the work and accept a lower price on the open market, or sell as-is to a cash buyer. A short checklist helps you decide:

Search your address in the Virtual Permit Center and note anything open, expired or never finaled.
List improvements made without a permit, including garage conversions, enclosed patios and added bathrooms or rooms.
Collect final inspection records, contractor invoices and any engineering or energy reports for permitted work.
Ask the Building Division what it would take to permit or legalize each item, including plans, fees and inspections.
Compare that cost and timeline against a no-repairs cash sale.

How to sell a house in Concord

Review which work on the property was permitted and which was not.
Collect permits, final inspection records and any city notices.
Request a no-obligation cash offer for the house as it stands.
Choose your closing date.
Close with no repairs, permit cleanup or showings required.

Our local pages cover related situations in Concord, including selling as-is and selling fast.

Own a Concord home with unpermitted work? Sell as-is for cash.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a building permit in Concord?

Register for an account in the city’s Virtual Permit Center and apply online. The city says applications are processed electronically through issuance. Call 925-671-3107 or email bldgpermits@cityofconcord.org with questions.

Can I look up permit history for a Concord address?

Yes. The city says anyone can research building, planning, engineering and public works permits and inspection results online 24 hours a day.

What fees do I pay when I submit?

Plan check and administrative fees are due at submittal. Remaining permit fees, such as inspection and engineer fees, are due after all required divisions approve the permit and conditions are met.

When does a Concord project need a soil report?

The city requires a geotechnical report for all new homes, hillside projects, and projects where the proposed foundation differs from the original foundation.

Which projects need a Site Development Permit?

The Engineering Division requires one for new homes, ADUs of 750 square feet or larger, and additions or garages of 750 square feet or larger.

Does fire district approval apply to my project?

It does for new residences, detached ADUs and additions that trigger fire sprinklers. The city will not issue a permit until it has the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District approval letter.

What is the construction deposit?

It is a deposit held under the city’s waste management process, required for new homes, additions of 500 square feet or more, and projects costing $50,000 or more. It is returned after the project is finaled if the process was followed.

Can I sell my Concord house with unpermitted work?

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

More guides

Sources

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