Downey 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 Downey Building and Safety Division pages; sources are listed at the end.

Downey’s Building and Safety Division handles plan check, permits and inspections, and knowing what the city has on file for a house before you list it helps you avoid surprises. A buyer’s inspector or lender can spot work that does not match the records.

Downey building permits at a glance

When does Downey require a building permit?

The city says any new construction, additions, alterations or repairs to an existing building generally requires a permit. Its examples include re-roofs, fireplaces, swimming pools, carports, remodels and hardscapes. If a past owner did any of that without a permit, it can come up when you sell.

How do I submit or check a permit in Downey?

Plan check submittals go through the city’s Accela Citizen Access portal, and the Building and Safety Division also takes applications and inspection requests online. The city notes that the cut-off for permit issuance and plan submittal is 5:00pm. For questions about a specific address, contact the division at City Hall.

How permits affect selling a house in Downey

Permit problems usually surface when a buyer’s inspector or lender asks whether finished space was legally built. In California, sellers generally must disclose known problems, including work you know was done without a permit. On a traditional listing, the usual choices are to finish the open permit, permit the work after the fact, lower the price, or give the buyer a credit. Each takes time and money.

How to sell a house in Downey with unpermitted work or open permits

1. Check what the city shows. Contact Building and Safety about the address before you talk to buyers.
2. Write down what you know. Who did the work, when, and what receipts or plans you have.
3. Compare your options. Fix it, sell with a credit, or sell as-is to a cash buyer who prices the risk in.
4. Disclose honestly. A cash offer does not change what you must disclose, but it removes the repair and inspection steps that cause delays.

We buy Downey houses as they are, with no permit clean-up, repairs or showings. See how selling a house as-is in Downey works. If the house has been cited, read our Downey code enforcement guide, and for backyard units see our Downey zoning and ADU guide.

Not sure what your permit history means for a sale? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. There is no cost and no obligation.

Which Downey permits can be issued online without a full plan check?

The city lets registered users pull a short list of routine permits straight from its Accela Citizen Access (ACA) portal. These auto-issue permits cover electrical panel change-outs up to 400 amps, water heater change-outs, air conditioner and furnace change-outs, and residential solar permits that have been reviewed through Solar App+.

Everything else goes through an online submission and review. The city also states that, as of July 1, 2026, all permit applications and plans can be submitted online through ACA, so you should plan on creating an account before you start.

For a seller, this matters because a replaced water heater or furnace is the kind of job that is easy to do quickly and just as easy to skip the permit on. If you replaced one of these yourself or paid a handyman cash, check whether a permit was ever pulled. If not, ask Building and Safety how the city wants it handled before a buyer’s inspector notices it.

Who can pull a permit in Downey, and what paperwork is required?

The city’s rule of thumb is that only a California licensed contractor or the property owner can pull a permit, with a few exceptions. Permits for commercial, industrial or multi-family projects such as townhomes, condominiums, apartments and duplexes are issued only to licensed contractors. The paperwork depends on who is applying:

• Licensed contractor: your state contractor’s license (usually the wallet card), your workers’ compensation insurance certificate if you have employees, and a current City of Downey business license, which can be paid for when the permit is issued.
• Property owner: a government photo ID such as a driver’s license. If you bought recently and the Assessor’s database does not show you yet, bring your original recorded grant deed or trust deed, or a certified copy from the Registrar-Recorder’s Office in Norwalk. The city notes a deed of trust is not the same document as a trust deed.
• Someone else on your behalf: an agent for a contractor needs an original letter of authorization on company letterhead from the license holder, and the letter cannot cover more than one year. An agent for an owner-builder who lives in a single-family home needs the city’s Authorized Agent form submitted before the permit is issued.

The city also points owners to the Contractors State License Board’s warning about the risks of acting as your own contractor, and it reminds applicants that specialty licenses are limited by state law. For example, a plumbing contractor cannot pull an electrical permit. If a previous owner used the wrong type of contractor, the permit record may look odd even though the work was done.

How to get a permit in Downey, step by step

1. Register for an ACA account. The city publishes a how-to handout and short tutorial videos for registration and log-in.
2. Gather the right documents. Use the Building and Safety handouts and forms page for general handouts, permit forms and submittal checklists for your type of project.
3. Prepare your plan-check package. Plans are submitted electronically in the format the city requires for orientation, scale and uploads.
4. Submit and track. Create the application in ACA, upload plans and supporting documents, finalize the submission and follow the review status online. The city says the cut-off for permit issuance and plan submittal is 5:00pm.
5. Pick up or confirm the permit, then schedule inspections. Permits are issued at the Building counter in City Hall at 11111 Brookshire Avenue, and questions can go to the division at (562) 904-7142.

What a buyer will ask about Downey permits

Permits come up in almost every traditional sale. A buyer’s agent may ask for the permit history, a lender may order an appraisal that notes finished space, and an inspector may flag a water heater, panel or patio cover that looks newer than the paperwork.

Under California Civil Code section 1102.1, an as-is sale does not waive delivery of the transfer disclosure statement, and a seller’s duty to disclose material facts that affect value stays in place.

If you know about work done without a permit, treat that as something to raise with your agent or escrow officer rather than something to hope nobody notices.

Disclosure timing also matters. Under section 1102.3, if a required disclosure reaches the buyer after an offer is signed, the buyer can cancel within three days of in-person delivery or five days of mailing or agreed electronic delivery. Giving the paperwork early, including any open permit information, avoids handing the buyer that exit.

Pre-listing permit checklist for Downey sellers

• List every project since you bought: roof, pool, patio cover, remodel, water heater, furnace, panel and solar.
• Match each project to a permit or a receipt from a licensed contractor.
• Ask the division whether any permit was left open or never finaled.
• Decide whether it is worth finishing paperwork, giving a credit, or selling as-is.
• Keep plans, receipts and inspection sign-offs together to hand to escrow.

Common permit mistakes Downey sellers run into

The most common problem is simply not knowing. Homeowners inherit a house, buy one from a relative or take over a rental and never see the permit history. The next most common is assuming a small job did not need a permit.

The city lists re-roofs, fireplaces, swimming pools, carports, remodels and hardscapes as examples of work that generally needs one, so a backyard project can be bigger than it looks. A third is hiring someone without checking the license: the city recommends checking the Contractors State License Board before work starts.

Finally, some sellers wait until the buyer’s inspection to look into it, which leaves little time to respond.

Downey building permits FAQ

Does Downey require a permit for a re-roof or remodel?

Yes. The city lists re-roofs and remodels among the work that generally requires a building permit.

Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Downey?

Yes, an owner-builder who lives in the single-family home the permit is for can get one, as can a California licensed contractor.

Can I sell a Downey house with an open permit?

Yes. An open permit does not legally stop a sale, but it can slow a traditional one. A cash buyer can purchase the house with the permit still open.

Which Downey permits can be issued online automatically?

The city lists electrical panel change-outs up to 400 amps, water heater change-outs, AC and furnace change-outs, and residential solar permits reviewed through Solar App+ as auto-issue permits in its Accela Citizen Access portal.

What does a Downey owner need to pull a permit?

A property owner needs proof of identification, typically a state photo ID. If you recently bought the home and the Assessor’s records do not show you yet, bring the original recorded grant deed or trust deed or a certified copy.

Can someone else pull a permit for me in Downey?

Yes, with paperwork. A contractor’s agent needs an original letter of authorization on company letterhead valid for no more than one year, and an agent for an owner-builder needs the city’s Authorized Agent form.

Does selling as-is remove my duty to disclose unpermitted work in California?

No. Civil Code section 1102.1 says the transfer disclosure statement cannot be waived in an as-is sale and that your duty to disclose material facts stays in place.

Sources

• City of Downey: Building Permit Information
• City of Downey: Building & Safety Division
• City of Downey: Electronic Plan Check Submittal

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules and hours change; confirm requirements with the City of Downey.