FAQ Topic: What is a Permit?

How you pay your permit depends on the Department/Division that’s issuing the permit. For Building Permits: you can pay online or email a completed permit application form to [email protected] and pay in-person once you have received an email/call that it is ready to pick up. For Planning Permits: Police Permits Water/Sewer Permits Encroachment Permits

Plan check is the part of the permit review process where the City carefully reviews the architectural plans you have submitted. Some permits do not have plans so there is no plan check process. The building permit Plan Check process takes about 15-20 business days (one month calendar) for initial review for residential additions, remodels, … Continued

For Building permits, request an Inspection online or call 707-778-4479. A minimum of twenty-four hours’ notice is required prior. Download the Inspection Checklist. For Fire-related permits,  For Sewer (Wastewater) permits, 

It depends on the type of permit. Some permits require a few days to process and cost a few hundred bucks. Others take months (or even a year) and cost six figures. Most fall somewhere in the middle. It really depends on the type of permit you need, how closely your project follows existing rules, … Continued

For non-residential (i.e., commercial) projects, go to petaluma.opencounter.com. This online tool will ask questions and, based on your answers, give you a list of permits you might need and an estimate of fees. For residential projects (i.e., house and yard), check the list below and read the linked documents. Building Division: Building Permit Checklist Planning … Continued

The City issues permits as a way to keep people, buildings, and resources (like the River) safe and to make sure the town maintains its charm and vitality. Permit and permission come from the same root word, so you can think of a permit as the City’s permission to do something–at your house, in your … Continued