Building Division
Palo Alto Permit View, a new and improved way to look up and research permit activity within the City of Palo Alto, is now live and replaces BuildingEye. To receive e-mail notifications of new applications, please sign-up for a new account and set up new notifications in Permit View.
The Development Center is open for virtual and in-person appointments and limited walk-in service - schedule an appointment here. The City moved to an all-digital application and plan review platform. This means that we no longer accept paper plan submittals. All submittals must be done in digital format.
2022 California Building Standards Code
The City of Palo Alto adopted the 2022 California Code of Regulations, Title 24 with certain amendments. These codes and amendments are effective on January 1, 2023. All projects submitted after January 1, 2023 must comply with the 2022 California Building Codes and the City of Palo Alto amendments. View the Palo Alto Municipal Code. See the newly adopted 2022 Edition ordinances:
- Chapter 15.04, California Fire Code (Ordinance No. 5563)(PDF, 2MB)
- Chapter 16.04, California Building Code, and Chapter 16.19, California Historical Building Code and California Existing Building Code (Ordinance No. 5564)(PDF, 2MB)
- Chapter 16.05, California Mechanical Code (Ordinance No. 5565)(PDF, 609KB)
- Chapter 16.06, California Residential Code, and Chapter 16.52, Flood Hazard Regulations (Ordinance No. 5566)(PDF, 1MB)
- Chapter 16.08, California Plumbing Code (Ordinance No. 5567)(PDF, 810KB)
- Chapter 16.16, California Electrical Code (Ordinance No. 5568)(PDF, 620KB)
- Chapter 16.18, International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) (Ordinance No. 5569)(PDF, 1MB)
- Chapter 16.14, California Green Building Standards Code (Ordinance No. 5570)(PDF, 1MB)
- Chapter 16.17, California Energy Code (Ordinance No. 5571)(PDF, 768KB)
2019 California Building Standards Code
The City of Palo Alto has adopted the 2019 California Code of Regulations, Title 24 with certain amendments. These codes and amendments are effective on January 1, 2020. All projects submitted after January 1, 2020 must comply with the 2019 California Building Codes and the City of Palo Alto amendments. View the Inspection Guidelines.
Accessibility Plan Review Comments
Our California Access Compliance Specialist Inspectors are available to walk commercial projects prior to construction--often during the plan check process. This allows the design team additional time to address site conditions. Our goal is to help you reduce delays as a consequence of inspection corrections, prevent reinspections, and reduce job cost overruns. [Resources for Accessibility Information(PDF, 43KB)] For information about the Access Program, please contact Kyle Shea CASp at (650) 617- 3507 or Kyle.Shea@paloalto.gov.
Important Links and Resources
Safety Bullets and Advisories
ISO Building Code Effectiveness Scale Rating
Insurance Office Services (ISO) collects information from communities in the United States on their adoption and enforcement of building codes. ISO analyzes the data using its Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS™) and then assigns a BCEGS™ Classification number to the community. The classification number, which ranges from 1 to 10, measures a jurisdiction's commitment to the adoption and enforcement of building codes affecting the construction of new buildings. Class 1 indicates the most favorable classification of commitment to the adoption and enforcement of building codes. The Building Division is currently classified as a 2 and the Fire Department is classified as a 2.