Community Development

Services

The City of Clayton contracts directly with Contra Costa County’s Building Division for all building permit and inspection services. The Contra Costa County Building Division performs all plan checks, issues all permits, and provides the inspections for work pertaining to the California Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Green Building Standards Codes. This structure creates a distinct process for those seeking building permits within the City of Clayton.

Process

The Community Development Department encourages those with a possible building project to contact the City of Clayton’s Community Development Department during the preliminary stages for applicable zoning requirements to facilitate an efficient and timely permit process.

Do I need a building permit?

Most building, demolition, and home improvement projects require a building permit. These projects include, but are not limited to, the following: pools, spas, accessory buildings or structures, additions and alterations, decks, gazebos, arbors, kitchen and bath remodels, patios, exterior doors and windows, electrical, re-roofs, new residential and commercial buildings, signs, tenant improvements, and replacement of water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners.

Building Permit Submittal

All building permit applications must have the required information such as construction plans, structural engineering, energy design calculations, soils reports showing compliance with applicable codes and design standards.

Electronic submittal: If your permit qualifies as one that can be submitted via the Contra Costa County’s ePermit system (residential rooftop solar, plumbing, or mechanical) follow the instructions on the County’s website. Before the County will issue a building permit for work performed in Clayton, a Clayton Business License is required of all contractors.

If a project does not qualify for submittal through the ePermit system, then follow the steps below:

Step 1: Submit four copies of your plan set along with a completed Building Permit Application to the City of Clayton Permit Center. The plans will be reviewed for zoning compliance, engineering review (if required), Stormwater permit (if required), and Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Plan permit (if required). Verification of a current Clayton Business License will also be done at this time.

If a project proposes changes or requires a connection to the sanitary sewer system or consists of any new exterior structures or additions:

Step 2: The plans must be reviewed and approved by the City of Concord Permit Center.

Step 3: The plans can now be submitted to the Contra Costa County Building Division for construction plan check, payment of building permit fees, issuance of building permits, and inspections. The cost of the building permit is based on the valuation of the project.