Administrative overview · FIPS 06061
Placer County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, Building Services Division
For a project in or near Placer County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Auburn Building Services: (530) 745-3000 or plan-check help (530) 745-3584; Tahoe Building Services: (530) 581-6200
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Auburn Office, 3091 County Center Drive, Auburn, CA 95603; Tahoe Office, 775 North Lake Boulevard, Tahoe City, CA 96145
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, generally 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; new-project submittals and walk-in appointments generally 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Tahoe counter services may require an appointment. Confirm holiday closures and counter availability by phone.
Review expectation
Peak-season goals are 2-4 weeks for commercial/industrial and single-family first checks, with 1-2 weeks for rechecks; non-peak goals are 1-2 weeks for first checks and about 1 week for rechecks. Quick checks target 1 week and qualifying over-the-counter permits may be issued the same day.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Placer County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, Building Services Division is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Auburn Building Services: (530) 745-3000 or plan-check help (530) 745-3584; Tahoe Building Services: (530) 581-6200.
How long might review take?
Peak-season goals are 2-4 weeks for commercial/industrial and single-family first checks, with 1-2 weeks for rechecks; non-peak goals are 1-2 weeks for first checks and about 1 week for rechecks. Quick checks target 1 week and qualifying over-the-counter permits may be issued the same day.
How are inspections scheduled?
Schedule online through the Placer County permit portal by entering the permit number and selecting Schedule an Inspection, or call the automated 24-hour IVR: (530) 745-3020 for Auburn-issued permits or (530) 581-6205 for Tahoe-issued permits. Requests are due by 3:00 p.m. on the business day before inspection; inspections may be scheduled up to five days ahead. The county publishes the next-day schedule by 5:00 p.m. and offers eligible remote video inspections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
All new permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with the 2025 California Building Standards Code and Placer County amendments applicable in unincorporated Placer County. The county adopts and amends the 2025 California Building, Residential, Existing Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Wildland-Urban Interface, Historical Building, Fire, CALGreen, and Referenced Standards Codes, with local snow, wind, soil, wildfire, roofing, and pool-barrier requirements. Placer County's 2025 local amendments exempt one-story detached tool/storage sheds, playhouses, and similar structures up to 120 sq ft and 12 ft high when zoning setbacks are met, although electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work still needs permits; wire fences up to 12 ft for residential/agricultural uses and other fences up to 7 ft; qualifying finish work, except cabinets involving plumbing, electrical, or accessibility requirements; agricultural buildings on qualifying agricultural/conservation parcels of at least 10 acres (subject to setback verification and separate trade-code compliance); temporary seasonal snow tunnels; antennas within stated height limits; temporary structures incidental to permitted work; maintenance repairs under $2,500 in a 12-month period that do not affect trade systems and involve no more than two roofing squares; and qualifying portable membrane structures up to 200 sq ft without utilities. Standard California Code exemptions may also apply only when every condition is satisfied.