Aliso Viejo, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 13.02.050 of the Aliso Viejo Municipal Code adopts Chapter 1 of the 2025 California Building Code, as amended by the city, as the administrative provisions of all the codes in Chapters 13.02 and 13.04, and section 13.02.060 prints the city's amendments. Section 101.1 names the regulations the Building Code of the City of Aliso Viejo. Section 109.4 states the permit requirement: failure to pay fees and obtain a permit before commencing work is a violation, and the assessment includes double the required permit fees for work on a building, structure, mechanical, gas, electrical or plumbing system. The municipal code text does not reprint a list of exempt work, so the Building Official is the contact for any project that might not need a permit. Fees are set by resolution of the City Council under section 13.02.040.

Section 105.5 sets expiration. Every permit issued becomes invalid unless the authorized work commences 12 months after issuance as printed, or if the work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after it begins. The Building Official can grant, in writing, one or more extensions of not more than 180 days each, but the request must be in writing with justifiable cause shown. When a permit expires through code enforcement, the time limit follows the notice of violation or the Building Official's determination.

Section 105.8 covers reconstruction: if the value of reconstruction or renovation equals or exceeds 75 percent of the building's value, the entire building must comply with the provisions for new construction, and the value includes all construction under permits issued in the last two years. Section 111.5 lets the fire chief, with the Building Official's concurrence, require owners to record a declaration of intended use with the county recorder of the County of Orange. Section 107.3 adds expedited review for EV charging stations.