Merced, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 17.04.100, permit issuance license requirement
- License required
- Valid CA contractor's license plus city business license
- Adopted code
- 2025 California Building Code, Title 24 Part 2
- Fee postponement
- Residential/nonresidential fees deferrable to final inspection
- Nonresidential surcharge
- Extra 2% administrative fee if fees postponed
- Violation
- Misdemeanor under Sec. 17.04.020
Summary
Merced will not issue a building permit for commercial or industrial construction work unless the applicant holds a valid California contractor's license and a city contractor's business license, under Municipal Code Sec. 17.04.100. Doing unpermitted or unlicensed construction work is a misdemeanor under Sec. 17.04.020.
No permit shall be issued to any person to do or cause to be done any construction work on commercial or industrial projects regulated by this chapter, except to a person holding a valid unexpired and unrevoked California contractor's license and city contractor's business license except when and as otherwise provided in this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 04, which adopts the 2025 California Building Code, Title 24 Part 2, by reference under Sec. 010 as the operative construction and permitting standard for the city, and makes violating any of its adopted provisions a misdemeanor under Sec. 12 of the Municipal Code. Once a permit issues, Sec. 110 and Sec. 120 let an owner postpone paying the building permit fees tied to a list of code sections, including Secs. 020, until final inspection or issuance of a certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first, provided the owner consents to utility disconnection for breach; nonresidential postponements add a 2 percent administrative surcharge on those fees.
If postponed fees go unpaid for a year after the permit issues, the owner must instead pay whatever fee is in effect at final inspection. All permit fees are ultimately set by city council resolution under Sec. 130.
Violations & Fines
Performing commercial or industrial construction work without a properly licensed contractor, or without the required building permit, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 17.04.020, chargeable under Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code. An owner who postpones permit fees under Sec. 17.04.110 or 17.04.120 and then breaches the payment agreement can have the city deny approvals or disconnect utilities, and unpaid postponed fees older than one year are recalculated at the rate in effect at final inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a homeowner pull their own commercial building permit in Merced?
Can I delay paying Merced's building permit fees?
What happens if I never pay the postponed building permit fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced to another location·View the California building safety overview
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