Moreno Valley, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 8.20.010 adopts the California Building Code, 2025 Edition, together with Chapter 1, Division II and Appendices B, F, G, H, I, J, N and Q, as the City of Moreno Valley Building Code (Section 8.20.030), effective under Ordinance 1033 on November 4, 2025. Chapter 1, Division II's administrative provisions govern permitting for Chapters 8.22 through 8.86, including plumbing, electrical, green building and energy work, unless a chapter sets its own rules. The only work exempted from a permit is described narrowly in Section 8.20.070: fences up to six feet high and masonry or concrete block walls (or a combination wall using an approved material such as wood, vinyl, wrought iron or chain link) under three feet measured from the top of footing, capped at six feet total height.

Everything else, additions, remodels, new construction and most site work, needs a permit application, which lapses 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith or already issued (Section 8.20.080); the building official can grant 180-day extensions on written request showing justifiable cause. Once an application or plan check itself expires, reviving it costs a reinstatement fee of 50 percent of the original plan check fee if requested within a year, or 75 percent after a year (Section 8.20.090), and an expired issued permit carries the same tiered penalty on inspection fees, 50 percent within a year, 100 percent after (Section 8.20.100).

The Building Official can refund up to 50 percent of a paid inspection fee on written request, but only if construction has not started and no inspections have been requested (Section 8.20.130).