Petaluma, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing adoption
- PMC § 17.04.010, 2025 CA codes by reference
- Permit fees
- Set by city council resolution, not state tables
- Shed exemption
- One-story, ≤120 sq ft, no wiring/plumbing
- Stop-work fee
- 1x to 5x the permit fee
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Appeal body
- Building board of appeals, Chapter 17.08
Summary
Petaluma adopts the 2025 California Building and Residential Codes by reference, so nearly all new construction, additions and alterations need a city-issued building permit before work starts. The city sets its own permit fees by council resolution instead of using the state code's fee tables, and it carves out a narrow exemption for very small detached sheds.
All references to permit fees in the codes adopted by reference are deleted pursuant to the ordinance codified in this section. Instead, the permit fees applicable in Petaluma will be fixed by the fee schedules adopted by the city council by resolution. ... Section 105.2, Item Building: 1, is hereby amended to read as follows:105.2 Item Building: 1. One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the floor area is not greater than one hundred twenty square feet (120 sq.) (11 m2), there are no wall finishes such as, but not limited to, gypsum wallboard, plaster, stucco, or paneling placed on any interior surface of any wall and/or partition, and no electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems are contained within the structure. These structures are still regulated by Section 710A, despite exemption from permit.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
2 of the California Government Code," and strips out the state code's own permit-fee references, substituting fee schedules the city council adopts by resolution. 2 to exempt only one-story detached accessory structures used as tool sheds, playhouses and similar uses that are no larger than 120 square feet, have no interior wall finishes such as gypsum wallboard, plaster, stucco or paneling, and contain no electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems; even these sheds remain regulated by Section 710A. Everything else, from a room addition to a new deck exceeding minor thresholds, needs a permit application reviewed by the building official.
2, which must be posted at the site and requires work to cease immediately until the cited conditions are resolved. 08; an appeal must be filed in writing at least ten days before the board considers it and must identify the specific code provision at issue.
Violations & Fines
A stop-work order carries an additional investigation fee of at least the permit fee and up to five times the permit fee, with licensed contractors and repeat offenders automatically assessed the five-times rate. Separately, violating any provision of Chapter 17.04, including working without a required permit, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. The city can also pursue nuisance abatement or administrative citations under Chapters 1.13, 1.14 and 1.16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a small storage shed in Petaluma?
What happens if I build without a permit in Petaluma?
Who decides building permit appeals in Petaluma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Building Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle building permits.