Salinas, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Municipal Code Sec. 9-2 adopts the California Building Code Volumes 1 and 2, 2025 edition, as the Building Code for the City of Salinas, effective January 1, 2026 under Ordinance No. 2690(NCS). The code reaches the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal, and demolition of every building or structure in the city, plus any attached appurtenances, meaning virtually any structural project beyond minor repairs needs a permit before work starts. Sec. 9-14 designates the Salinas building official to administer, implement, and enforce Article I of Chapter 9, which bundles the adopted building, residential, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, energy, historical, existing-building, and green building codes into one permitting framework administered through the Community Development Department.

Because the code is adopted by reference, applicants follow the plan-review and inspection procedures written into the state code itself. A structure being moved into or within city limits triggers a separate relocation permit process under Sec. 9-18 through Sec. 9-24, requiring building relocation committee review, notice posted and mailed to owners within three hundred feet, and a faithful performance bond before the relocation permit issues; a building permit is still required once relocation is approved. Standard construction permit fees are fixed by city council resolution rather than the ordinance text, while development impact fees for park, street tree, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer facilities under Article V (Sec. ) are due before a building permit or certificate of occupancy is issued on covered projects.