Santee, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 11.04.010 adopts the 2025 California Building Code, Part 2, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, as the City Building Code governing construction, alteration, repair, occupancy and demolition of buildings citywide, citing Santee's brush-covered hillsides and Santa Ana wind conditions in Section 11.04.020 as the basis for stricter fire-retardant roofing standards than the base state code. Section 11.04.030 then amends Section 105.2, Work Exempt from Permit, by adding subsections 14 through 19 while leaving subsections 1 through 13 of the state code unchanged; the added local exemptions include renewal of roof coverings on any building (item 15) and minor repairs that replace existing components with similar materials, do not exceed $750.00 in valuation, and do not touch electrical or mechanical work (item 19), alongside specific carve-outs for satellite dishes, patio covers, metal storage containers and fences in commercial and industrial zones.

Everything not listed in these exemptions, and not otherwise exempt under the unchanged state subsections, requires a building permit under the adopted 2025 code. The same section amends Section 109 to route all permit, plan-review, investigation and demolition fees to a City Council resolution rather than a fixed code amount, and amends Section 114.4 to set the penalty for any code violation, including working without a required permit, at a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment of up to six months in county jail, or both.