Ventura, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SBMC § 12.115.020 (amending CBC §§ 105.2, 105.3)
- Adopted code
- 2025 California Building Code (§ 12.115.010)
- Pre-permit steps
- Planning Division approval plus fee payment
- Exempt from permit
- fences not over 6 feet
- Relocation permit bond
- not less than $100,000
- Fee refund cap (no work done)
- 80 percent
Summary
The City of Ventura adopts the 2025 California Building Code by reference under San Buenaventura Municipal Code Section 12.115.010, then amends its permit rules locally: Section 12.115.020 requires Planning Division approval and payment of fees before Building and Safety issues a permit, while exempting specific minor work such as fences under 6 feet.
Pursuant to California Government Code Sections 50022.1 to 50022.8, inclusive, Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, known as the California Building Code, 2025 Edition (“CBC”), including all standard printed chapters and sections (whether adopted by the state matrix or not), is adopted by reference subject to the amendments, additions, and deletions set forth in this chapter. ... 4. ... Section 105.2, Building Item 2 is amended to read as follows:2. Fences not over 6 feet. ... 6. ... Section 105.3, Item 8 is added to read as follows:8. Have obtained Planning Division approval to apply for a building permit. 7. Section 105.3, Item 9 is added to read as follows:9. Have paid all applicable application, plan check, and/or permit fees as set forth in the City’s most current User Fee resolution.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020. 3, requiring an applicant to have obtained Planning Division approval before applying for a building permit, and item 9 requires payment of all applicable application, plan check and permit fees under the city's current User Fee resolution before the permit issues. 2 Building Item 2 so that only fences not over 6 feet are exempt from a permit, and a separate item rewrites the detached-shed exemption to cover only a single one-story accessory structure under 120 square feet and 8 feet 6 inches tall on a residential lot.
05 carries the city's own building-relocation permit requirement: the 1401 Relocation of Existing Buildings amendment bars moving or relocating any building or structure into, out of, or within the city without first obtaining a building permit, backed by a Building Official-set bond of not less than $100,000. 020(A)(9).
Violations & Fines
Building or relocating a structure without the required permit exposes the owner to a stop-work order and a recorded Notice of Noncompliance with the county recorder under Section 12.115.020(A)(12), which stays on file until the Building Official confirms the violation is corrected and issues a Notice of Compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Ventura?
What has to happen before Building and Safety issues a permit in Ventura?
Can I move a house onto a lot in Ventura without a permit?
What happens if the City of Ventura finds work was done without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Building Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle building permits.