Arcadia, CA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Section 9108.15.040 makes the Director, the Building Official and their designees the officials with the rights and powers of enforcing the Development Code. For necessary investigations and inspections they can enter four kinds of private property: any area open to the public; any area visible and accessible from the public street that is not fenced, locked or otherwise arranged to show an intent to prohibit entry; any common area used by persons residing or staying in structures on the property, unless fenced or locked the same way; and any area where the privacy of an individual would not be violated by entry.

Section 9108.15.030 splits the work. The Director exercises the authority of California Penal Code Section 836.5 and issues Notices of Violation, stop work orders and citations for land use violations, and enforces the provisions on adding, altering, constructing, converting, erecting, installing, moving, reconstructing or using any structure. A Notice of Violation states that the violation must be corrected within 14 days, and the Director can require less than 14 days for a hazard (§ 9108.15.050).

Reinspection fees are set by the Fee Schedule under § 9108.15.120. They do not apply to the original inspection that documents the violation or to the first scheduled compliance inspection after a notice if the correction has been made. A repeat violation within 90 days counts as a continuation of the original case.

Other inspection stages appear in Article VIII. A swimming pool, spa or hot tub barrier, including gates and door alarms, must be installed, inspected and approved before plastering or filling with water (§ 3109.3.10), and final approval is not granted until every requirement is met (§ 3109.3.15). A relocated building requires the owner to request an inspection from the Building Official on completion, who then issues a written statement if all provisions are satisfied (§ 8636). Under § 9107.13.110 the Director can inspect a home occupation premises during normal City Hall business hours.