Butte County, CA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Section 26-3.1(a) amends two sections of the California Building Code to set Butte County's final inspection and occupancy process. Section 111.1 "Change of occupancy" is amended to read: "No building or structure shall be used or occupied, and no change in the existing occupancy classification of a building or structure or portion thereof shall be made until the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy therefor as provided herein," with a stated exception for "Group R, Division 3, and Group U Occupancies," which covers single-family homes and most private garages and accessory structures.

Section 111.2 "Certificate issued" is amended to require that, after the building official inspects the building and finds no violations of the code or other County-enforced laws, the certificate of occupancy must contain twelve specific items: the building permit number; the structure's address; the owner's or authorized agent's name and address; a description of the portion of the structure covered; a statement that the structure was inspected for code compliance; the building official's name; the code edition under which the permit issued; the use and occupancy classification; the type of construction; the design occupant load; whether an automatic sprinkler system is required; and any special stipulations or conditions of the building permit. The Director of Development Services must also certify to the floodplain administrator, under Section 26-24(d), that construction complies with the county's flood-hazard standards before that certification is complete for property within a flood zone.