San Marcos, CA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

1 to add local inspection prerequisites not found in the base state code. Before the Building Division will approve a foundation inspection, the permit holder must first submit a setback certification prepared by a California licensed surveyor certifying, by actual field measurement, that the building's location meets or exceeds the minimum setback shown on the approved plans. The permit holder must also submit a certification from a professional engineer or licensed architect confirming the soil condition has been inspected and complies with the project's soils report and design intent.

A pad elevation certification is a further prerequisite, required before either the foundation inspection or the underground plumbing inspection can be requested. These requirements exist because San Marcos sits on hillside terrain where grading errors and soil movement are common causes of foundation failure, so the City front-loads verification onto licensed professionals rather than relying solely on a field inspector's visual check. Incomplete submittals result in the inspection being deferred rather than performed. Applicants coordinate the surveyor and geotechnical certifications through their permit set, since both documents reference the same approved plans and soils report used at permit issuance.