Sonoma County, CA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sonoma County Code § 7-13(B)(4)
- Enforcing agency
- Permit and Resource Management Department
- First rejection
- No fee charged
- Repeat/unready calls
- Reinspection fee assessed
- Fee amount set by
- Board of Supervisors fee schedule
Summary
Unincorporated Sonoma County charges a reinspection fee whenever a call for inspection finds work incomplete, uncorrected, or the site inaccessible, and the Permit and Resource Management Department will not perform further inspections until it is paid.
Reinspection Fees. A reinspection fee may be assessed for each inspection or reinspection when such portion of work for which inspection is called is not complete or when corrections called for are not made. This section is not to be interpreted as requiring reinspection fees the first time a job is rejected for failure to comply with the requirements of this code, but as controlling the practice of calling for inspections before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection. Reinspection fees may be assessed when the inspection record card has not been posted or otherwise is not available on the work site, the approved plans are not readily available to the inspector, for failure to provide access on the date for which the inspection is requested, or for deviating from plans requiring the approval of the building official. The reinspection fee shall be established in the Board of Supervisors' fee schedule. When a reinspection fee has been assessed, no additional inspection of the work shall be performed until the required fees have been paid.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sonoma County Code Section 7-13(B)(4) locally amends the state fee schedule, CBC Section 109.2, to add reinspection charges. A fee may be assessed any time an inspector is called out and the work is not ready, corrections were not made, the inspection record card is missing from the site, approved plans are not available, the crew cannot get access on the scheduled date, or the work deviates from approved plans. The county does not charge for a first rejection, only for calling inspectors back before the job is actually ready. Once assessed, the department will not inspect again until the fee is paid.
Violations & Fines
No further inspection is performed until the reinspection fee is paid, and repeated unready or blocked inspection calls can stall permit sign-off and delay the certificate of occupancy for the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sonoma County charge for reinspections?
Is the first failed inspection free in unincorporated Sonoma County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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