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

Fresno County's building inspection process runs through the Building Official in the Department of Public Works and Planning, who inspects work at stages tied to each permit and issues clearances before full occupancy is allowed. " That clearance isn't the end of the process: the owner or permittee must sign an agreement to finish all remaining mandatory work within six months, secured by a cash deposit equal to ten percent of the estimated cost to complete the work, with a minimum deposit of one thousand dollars.

The Building Official can grant one additional six-month extension on written request, plus further discretionary extensions. Model homes get a parallel clearance under subsection (B), allowing temporary conversion of the garage to a sales office for up to 24 months, secured by a minimum $2,000 deposit. Subsection (C) adds a separate Gas and/or Electrical Utility Clearance, issued before final approval so utilities can be turned on ahead of full completion; the owner must agree not to occupy the structure until a Certificate of Occupancy issues, backed by a deposit scaled to the project's valuation, from $500 for projects under $100,000 up to $10,000 for projects over $250,000.

090(D) returns only a shrinking percentage of the deposit, from 90 percent if completed within a month of the deadline down to zero after nine months, with the balance forfeited to the county. "