East Palo Alto Municipal Code Art. IV Permits and Fees

No person, firm or corporation shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any building or structure or make any installation, alteration or improvement to the electrical, plumbing or mechanical system in a building, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining the prescribed permits for each such building or structure from the building inspector.

(Prior code § 9-1.401)

To obtain a permit the applicant shall first file an application therefor in writing on a form furnished for that purpose. Every such application shall:

A. Identify and describe the work to be covered by the permit for which application is made;

B. Describe the land on which the proposed work is to be done, by lot, block, and tract, and house and street address, or similar description that will readily identify and designate with reasonable certainty the proposed building or work;

C. Indicate the use or occupancy for which the proposed work is intended;

D. Be signed by the permittee, or his/her authorized agent, together with evidence as required to indicate such authority;

E. Be accompanied by plans, diagrams, computations, specifications, and other data as required;

F. Give such other information as reasonably may be required by the building inspector.

(Prior code § 9-1.402)

Plans and other data may be required by the building inspector in accordance with the following provisions:

A. For enforcement of any provisions of this code or construction codes, plans, diagrams, and other data shall be submitted with each application for a permit, as determined by the building inspector.

B. The building inspector may require the plans and other data to be prepared and designed by an engineer or architect licensed by the state to practice as such.

C. Plans and other data shall be drawn to scale upon substantial paper and shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and extent of the work proposed and shall show in detail that the building, structure or system will conform to the provisions of this code and the construction codes and all relevant laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. The first sheet of each set of building plans shall give the street address of the work and the name and address of the owner or his lessee and person who prepared them. Building plans shall also include a plot showing the location of the property. In lieu of detailed specifications, the building inspector may approve references on the plans to specific sections or parts of the codes or the ordinances or laws.

D. Plans or specifications for the installation of environmental, heating or cooling systems, absorption systems, ventilation systems and hoods shall show the following:

1. Layout for each floor with dimensions of all working spaces and legend of all symbols used;

2. Location, size and materials of all piping;

3. Location, size and materials of all air ducts, air inlets and air outlets;

4. Location of all fans, warm-air furnaces, boilers, absorption units, refrigerant compressors, and condensers and the weight of all pieces of such equipment weighing two hundred (200) pounds or more;

5. Rated capacity or horsepower of all boilers, warm-air furnaces, heat exchangers, blower fans, refrigerant compressors and absorption units;

6. Location, size and material of all combustion products, vents and chimneys;

7. Location, size and material of all combustion air openings and ducts;

8. Location of all air dampers and fire shutters.

E. Computations, stress diagrams, and other data sufficient to show the correctness of the plans, shall be submitted when required by the building inspector. Plans for buildings more than two stories in height of other than conventional construction shall indicate how required structural integrity and fire resistance will be maintained where a penetration will be made for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and communications, conduits, pipes, and similar systems.

F. One set of approved plans, computations and data shall be retained by the building inspector for a period of not less than ninety (90) days from the date of completion of the work covered therein; and one set of approved plans and data shall be returned to the applicant, which set shall be kept on such building or work at all times during which the work authorized thereby is in progress.

G. When authorized by the building inspector, plans or other data need not be submitted for the following:

1. One-story buildings of conventional woodstud construction with an area not exceeding six hundred (600) square feet;

2. Work which, in the determination of the building inspector is minor in nature.

H. The building inspector need not accept plans or other data which are not legible and complete or do not conform with the provisions of this section.

(Prior code § 9-1.403; Ord. No. 426, 12-17-2019)

The issuance or granting of any permit or approval of plans or other data shall not be construed to be a permit for, nor an approval of, any violation of any of the provisions of this code or the construction codes.

The issuance of a permit based upon plans and other data shall not prevent the building inspector from thereafter requiring the correction of errors in such plans and data or from preventing building operations being carried on thereunder when such plans or data are in violation of this code, of the construction codes, or of any other applicable statute, ordinance, rule or regulation.

(Prior code § 9-1.404)

Every permit issued by the building inspector under the provisions of this code shall expire and become null and void if the building or work authorized by such permit is not commenced within three hundred and sixty-five (365) days from the date of such permit, or if the building or work authorized by such permit is suspended or abandoned. Before such work can be recommended, a new permit shall be first obtained therefor, the fee for which shall be one-half the amount required for a new permit for such work, provided that no changes have been made or will be made in original plans or scope of such work; and provided, further, that such suspension or abandonment has not exceeded one year. The building inspector may, in his discretion, waive the operation of this section where delay in commencing work or the suspension of work has been caused by acts of God.

A permittee may request an extension of a permit. The building inspector may grant, in writing, one or more extensions of time for periods of not more than one hundred eighty (180) days per extension. The permittee shall request and extension pursuant to this subdivision in writing and demonstrate justifiable cause for extension.

(Prior code § 9-1.405; Ord. No. 426, 12-17-2019)

The building inspector may, in writing, suspend or revoke a permit issued under provisions of this code or the construction codes whenever the permit is issued in error or on the basis of incorrect information supplied, or is in violation of any ordinance or regulation or any of the provisions of the codes.

(Prior code § 9-1.406)

Whenever any construction or work for which a permit is required by this code or the construction codes is started or commenced without prescribed permits having been first obtained, the fees specified therefor shall be doubled, but the payment of such increased fees shall not relieve any persons from fully complying with the requirements of this code or the construction codes in the execution of the work nor for any other penalties prescribed in this title.

(Prior code § 9-1.407)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 334, § 4, adopted July 20, 2010, repealed § 15.04.230, entitled, "Mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits" which derived from Prior code § 9-1.408.

During the period for which a permit continues in force, the applicant may surrender such permit to the building inspector; and if no work has been performed thereunder, the building inspector shall authorize a refund to such applicant of seventy-five (75) percent of the fee theretofore paid for such permit. The fees refunded shall not include plan check fees.

(Prior code § 9-1.409)

Applications for which no permit is issued within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of application shall expire at the end of such period, and plans submitted for checking may thereafter be returned to the applicant or destroyed by the building inspector. The building inspector may extend the time for action by the applicant for a period not exceeding an additional one hundred eighty (180) days upon written request by the applicant showing that circumstances beyond the control of the applicant have prevented earlier action. In order to renew action on an application after expiration, the applicant shall resubmit plans and pay a new plan check fee if an additional plan check effort is required.

(Prior code § 9-1.410)