Highland Municipal Code Ch. 15.04 California Building Code

§ 15.04.010. Adoption of the California Building Code.¶

The California Building Code, 2025 Edition, Volumes I and II, (Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), including Chapter 1, Division II "Scope and Administration," and Appendices F, G, H, I, J, and N, published by the International Code Council is adopted by reference together with the amendments, additions, deletions, and exceptions set forth in this chapter. A copy of the building code of the city of Highland shall be available and is open for inspection by the public in the office of the city clerk in the city of Highland and shall be made available for public inspection while this code is in force. The building official is hereby designated as the authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code.

(Ord. 438 § 3, 2019; Ord. 457 § 2, 2022; Ord. 477 § 3, 2025)

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§ 15.04.020. Purpose.¶

The purpose of this code is to establish the minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, access to persons with disabilities, sanitation, adequate lighting and ventilation and energy conservation; safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and to provide safety to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations, with exception of those elements regulated by the 2025 California Residential Code, 2025 California Existing Building Code and 2025 California Historical Building Code.

(Ord. 438 § 3, 2019; Ord. 457 § 2, 2022; Ord. 477 § 3, 2025)

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§ 15.04.030. California Building Code amendments.¶

The following sections of the California Building Code are added and/or amended as follows:

A. Section 105.2 of the California Building Code entitled "Work exempt from permit" is hereby amended by amending items 2 and 9, and adding new items 14 and 15, to read as follows:

2. Wood, chain-link, plastic, vinyl, metal, or similar fences not over 6 feet in height or masonry, concrete fence not over 3 feet in height measured from the lowest adjacent grade to top of the wall and does not serve as a swimming pool enclosure.
9. Prefabricated swimming pools accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy that are less than 18 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons and are installed entirely above ground.
14. Decks not over 200 square feet (18.58 m2) in area, that are not more than 30 inches (762mm) above grade at any point, and not attached to a dwelling and do not serve the exit door required by Section R311.2.
15. Flagpole not more than 20 feet in height measured from the lowest adjacent grade the top of the pole on a residential zoned lot.

B. Section 105.5 of the California Building Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 105.5 Expiration.
Every residential permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit commences within 365 days after its issuance, or if work has been suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days between each required inspection. Every commercial permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit commences within 180 days after its issuance, or if work has been suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days between each required inspection. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, only one extension of time for a period of 180 days. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated.

Section 105.5 Expiration.

Every residential permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit commences within 365 days after its issuance, or if work has been suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days between each required inspection. Every commercial permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit commences within 180 days after its issuance, or if work has been suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days between each required inspection. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, only one extension of time for a period of 180 days. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated.

C. Section 109.6.1, Fee Refunds, is hereby added to the California Building Code to read as follows:

109.6.1 Fee refunds. The Building Official may authorize a refund of any fee that was erroneously paid or collected. The Building Official may authorize a refund of not more than 80 percent of the applicable permit fee paid when no work has been done under the permit. The Building Official may authorize a refund of not more than 80 percent of the plan review fee paid when an application for a permit is withdrawn or canceled before any examination time has been expended. The Building Official may not authorize a refund of any fee paid except upon written application filed by the original permittee no later than 180 days after date of fee payment or 365 days in the case of Residential one- and two-family dwelling units no more than 3 stories above grade. No refunds will be processed for an amount less than Twenty-Five (25) Dollars.

D. Section 109.7, Investigation fees: work without a permit, is hereby added to the California Building Code to read as follows:

109.7. Investigation fees: Work without a permit.
109.7.1 Investigation. Whenever work for which a permit is required by this code has been commenced without first obtaining a permit, a special investigation will be made before a permit may be issued.
109.7.2 Fee. An investigation fee, in addition to the permit fee, may be collected whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued. The investigation fee must be equal to the amount of the permit fee required by this code and will be established by City Council resolution. The payment of such investigation fee will not exempt an applicant from compliance with all other provisions of either this code or the technical codes, nor from the penalty prescribed by law.

109.7. Investigation fees: Work without a permit.

109.7.1 Investigation. Whenever work for which a permit is required by this code has been commenced without first obtaining a permit, a special investigation will be made before a permit may be issued.

109.7.2 Fee. An investigation fee, in addition to the permit fee, may be collected whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued. The investigation fee must be equal to the amount of the permit fee required by this code and will be established by City Council resolution. The payment of such investigation fee will not exempt an applicant from compliance with all other provisions of either this code or the technical codes, nor from the penalty prescribed by law.

E. Section 109.8, Re-inspection Fees: work without a permit, is hereby added to the California Building Code to read as follows:

109.8 Re-inspection fees: A re-inspection fee may be imposed for each inspection or re-inspection, when such portion of work for which inspection is called is not complete or when required corrections are not made. This section is not to be interpreted as requiring re-inspection fees the first time a job is rejected for failure to comply with the requirements of the technical codes, but as a method of controlling the practice of calling inspections before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection.
Reinspection fees may be imposed when the inspection record card is not posted, or otherwise 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.
To obtain a re-inspection, the applicant must file an application in writing upon a city-approved form and pay the applicable re-inspection fee.
In instances where re-inspection fees have been assessed, additional inspections of the work will not be performed until the required fees have been paid.

(Ord. 438 § 3, 2019; Ord. 457 § 2, 2022; Ord. 477 § 3, 2025)

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