Lake Forest Municipal Code § 89.108 California Electrical

89.108.4.2 Fees.¶

(a)	Fees shall be established by resolution of the City Council.	Fees shall be established by resolution of the City Council.
(b)	The fees required in this section must be paid to the City for each electrical installation for which a permit is required by this Code.	The fees required in this section must be paid to the City for each electrical installation for which a permit is required by this Code.
(c)	No permit shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation unless all fees for permits or additions to permits are paid in full. When an electrical plan is required to be submitted, a plan check fee shall be paid at the time of submittal.	No permit shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation unless all fees for permits or additions to permits are paid in full. When an electrical plan is required to be submitted, a plan check fee shall be paid at the time of submittal.
(d)	Failure to take out a permit and to pay fees before commencing work shall be deemed evidence of violation of the provisions of this Code. Double the amount of permit fees shall be assessed for work commenced before a permit is issued.	Failure to take out a permit and to pay fees before commencing work shall be deemed evidence of violation of the provisions of this Code. Double the amount of permit fees shall be assessed for work commenced before a permit is issued.
(e)	Whenever any work for which a permit is required under the provisions of this Code has been commenced without the authorization of such permit, a special investigation may be required before a permit will be issued for such work. In addition to the regular permit fee and any penalty fee, the said special investigation fee which may be collected shall be established by resolution of the City Council.	Whenever any work for which a permit is required under the provisions of this Code has been commenced without the authorization of such permit, a special investigation may be required before a permit will be issued for such work. In addition to the regular permit fee and any penalty fee, the said special investigation fee which may be collected shall be established by resolution of the City Council.
(f)	Fees for annual permits shall be paid at the time such permits are issued. In addition, fees for all new work installed under such permit since the date of the previous inspection shall be paid, in accordance with the fee schedule, at the time the annual permit is issued.	Fees for annual permits shall be paid at the time such permits are issued. In addition, fees for all new work installed under such permit since the date of the previous inspection shall be paid, in accordance with the fee schedule, at the time the annual permit is issued.
(g)	Fees for additional inspections.	Fees for additional inspections.
	(1)	Each permit shall be entitled to one reinspection without additional charge, in addition to the required number of inspections established by the Building Official. On jobs which may be completely inspected on one inspection trip, two inspection trips will be allowed without additional charge for said second trip.
		Exception: The number of inspection trips will not be limited on progress jobs; provided, however, that only one inspection will be permitted for checking a correction. For the purpose of this section, progress jobs are those where circumstances beyond the control of the installer make it impossible for the electrical work to be completed at any specific time.
	(2)	If more inspection trips than specified in paragraph (g)(1) above are required due to the fault or error on the part of the installer or his employees, an additional fee as established by resolution of the City Council may be required of the installer for each additional inspection trip.
(h)	Refunds.	Refunds.
	(1)	The Building Official shall collect such fees as are provided to be paid by this Code. He shall make no refunds on fees collected amounting to less than $30.00, or on any plan checking fee or on any permit fee where one year has elapsed from the date of issuance.
	(2)	Refunds may be made to the permittee in the amount equal to 80 percent of the permit fee paid where work authorized by said permit has not commenced.
	(3)	Refunds may be made in an amount equal to 100 percent of the amount paid for each permit when a permit has been inadvertently issued outside the jurisdiction of the City or duplicate permits have been issued and two fees have been collected for the same work.

B. Section 89.108.5.2, "Enforcement," is hereby added to the California Electrical Code to read as follows:

89.108.5.2 Enforcement. This Code is intended to be suitable for mandatory application by the City of Lake Forest over electrical installations within incorporated territory of the City. The Building Official of the City of Lake Forest shall have the authority for enforcement of the Code and the responsibility for making interpretations of the rules, for deciding upon the approval of equipment, materials and wiring methods as set forth in the California Electrical Code, and for the granting of special permission contemplated in a number of the rules.

The Building Official may waive specific requirements in this Code or permit alternate methods, where it is assured that equivalent objectives can be achieved by establishing and maintaining effective safety.

This Code may require new products, constructions, or materials which may not yet be available at the time the Code is adopted. In such event, the Authority Having Jurisdiction may permit the use of the products, constructions, or materials which comply with the most recent previous edition of this Code adopted by the jurisdiction.

C. Section 89.108.11, "Penalties," is hereby added to the California Electrical Code to read as follows:

89.108.11 Penalties. Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions of this Code shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this Code is committed, continued or permitted; and upon conviction of any such violation such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 231 § 4, 2011; Ord. 258 § 4, 2013; Ord. 291 § 4, 2016; Ord. 326 § 4, 2019; Ord. 360 § 4, 2023; Ord. 382, 11/18/2025)

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