Building permits in Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana (Orange County) follows California's statewide codes, but runs its own permit intake, forms, fees, and review timelines through its building department. Here's the general picture for the trades — and where to confirm the specifics.
Santa Ana went fully paperless on July 1, 2026: every plan submission runs through the city's Accela Citizen Access (ACA) portal — paper plans, forms, and applications are no longer accepted — with self-service kiosks at the City Hall permit counter for applicants who come in person. The 2025 California Building Standards Code took effect January 1, 2026, and the FY 2025-26 Miscellaneous Fees Schedule carries the Planning & Building Agency's permit and plan-check fees. Projects that skip plan check qualify for PBx Same Day Express Permits.
Verified local data — Santa Ana
Every fact below is sourced from a public City of Santa Ana document or portal page. Each carries the source URL and the date we last verified it.
- Permit portal
- Accela Citizen Access (ACA)
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · ACA is the city's online permitting portal for Planning, Building Safety, and Public Works — submitting plans, paying fees, obtaining permits, and scheduling inspections. It replaced the legacy Online Permit System effective July 1, 2026
- Submission methods
Online
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · Effective July 1, 2026 all plan submissions must be processed through ACA — paper plans, forms, and applications are no longer accepted; self-service kiosks at the City Hall permit counter assist applicants who visit in person
- Adopted code edition
2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24)
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · Per the city's notice, the 2025 code took effect January 1, 2026; applications submitted after 2 PM on December 24, 2025 must comply with the 2025 codes. Adoption by reference is codified at Santa Ana Municipal Code Sec. 8-43 — "California Building Code, 2025 Edition, based on the 2024 International Building Code" (https://library.municode.com/ca/santa_ana/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH8BUST_ARTIIBUCO_DIV2AM_S8-92RE)
- Fee schedule
- City of Santa Ana Miscellaneous Fees Schedule FY 2025-26 — includes Planning & Building Agency permit and plan-check fees
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · No FY 2026-27 schedule was posted as of retrieval; the Building Division's Miscellaneous Fees page still links the FY 2025-26 PDF as current
Other local notes
Building Safety Division: 20 Civic Center Plaza, Ross Annex, M-20, Santa Ana, CA 92701; (714) 647-5800; public counter Monday–Thursday 8 AM–3 PM (Wednesdays to 2 PM), alternating Fridays 8 AM–3 PM.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
Everyone submitting a permit application must register a free ACA account with a valid email; acting on a record can additionally require being an associated contact or licensed professional on it.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
Inspections are scheduled online through ACA or by phone at (714) 667-2738, with results viewable online; schedule by 3 PM to reserve a next-business-day inspection.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
PBx Same Day Express Permits: residential and commercial projects that do not require plan check are issued as same-day express permits.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
Official building department
City of Santa Ana Building Safety DivisionVerified Santa Ana specifics are shown above. For project-specific fees, timelines, and counter staff, this department is the authority.
Permits by trade in Santa Ana
Electrical permits
Service panel upgrades · Rewires and circuit additions · EV charger installs →
Plumbing permits
Water heater replacement · Repipes · Sewer line repair →
HVAC permits
AC / furnace changeouts · Heat pump installs · Mini-split systems →
ADU permits
New detached ADU · Garage or accessory-structure conversion · Junior ADU (JADU) within the existing home →
Solar permits
Rooftop solar PV systems · Battery energy storage (ESS) · Solar + storage retrofits →
Roofing permits
Full roof replacement (tear-off) · Re-roof / overlay where allowed · Structural sheathing or deck repair →
Common jobs in Santa Ana
Each job below is combined with Santa Ana's verified permit data — portal, fee schedule, and adopted code edition.
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