Building permits in Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica (Los Angeles 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 Monica runs a 100% paperless permit process: applications are created in the city's Citizen Access portal and plans upload to ProjectDox for Electronic Plan Review, with the Permit Services Center at 1685 Main Street handling same-day review and in-person issuance. The 2025 California Building Standards Code is in effect for submittals received on or after January 1, 2026, and the current Fees and Rates schedule is effective fiscal year 2026-27. Qualifying single-family projects can get an Express Permit entirely online.
Verified local data — Santa Monica
Every fact below is sourced from a public City of Santa Monica document or portal page. Each carries the source URL and the date we last verified it.
- Permit portal
- Santa Monica Citizen Access (with ProjectDox e-plan review)
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source · Permit applications are created and submitted in Citizen Access; project plans and documents upload to ProjectDox (https://plans.smgov.net) for Electronic Plan Review (EPR)
- Submission methods
Online · In-person
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source · The permit process is 100% paperless — all applications and documents are uploaded to the Electronic Plan Review system before visiting the public counter; the Permit Services Center handles same-day review and permit issuance in person
- Adopted code edition
2025 California Building Standards Code
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source · In effect as of January 1, 2026 — submittals received on or after that date are reviewed under the 2025 code; submittals received through December 31, 2025 are reviewed under the 2022 edition
Other local notes
Permit Services Center: 1685 Main Street, South Entrance (access from Olympic Dr.), Santa Monica, CA 90401 — open Monday–Thursday 8 AM–3 PM.
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Permit issuance requires proof of a current CSLB contractor license and classification, evidence of a valid City of Santa Monica business license, and proof of workers' compensation insurance.
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Express Permits: qualifying single-family residential projects can be issued a building permit entirely online — no plan review or Permit Services Center visit — typically within a couple of days.
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Official building department
City of Santa Monica Building & SafetyVerified Santa Monica specifics are shown above. For project-specific fees, timelines, and counter staff, this department is the authority.
Permits by trade in Santa Monica
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 Monica
Each job below is combined with Santa Monica's verified permit data — portal, fee schedule, and adopted code edition.
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