Building Inspection

Welcome!

Welcome to the Humboldt County Building Divisions webpage! If you are developing a parcel within Humboldt County, you are in the right place. On this website you will find informative handouts, forms required for permit issuance, and other resources that will guide you to building permit issuance. For those new to the process, we recommend seeing the First Time Applying for a Building Permit subpage. Local builders who are familiar with the process are encouraged to see the Recent Changes at the bottom of this page and our Resource Library to get the most up to date forms and handouts.

The Humboldt County Building Department has jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas of Humboldt County. This EXCLUDES the City of Eureka, the City of Arcata, the City of Trinidad, the City of Rio Dell, the City of Fortuna, the City of Ferndale, and the City of Blue Lake.

Responsibilities

The Humboldt County Building Division play a critical role in protecting the public health, safety, and welfare by ensuring that buildings are designed and constructed in a manner that meets minimum safety and quality standards, and that they are maintained in a safe and habitable condition over time. This is accomplished through the issuance of permits and the performance of required plan reviews and inspections.

As part of the Planning and Building Department, Building Inspection is responsible for:

  • Resolving building/housing code violations
  • Processing building permit applications
  • Reviewing construction plans for compliance with current code
  • Collecting fees
  • Conducting field inspections

Who We Are

The Humboldt County Building Division consists of office assistants, permit technicians, building inspectors, and plans examiners. 

  • Office Assistants answer phones, take payments, and perform other clerical duties.
  • Permit Technicians process permit applications, calculate fees, and make recommendations regarding County procedures and plan requirements.
  • Building Inspectors perform health and safety inspection work in the interpretation and enforcement of structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and related codes and regulations.
  • Plans Examiners review residential and commercial construction documents to ensure plans and all necessary calculations comply with current building regulations and codes.

The Accela Customer Portal is an online resource for customers to check permit status, download documents, schedule inspections, submit a plot plan for preliminary review, and view the daily inspection routes. See the Accela Access Instructions for more info.

The Humboldt County Web Geographic Information System (GIS) is our online resource for maps and other data layers from our Geographic Information System. This system can be used to research whether a parcel is in a flood zone, state responsibility area, or qualifies for alternate owner builder. See the Web GIS Guide and Important GIS Layers for more information.

The Humboldt County Code provides access to the codification of the general ordinances of Humboldt County. The Division 3 Building Regulations and Division 11 Fire Safe Regulations are often referenced for building permit applications.

Safe Homes Program

The Board of Supervisors approved a Safe Home Program which allows existing residential structures that were built without permits to be permitted with a waiver of penalty fees (standard permit fees will apply). For residences permitted through the Alternative Owner-Builder (AOB) Ordinance refer to the Safe Home Program – AOB packet. For typical development (not AOB) refer to the Safe Home Program packet. This program is set to expire on December 31, 2027 so don’t wait!

Recent Changes

The 2022 CA Building Codes - As of January 1st, 2023, the Building Division is enforcing the newest iteration of the California Title 24 building codes, titled the 2022 CA Building Codes. See our Building Codes subpage for a list of codes and standards currently enforced.

Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) - As of January 1st, 2023, the Building Division is enforcing the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), a statewide water conservation law for new and renovated landscapes. See the MWELO – General Handout and our Resource Library for more information.

WUI Requirements for AOB - As of April 4th, 2023, the Building Division is requiring new construction of Alternative-Owner Builder (AOB) dwellings built in high and very high fire severity zones to comply with the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) requirements described in CRC R337 and CBC 7A. This requirement comes from the Humboldt County General Plan Chapter 14 S-P27. Refer to the WUI Listed Products Handbook for products that will meet these standards.

Digital Permit Application Required  - As of July 5th, 2023, the Building Division requires new permit applications to be submitted digitally. Building related permit application submissions will be accepted via email at buildinginspections@co.humboldt.ca.us. Once applications are received, permit status can be accessed via the county’s existing online permit management system known as the Accela Citizen Access. To learn more on how to use Accela and find support resources, please visit the county’s Online Permit Management web page. Community members who are unable to submit a digital application should email buildinginspections@co.humboldt.ca.us or call (707) 445-7245 for assistance.

AOB Owner/Agent Application Required  - As of August 1st, 2023, the Building Division requires the owner of the parcel to apply for Alternative Owner-Builder (AOB) building permits. Additionally, the owner of the parcel will need to act as the general contractor throughout development. As the general contractor you may subcontract, but you must be the primary point of contact. See our AOB webpage for more information.