California Residential Private Permitting Review Act: residential building permits.

Assembly Members Ward and Quirk-Silva propose new options for expediting residential building permit reviews through their California Residential Private Permitting Review Act, which creates alternative pathways for plan checks when local building departments face processing delays.

The legislation requires local building departments to post residential permit fee schedules online and provide applicants with estimated timeframes for plan check completion. When departments estimate reviews will take longer than 30 days or fail to complete checks within that period, applicants may hire licensed engineers or architects to conduct private plan reviews. These private providers must submit detailed reports and sworn affidavits to building departments, which then have 14 days to either issue permits or identify non-compliance issues. The provisions apply to new residential construction of 1-10 units and to additions or remodels, provided no occupied floors exceed 40 feet above ground level.

The measure establishes specific procedural requirements for private plan checks. Private providers must document their review findings under penalty of perjury. Building departments must evaluate these submissions within prescribed timelines - permits are deemed approved if departments neither issue permits nor identify deficiencies within 14 days. Applicants whose plans receive non-compliance notices may either revise and resubmit to the building department or contract another private review.

Local building departments retain their existing authority to set permit fees, provided the amounts correspond to actual administrative costs rather than general revenue generation. The bill's authors note in their findings that plan check delays can impede housing production. While the measure creates new responsibilities for local agencies, it allows them to recover associated costs through their fee structures.