Residential building permits: fees: inspections.

Assembly Member Hoover's residential building permit legislation establishes new timelines and alternative inspection pathways for California's local building departments, reducing the maximum inspection period from 60 to 30 days after work completion notice and requiring public posting of permit fee schedules.

The bill creates a framework for private inspections when local building departments exceed timeline requirements. Under the new provisions, applicants can engage licensed engineers, architects, or certified inspectors to conduct inspections if departments estimate completion beyond 30 days or fail to inspect within that period. These private inspectors must submit detailed reports and sworn affidavits confirming compliance with state and local requirements. Building departments then have 14 days to either issue occupancy certificates or specify necessary corrections based on these reports.

The measure applies to new residential construction of 1-10 units and remodels or additions to existing buildings of similar size, provided no occupied floors exceed 40 feet above ground level. Local building departments must maintain online fee schedules and cannot charge more than necessary to cover administrative and enforcement costs. The bill maintains existing provisions allowing alternative building methods and materials when approved as equivalent to prescribed standards.