Building and Safety Division

Greetings from our Building Official -  Mark I. Sutton, B.S.C.E, M.B.A., C.B.O

Welcome to the City of Dana Point, Building and Safety web site.  The Building and Safety Division is responsible for the building and safety standards for the design, construction, use and occupancy, of all buildings and structures within the City of Dana Point.  We provide plan checking, permitting and inspection services for new construction, additions, renovations, alterations and remodels to assure all structures meet the minimum life safety standards of the State and local building codes adopted by the City of Dana Point. 

Your development experience starts at our Development Services Counter (DSC) located on the second floor of City Hall in Suite 212. At the DSC, staff will assist you with the processing of your development project and guide you though this somewhat complex process. After all of the reviews and approvals are completed, you will be ready to obtain your building permits. If you are going to do the improvement yourself, you can obtain a “OWNER-BUILDER” permit after completing the owner-builder verification form or if you are not going to do the work yourself, you can have your California Licensed Contractor obtain the permits and begin your development project.

Our goal in the City of Dana Point is to provide an effective and efficient service to our citizens, developers, contractors, architects and engineers and provide answers to frequently asked questions and general information about the development process. Information presented is intended to assist you in obtaining information about the development standards and requirements for the City of Dana Point.  However if you do not find the information you need or have further questions, please feel free to contact us at (949) 248-3594 or you can send us an email to BUILDING INFO EMAIL.

Building and Safety Division - Location/Counter Information

 
Frequently Asked Questions:

HOW DO I OBTAIN A BUILDING PERMIT?
 In most cases for new constructions, additions, alterations and remodels, you will need to come to City Hall and visit the Development Services Center (DSC) located at 33282 Golden Lantern, Suite 212, Dana Point, California, 92629-1805 to begin the process. The development process is a two phase approach which starts with the review of your project and ends with the issuance of the permits. To begin this review, you will need to fill out an application and provide three sets of plans. Depending on the nature of the improvements, this review could require reviews from several departments within the City as well as reviews from agencies outside of the City such as Orange County Fire Authority for fire sprinkler installations. As your review moves from the conceptual stage into a workable project, new plans will need to be developed and submitted. The plans for the Building and Safety review will need the following:

Address of the project
Owner’s name and mailing address.
Architect and/or Engineer’s name and mailing address.
Assessor’s Parcel Number for the property.
Description of the project including type of construction and square footage to be effected
Any unique characteristics of the building or location.
Indicate if the building has Fire Sprinklers installed at present or proposed to be installed.
Contractor’s name, address and Workman’s Compensation coverage or Owner-Builder verification Form (if applicable)
Three (3) complete sets of structural plans including structural and energy calculations.
Three (3) complete plot plans for the property.

Once the reviews are completed and approved from the required departments/agencies, the permit fees are calculated and the permits can be obtained by a qualified licensed California Contractor or by the owner for projects which the owner is doing the work themselves on a home in which they reside or intent to reside.

HOW MUCH DOES A PERMIT COST?
Permit fees are based on the size of the entire project. For specific cost information please contact the Building Division at (949) 248-3594