It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, or demolish any building or structure; or install a mobilehome; or to install or alter any plumbing or electrical wiring or fixtures therein in the unincorporated territory of Lassen County subject to regulations of this chapter without having first obtained a building permit therefor from the Lassen County building official.
Failure to secure any building permit required by this article or by the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) is declared to constitute a public nuisance as descried in Chapter 1.18 (Public Nuisances) of the Lassen County Code.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
Application for building permits shall be made in the manner consistent with the requirements of this chapter and the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), on forms provided by the Lassen County department of planning and building services, with the required plans, calculations, and specifications.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
(a) 
Consistent with Government Code Section 66499.34, prior to the issuance of any building permit, a determination shall be made as to whether the parcel of land on which the development is proposed was created in compliance with, or exempt from, the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act (Government Code Section 66410, et seq.). Parcels shall be deemed to have been legally created or legitimized under the following circumstances for which reasonable evidence shall be presented to the department of planning and building services by the applicant:
(1) 
The parcel was created by, legitimized by, or recognized by a recorded certificate of compliance, lot line adjustment, merger, parcel map, parcel map waiver, subdivision map or official map prepared pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act or local ordinance; or
(2) 
The Lassen County surveyor has confirmed that the parcel was created prior to March 4, 1972, and satisfies the criteria of either Government Code Section 66412.6(a) or 66412.6(b); or
(3) 
Other circumstances, as determined by the Lassen County surveyor, to constitute the legal subdivision of land.
(b) 
For parcels created in violation of the Subdivision Map Act and any local ordinance enacted pursuant thereto, no building permit shall be issued for development of such parcel unless a certificate of compliance or conditional certificate of compliance has been issued and recorded in accordance with Title 16 of this code. If a conditional certificate of compliance has been issued and recorded, all of the conditions listed on the certificate must be satisfied before issuance of any permit.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
The building official shall check the application, plans and specifications, and issue or deny a building permit for said work, including any plumbing and electrical work, in the manner specified by this article and the California Buildings Standards Code and any adopted appendices.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
No permit shall be issued for any building, mobile home, or electrical work, for which a private sewage disposal must be installed, altered or added to, unless and until the building official is satisfied that approval can be obtained for sewage disposal, as outlined under Section 12.12.020. Excluded from this provision are: electrical permits for agricultural, upgrade, repair, or such electrical or mechanical permits which are deemed, by the building official, as exclusionary for a sewage disposal system. The foregoing exclusion shall not be applicable to any "food establishment" as that term is defined by Section 27520 of the Health and Safety Code. No building permit shall be issued, unless and until the building official is satisfied that the construction authorized by the approval will not violate any existing zoning ordinance.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
There shall be a final inspection by the county fire warden, or by Lassen County, if so directed, in accordance with Section 9.16.080, to verify that the requirements of Chapter 9.16 (Fire Hazards) have been met. Said inspection may be conducted as part of the final inspection by the building official or as a separate inspection, at the discretion of the fire warden and the building official.
The county fire warden or his or her designee shall report his or her determination upon such inspection to the county building official within four working days of said inspection. Failure of the county fire warden to report upon such inspection within said time period may be deemed by the building official as a finding of compliance with the fire safe regulations, unless, within said four-working-day period, the fire warden notifies the building official of the existence of an emergency situation. Upon such notification, the period of time for the response by the fire warden shall be extended to fourteen working days.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to use or occupy any building prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the chief building official. The chief building official shall not issue a certificate of occupancy until all required inspections have been made and passed and all required improvements have been completed satisfactorily.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
(a) 
When work that requires a building permit pursuant to this article or the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) is initiated prior to securing the required building permit, the fee specified at Lassen County Code Section 3.18.090 shall be two times the normal fee. The penalty applicable to construction of or addition to a structure of any type is established in subsection (b) of this section and not by this subsection.
(b) 
If the work that requires a building permit includes construction of or addition to a structure of any type, the fee specified at Section 3.18.090 shall remain two times the normal fee for structures between one hundred twenty and two hundred square feet. For structures between two hundred and one thousand square feet, the fee shall be four times the normal fee, and for structures over one thousand square feet, the fee specified in Section 3.18.090 shall be six times the normal fee.
(c) 
Work performed without a permit by or under the control of a prior owner is not subject to the penalty described herein but any subsequent owner is required to secure a permit for any unpermitted work in a timely manner when ordered to do so by the building official.
(d) 
The determination regarding the request to waive or reduce the penalty may be appealed in accordance with Chapter 12.22 of the Lassen County Code.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
(a) 
Permits issued by the building official under the provisions of this chapter and the model codes adopted by the state of California shall expire by limitation and become null and void if the building or work authorized by such permit is not commenced within one year from the date of such permit, or if at any time said building or work is suspended or abandoned for a period of one year.
(b) 
As used in this section, work shall be considered abandoned or not commenced if the project has not had one of the inspections required by this title or the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) approved within any twelve-month period.
(c) 
If a permit has expired, work can only be recommenced if a reactivation fee of one half the original permit fee has been paid, and provided that no alterations have been made or will be made in the original plans and specifications for such work; and provided further that such suspension or abandonment has not exceeded two years (or one year from expiration date). The building official may adjust the reactivation fee based on the number of inspections required for project completion. A permit may only be reactivated once. If time has exceeded the two-year deadline, a new permit must be obtained under current permit fees and requirements.
(d) 
As an option, the building official may levy a permit reactivation fee as well as a fee for each inspection required to complete the project. This fee option may be assessed in instances where, in the building official's opinion, it would be unreasonable to require either the entire regular permit fee or half thereof.
(e) 
Any applicant with an unexpired permit may apply to the building official for an extension of the one-year term limitation if the applicant is unable to commence or continue work within the one-year period. The building official may extend the term of an active permit for a period not to exceed one year upon written request by the applicant made prior to the expiration of the permit. No permit shall be extended more than once.
(f) 
Unissued Permits. If a project has been submitted for a permit and there has been no attempt on the part of the applicant(s) to retrieve or continue said project, then the project material shall be destroyed one year from submittal date.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15; Ord. 2024-06, 7/9/2024)
The total valuation used to compute fees shall be determined by the building official using building valuation data compiled by the International Code Council and updated every six months. Said valuation tables will remain on file with the planning and building services department and made available for public inspection upon request.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)
Under Article 5 of Division 2 of Title 5 (Section 53090 et seq.) of the California Government Code, most local agencies are required to comply with all applicable building ordinances and zoning ordinances of the county in which the territory of the local agency is situated. Government Code Section 6103 exempts state and political subdivisions from the payment of fees for the performance of official service.
(Ord. 2022-03 § 15)