CBC Chapter 1, Division I, Section 1.8.8.1, Appeals Board General, is amended to add the following:
The local appeals board and housing appeals board shall be the City of Healdsburg Planning Commission.
CBC Chapter 1, Division I, Section 1.8.8.3 Appeals, is amended to add the following:
The appellant must fill out the "City of Healdsburg Request for hearing" form and pay an appeals processing fee of $619.16 (adjusted and posted each year in the City Fee Schedule). The appellant shall attach a written statement describing the circumstances of the appeal and include any evidence that he/she would like presented at the hearing. The Building Official will schedule the appeal for the next available Planning Commission meeting."
CBC Chapter 1, Division II Administration, is adopted in its entirety and amended as follows:
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Section 105.2, Work exempt from permit, Building, (1) is amended to read as follows:
One story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses, provided the floor area is not greater than 120 square feet and the structure contains no plumbing facilities, electrical circuits or heating appliances.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Section 105.2, Work exempt from permit, Building, (4) is amended to read as follows:
Retaining walls that are not over 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless; supporting a surcharge, impounding Class I, II or IIIA liquids, or when retaining walls of any height are located within 3 feet from a public right-of-way.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Section 105.2, Work exempt from permit, Building, (7) is amended to read as follows:
Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, and similar finish work.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Section 105.2, Work exempt from permit, Building, (14) is added as follows:
Decks at a one-family dwelling, two-family dwelling, accessory dwelling unit, or townhouse that do not serve the exit door required by CRC Section R311.4, do not exceed 200 square feet in area, that are not more than 30 inches above grade at any point, and are not attached to the building.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Section 105.3.2, Time limitation of application, is amended as follows:
An application for a permit for any proposed work shall be deemed to have been abandoned 180 days after the date of filing, unless such application has been pursued in good faith or a permit has been issued; except that the Building Official is authorized to grant in writing, one extension of time for an additional period not exceeding 180 days. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated. No application shall be extended more than once. Plan Review fees are non-refundable where any review has been performed.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Sections 105.5 and 105.5.1, Expiration, are amended as follows:
Every permit issued shall expire and become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit commences within 1 year after its issuance, or if the work authorized on the site by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 1 year after the time the work is commenced and inspected by the Building Department. Partially completed work that is abandoned shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Building Official and shall generally follow the permit expiration procedure described in this section.
A permittee holding an unexpired permit shall be allowed to apply for either; a refund for no more than 80 percent of the building permit fee paid therefore cancelling the permit or may request an extension of the time within which work shall be allowed to commence under that permit. The Building Official is authorized to grant, in writing, one extension of time for a period not more than 180 days from the date of the extension request. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated. No permit shall be extended more than once.
Where no request for permit fee refund has been made, before work can be recommenced on an expired permit, the permit shall first be reactivated. To do so the fee therefore shall be one-half the amount required for a new permit for such work, provided such permit has not been expired for more than 1 year and provided further that no changes have been made or will be made in the original construction documents for such work. Prior to the City expiring a permit, an attempt will be made to notify the applicant listed on the permit, regarding the permit's pending status. To renew action on a permit after expiration exceeding 1 year, the permittee shall obtain a new permit and pay new full permit fees. No refund for permit fees shall be granted on expired permits or permits that have been granted an extension.
Building permit construction activity, including reactivated permits, is limited to a maximum term of 3 years from the date of issuance of the original permit. When requested in writing of the Building Official, a maximum of one 180-day term extension may be granted in excess of 3 years when justifiable cause is demonstrated. Ongoing construction activity occurring beyond the term limit is prohibited and the permit shall be expired. In order to renew action on a permit after term limit expiration, the permittee shall obtain a new permit and pay new full permit fees.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, Section 109.4, Work commencing before permit issuance, is amended as follows:
Any person who commences any work on a building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to a fee equal to two times the amount of normal permit fee for that work and shall be in addition to the normal permit fee as specified in the Master Fee Schedule Resolution. The Building Official can reduce the fee to one time the amount of the normal permit fee for that work if a building permit is applied for to correct the violation by the owner and not discovered through an investigation.
CBC Chapter 1, Division II, 116.4.1, Unauthorized tampering, is added as follows:
Notices, signs, tags or seals posted or affixed by the Building Official shall not be mutilated, destroyed or tampered with, or removed without obtaining prior authorization from the Building Official. Any violation shall be subject to penalties as prescribed by law.
CBC Chapter 2, Section 202, Definitions, is amended to add the following:
NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDING is a building that has never been used or occupied for any purpose. "Newly Constructed Building" shall also be applied when the removal of any structure's exterior wall area and roof/ceiling area exposes seventy five percent (75%) or more of the entire building's existing conditioned space (building envelope). Or where any portion of a building's exterior is preserved but the interior of the building is removed, including all structural portions of floors and ceilings, the building is considered a new building.
Any additional demolition that occurs during the period between the permit issuance date and the date the Building Inspector signs-off the final inspection on the permit, shall be considered in determining whether to apply the "Newly Constructed Building" definition. For any subsequent permits for construction that are to be undertaken within 3 years of the date that the Building Inspector signs-off the final inspection on the original permit, the total area of demolition from the preceding 3-year period shall be considered in determining whether to apply the "Newly Constructed Building" definition. The 3-year period does not apply to the replacement of only roof coverings, wall finishes, doors, windows, or skylights.
CBC Chapter 9, Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems, is deleted and replaced by 2025 California Fire Code (CFC) Chapter 9 as amended.
CBC Chapter 15, Section 1505.1.2, Roof coverings within all other areas, is amended to read as follows:
The entire roof covering of every existing structure, where more than 50 percent of the total roof area is replaced within any one-year period, the entire roof covering of every new structure, and any roof covering applied in the alteration, repair or replacement of the roof of every existing structure, shall be a fire-retardant roof covering that is at least Class A.
CBC Appendix B, Board of Appeals, Sections B101.2, B101.2.1, B101.2.2, and B101.7 are adopted.
B101.2 Application for Appeal.
B101.2.1 Limitation of Authority.
B101.2.2 Stays of enforcement.
B101.7 Board Decision.
CBC Appendix J, Grading, is adopted and a new Section J104.1.1 is added to read:
GRADING PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
Grading Designation. Grading in excess of 5,000 cubic yards (3825 m3) shall be performed in accordance with the approved grading plan prepared by a civil engineer and shall be designated as "engineered grading." Grading involving less than 5,000 cubic yards (3825 m3) shall be designated "regular grading" unless the permittee chooses to have the grading performed as engineered grading, or the city engineer determines that special conditions or unusual hazards exist, in which case grading shall conform to the requirements for engineered grading.
Engineered Grading Requirements. Application for a grading permit shall be accompanied by two sets of plans and specifications and supporting data consisting of a soils engineering report and engineering geology report. The plans and specifications shall be prepared and signed by an individual licensed by the state to prepare such plans or specifications when required by the city engineer.
Specifications shall contain information covering construction and material requirements.
Plans shall be drawn to scale and shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and extent of the work proposed and show in detail that the work will conform to the provisions of this code and all relevant laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. The first sheet of each set of plans shall give the location of the work, the name and address of the owner, and the person by whom they were prepared.
The plans shall include the following information:
1. | General vicinity of the proposed site. |
2. | Property limits and accurate contours of existing ground and details of terrain and area drainage. |
3. | Limiting dimensions, elevations or finish contours to be achieved by the grading, and proposed drainage channels and related construction. |
4. | Detailed plans of all surface and subsurface drainage devices, walls, cribbing, dams and other protective devices to be constructed with, or as a part of, the proposed work, together with a map showing the drainage area and the estimated runoff of the area served by any drains. |
5. | Location of any buildings or structures on the property where the work is to be performed and the location of any buildings or structures on land of adjacent owners that are within 15 feet (4572 mm) of the property or that may be affected by the proposed grading operations. |
6. | Recommendations included in the soils engineering report and the engineering geology report shall be incorporated in the grading plans or specifications. When approved by the city engineer, specific recommendations contained in the soils engineering report and the engineering geology report, that are applicable to grading, may be included by reference. |
7. | The dates of the soils engineering and engineering geology reports together with the names, addresses and phone numbers of the firms or individuals who prepared the reports. |
Regular Grading Requirements. Each application for a grading permit shall be accompanied by a plan in sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and extent of the work to be performed. The plans shall give the location of the work, the name of the owner and the name of the person who prepared the plan. The plan shall include the following information:
1. | General vicinity of the proposed site. |
2. | Limiting dimensions and depth of cut and fill. |
3. | Location of any buildings or structures where work is to be performed, and the location of any buildings or structures within 15 feet (4572 mm) of the proposed grading. |
The city engineer may require that grading operations and project designs be modified if delays occur that subsequently experience weather-generated problems not considered at the time the permit was issued. The city engineer may require professional inspection and testing by the soils engineer. When the city engineer has cause to believe that geologic factors may be involved, the grading will be required to conform to engineered grading.
(Ord. 1223 § 3, 2022; Ord. 1249, 8/18/2025; Ord. 1250, 11/17/2025)