This chapter shall be known and may be cited and referred to as the "Wildland-Urban Interface Code for the City of Sunnyvale."
(Ord. 3248-25, 10/21/2025)
The 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code in its entirety, as published by the International Code Council, Inc., and amendments to sections of the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code adopted by the State Building Standards Commission in California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 24, Part 7, known as the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, is hereby adopted by reference, with changes and modifications as hereinafter set forth, as the Wildland-Urban Interface Code of the city of Sunnyvale.
(Ord. 3248-25, 10/21/2025)
2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Chapter 1, Division II is hereby amended as follows:
101.2. Scope.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to grading and to the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal, and demolitions of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures within the city, including all plumbing and drainage systems, mechanical systems, and electrical wiring and fire safety systems, or parts thereof, within and serving such building or structure, excluding therefrom the following:
(2)
Work located primarily in a public way;
(3)
Public utility towers and poles;
(4)
Mechanical equipment not specifically regulated in any of the codes; and
(5)
Hydraulic flood control structures.
This code applies to building materials, systems and/or assemblies used in the exterior design and construction of new buildings located within a wildland-urban interface (WUI) area and contains minimum requirements to mitigate conditions that might cause a fire originating in a structure to ignite vegetation in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) area, and conversely, a wildfire burning in vegetative fuels to transmit fire to buildings and threaten to destroy life, overwhelm fire suppression capabilities or result in large property losses.
105.4.2 Time Limitation of Application. 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 code official is authorized to grant one or more extensions of time for additional periods not exceeding 180 days each. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated.
In order to proceed with a project once an application has expired, a new application is required with new plan reviews fees and plans based on the code in effect at the time of the new application.
105.8 Permit Expiration. On or after January 1, 2019, every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such permit is commenced within 12 months after its issuance or if the work authorized on the site by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 12 months after the time the work is commenced. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, one or more extensions of time for periods not more than 180 days each. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated. (See Health and Safety Code Sections 18938.5 and 18938.6.)
If a permit has expired, no work may be recommenced until a new permit is obtained. The fee for a new permit shall be one-half the amount required for a new permit for such work, provided no changes have been made or will be made in the original plans and specifications for such work, and provided further that the period of suspension or abandonment was not in excess of one year, in which case the permittee shall pay a new, full permit fee and plan review fee.
Any permittee holding an unexpired permit may apply for an extension of the time within which to commence or complete work under the permit. Such requests must be submitted in writing. The building official is authorized to grant one or more extensions of time for periods not more than 180 days each. The extension shall be requested in writing, and justifiable cause shall be demonstrated.
105.11 Placement of Permit. The building permit, along with all plans and documentation approved by the building official, shall be kept on the site of the work until final approval has been granted by the building official.
108.2 Schedule of Permit Fees. On buildings, structures, electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing systems, or alterations requiring a permit, a fee for each permit shall be paid as required by the current fee resolution approved by the city council.
108.4. Work Commencing Before Permit Issuance. Whenever any work for which a permit is required by this code has been commenced without first obtaining said permit, the fee for such permit shall be double the fee established by the current fee resolution approved by the city council.
108.4.1. Investigation Fees: Work Without a Permit. Whenever any work for which a permit is required by this code has been commenced without first obtaining said permit a special investigation may be made before a permit may be issued for such work.
108.4.2 Fee. An investigation fee in addition to the permit fee shall be collected whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued. The investigation fee shall be equal to the amount of the permit fee.
108.6. Refunds. The building official may authorize refunding of any fee paid hereunder which was erroneously paid or collected.
The building official may authorize refunding of not more than 80 percent of the permit fee paid when the permit is canceled and no work has been done under a permit issued in accordance with this section.
The building official may authorize refunding of the plan review fee paid with an application for a permit for which a plan review fee has been paid is withdrawn or canceled before any plan reviewing is done.
The building official shall not authorize refunding of any fee paid except by written request filed by the original permittee and for building permits that are not expired.
108.7 Plan Review Fees. When a plan review is required a plan checking fee shall be paid at the time of submitting plans and specifications for checking.
When submittal documents are incomplete or changed so as to require additional plan review or when the project involves deferred submittal items an additional plan review fee may be charged as deemed necessary by the building official at rate established in the current fee resolution adopted by the city council.
109.1.3 Reinspections. A reinspection fee may be assessed as deemed necessary by the building official for each inspection or reinspection when such portion of work for which inspection is called is not complete or when corrections called for are not made.
This section is not to be interpreted as requiring reinspection fees the first time a job is rejected for failure to comply with the requirements of this code, but as controlling the practice of calling for inspections before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection.
Reinspection fees may be assessed when the inspection records card is not posted or otherwise available on the work site, the approved plans are not readily available to the inspector, for failure to provide access on the date for which inspection is required, or for deviating from plans requiring the approval of the building official.
In instances where reinspection fees have been assessed, no additional inspection of the work will be performed until the required reinspection fees have been paid.
The reinspection fee shall be in accordance with the current fee resolution adopted by the city council.
109.1.5 Other Inspections. In addition to the inspections specified above the building official may make or require other inspections of any construction work to ascertain compliance with the provisions of this code and other laws which are enforced by the code enforcement agency.
109.1.6 Inspection Record Card. Work requiring a permit shall not be commenced until the permit holder or an agent of the permit holder has posted or otherwise made available the inspection record card issued by the building official such as to allow the building official to conveniently make the required entries thereon regarding inspection of the work. This card shall be maintained available by the permit holder until final approval has been granted by the building official.
109.3.7.1. Unlawful Acts. It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to perform any grading, or to relocate, replace, erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish, equip, use, occupy, or maintain any building or structure in the city, or to install or maintain any plumbing or drainage systems, or any mechanical systems, or any electrical wiring or fire safety systems in or about any building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures in the city, or cause the same to be done, contrary to or in violation of any of the provisions of the administrative or technical code. Each such person is guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which a violation of any provision of any codes continued, or permitted by such person and shall be punishable accordingly.
(Ord. 3248-25, 10/21/2025)