What's Required in San Diego
- No permit for same-spot fixture replacement without piping changes, tub-to-tub or shower-to-shower swaps of the same size and place, tile, paint or flooring
- Plumbing permit for any altered or added drainage, waste, vent or water piping (SDMC 129.0402)
- Electrical permit for any new or altered wiring; same-type switch, receptacle and fixture swaps are exempt
- Mechanical permit for a new exhaust fan; plumbing permit for a water heater
- No-Plan Building Permit only when structure, wall framing and exterior walls are unchanged and no fixtures or gas appliances are added
- Building permit with plans per IB 140 when walls move or the room is enlarged
- Water Meter Data Card DS-16 when new plumbing fixtures are added
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms brought to code whenever a permit is pulled in an existing dwelling
- Designated historical resources and historic districts need plans and historical review; no Simple Permits
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Bathroom in San Diego?
Only when the work goes past the fixtures. San Diego Municipal Code section 129.0403(a)(3) exempts replacement in kind of plumbing fixtures unless the installation requires altering or replacing drainage, waste, vent or water supply piping, and Information Bulletin 203 adds tub-to-tub and shower-to-shower replacements that do not change size or location, plus drywall replacement up to 100 square feet when repairing wiring or plumbing. The Development Services Department (DSD) handout lists showerheads, plumbing fixtures, switches, light fixtures and receptacles among the things you may replace without a permit. Tile, paint and flooring are exempt finish work. What needs a permit: any altered or added piping (section 129.0402), any new or altered wiring (section 129.0302), a new exhaust fan, a water heater, and anything structural. Turning a half bath into a full bath, or moving the toilet, is a plumbing job at minimum and a plan-checked building permit if walls move.
San Diego Bathroom Remodel Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New toilet, vanity, faucet or showerhead in the same spot; tub-to-tub or shower-to-shower same size and place; tile, paint, flooring | None | SDMC 129.0403(a)(3), 129.0203(a)(17); IB 203 |
| Remodel with new wiring or piping but no framing, exterior wall or added fixtures | No-Plan Building Permit, $440.82, includes plumbing, mechanical and electrical | IB 203; IB 103 Table 3A |
| New exhaust fan only | Mechanical Simple Permit, $105.98 | IB 103 Table 1B; Simple Permits page |
| Water heater replacement (not tankless) | Plumbing Simple Permit, $122.97 | IB 103 Table 3B; Simple Permits page |
| Moving the toilet, sink or shower drain, or adding a fixture | Plumbing permit; Water Meter Data Card DS-16 for added fixtures | SDMC 129.0402; IB 140 |
| Moving walls, enlarging the room, converting a closet or half bath to a full bath | Building permit with plans; Residential Addition/Remodel fee line | IB 140; IB 501 Table 501A |
| Bathroom in a designated historical resource or historic district | Plans and historical review; no Simple Permit | IB 203; IB 103 |
How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Permit Cost in San Diego?
A bathroom remodel that leaves the structure, wall framing and exterior walls alone and adds no plumbing fixtures or gas appliances takes a No-Plan Building Permit priced by Information Bulletin 103, Table 3A, at $440.82 per dwelling unit, including the no-plan combination permit for all plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. No plans are reviewed, so the General Plan Maintenance Fee does not apply. A remodel that needs plans is billed on IB 501, Table 501A, as a Residential Single Dwelling Unit or Duplex Addition/Remodel: $3,512.92 plan check and $2,228.29 inspection for the first 500 square feet, plus the $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee and a $12.16 mapping fee, about $6,490.37 before state fees, a $17.11 collection charge and the $58.00 lead hazard fee on pre-1978 homes. Single-item trade permits are cheaper: an exhaust fan is $105.98, a water heater $122.97, residential water or waste pipe replacement $264.25 per dwelling unit, and up to five new circuits $176.57.
Who Pulls the Permit and What Comes With It
All permits are filed online. Simple Permits go to licensed contractors as soon as the invoice is paid and to homeowners within about two business days of uploading the signed Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042; tenants cannot sign it. Plumbing and electrical permits may be issued only to state-licensed contractors or the property owner or lessee. Any permit in an existing home requires smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be brought to code, and the Electrical Circuit Card DS-1779 is checked at inspection. If the inspector decides a no-plan job is too extensive, plans are required and a new permit issued. Interior-only work on a 45-year-old house is exempt from Potential Historical Resource Review; a designated historical resource needs plans and review for any scope and cannot use Simple Permits. Plan-reviewed remodels are Short projects with an estimated 8 business days for the first review; stand-alone trade permits expire if no inspection is passed within 180 days and cannot run past two years.
How to Get a Bathroom Remodel Permit in San Diego
Sort the scope
Fixtures and finishes in place: no permit. New piping or wiring without framing: no-plan permit. Moved walls or added fixtures: plans.
Apply online
Select Simple Permits or the Building Construction record with form DS-6005 for a no-plan job; submit IB 140 plans for a layout change.
Upload the owner-builder form if you are filing
DS-3042 signed by the owner, notarized if not present; a contractor lists a state license instead.
Pay and receive the permit
$440.82 for the no-plan remodel issues on payment; plan-checked jobs pay $3,512.92 plus the $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee before an estimated 8-business-day review.
Schedule inspections
Book rough plumbing, electrical and final inspections online or at 858-581-7111 before closing walls, with alarms and the circuit card ready.