What's Required in San Diego
- No permit for cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, paint or wallpaper, including relocating cabinets in the kitchen (SDMC 129.0203(a)(17); IB 203)
- Electrical permit for any new or altered wiring; like-for-like switch, receptacle and hardwired appliance swaps are exempt
- Plumbing permit for any altered or added piping; same-spot fixture replacement without piping changes is exempt
- No-Plan Building Permit available when there is no change to structure, wall framing or exterior walls and no added fixtures or gas appliances
- Building permit with plans per IB 140 when walls move or fixtures are added
- Water Meter Data Card DS-16 when new plumbing fixtures are added
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms brought to current code whenever a permit is pulled in an existing dwelling
- Electrical Circuit Card DS-1779 completed for inspection
- Designated historical resources and historic districts need plans and historical review; no Simple Permits
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Kitchen in San Diego?
It depends on what is behind the finishes. San Diego Municipal Code section 129.0203(a)(17) exempts painting, floor covering and cabinet work from a building permit without any dollar limit, and Information Bulletin 203 adds that relocating cabinets and countertops in a single-family, duplex or townhouse kitchen is exempt, as is replacing up to 100 square feet of drywall to repair wiring or plumbing. The Development Services Department (DSD) handout says permits are not required for painting, wallpapering and installing flooring or cabinets. The moment you touch a system, a permit appears: section 129.0302 requires an electrical permit for any new or altered wiring, and 129.0402 a plumbing permit for any altered or added plumbing, though replacing a fixture in kind without touching the piping, and swapping hardwired appliances such as dishwashers or disposals without adding load, are exempt. Move a wall, open an exterior wall or add a fixture and the job needs a building permit with plans.
San Diego Kitchen Remodel Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, paint; cabinets moved in the same room | None | SDMC 129.0203(a)(17); IB 203 |
| Same-spot sink or faucet swap; new dishwasher or disposal on the existing circuit | None | SDMC 129.0403(a)(3), 129.0303(f) |
| Kitchen remodel with new wiring or piping but no framing, no exterior walls, no added fixtures | No-Plan Building Permit, $440.82, covers plumbing, mechanical and electrical | IB 203; IB 103 Table 3A |
| New circuits only, for example a range or microwave circuit | Electrical Simple Permit, $176.57 for up to five circuits | IB 103 Table 2; Simple Permits page |
| Adding a sink, pot filler or gas appliance, or moving the sink to a new drain location | Plumbing permit; Water Meter Data Card DS-16 for added fixtures | SDMC 129.0402; IB 140 |
| Removing or moving a wall, opening an exterior wall, changing the layout | Building permit with plans; Residential Addition/Remodel fee line | IB 140; IB 501 Table 501A |
| Kitchen in a designated historical resource or historic district | Plans and historical review; no Simple Permit | IB 203; IB 103 |
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Permit Cost in San Diego?
There are two prices. A remodel that keeps the structure, wall framing and exterior walls and adds no plumbing fixtures or gas appliances qualifies for a No-Plan Building Permit, and Information Bulletin 103, Table 3A, prices it at $440.82 per dwelling unit, a fee that includes the no-plan combination permit for all plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. It is a Simple Permit, filed online with no plan review, so the General Plan Maintenance Fee does not apply. A remodel that needs plans is priced 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, then $6.98 and $4.46 per additional square foot. Plan-reviewed projects also pay the $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee and a $12.16 mapping fee, so a plan-checked kitchen is about $3,512.92 + $2,228.29 + $737.00 + $12.16 = $6,490.37, plus state fees, a $17.11 collection charge and a $58.00 lead hazard fee on homes built before 1978. Standalone trade permits are cheaper when that is all you need: $176.57 for up to five new circuits and $264.25 for residential water or waste pipe replacement.
Who Pulls the Permit and What Comes With It
Everything is filed online through the DSD portal. A licensed contractor receives a Simple Permit as soon as the invoice is paid; a homeowner filing as owner-builder receives it within about two business days of uploading the signed Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042, which tenants cannot sign. Electrical and plumbing permits go only to state-licensed contractors or the property owner or lessee. Whenever a permit is pulled in an existing home, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must be brought to current code, and the Electrical Circuit Card DS-1779 is checked at inspection. If the inspector finds a no-plan job is really a plan job, plans are required and a new permit issued. Interior-only work on a 45-year-old house is exempt from Potential Historical Resource Review, but a designated historical resource needs plans and review for any scope. Plan-reviewed remodels under 3,000 square feet are Short projects, estimated at 8 business days for the first review; stand-alone trade permits expire if work is not inspected within 180 days.
How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in San Diego
Sort the scope
Finishes only: no permit. Wiring or piping only: no-plan or Simple Permit. Walls or added fixtures: plans.
Apply online
For a no-plan job select Simple Permits or the Building Construction record with form DS-6005; for plans, a Building Construction application with IB 140 drawings.
Upload the owner-builder form if you are filing
DS-3042 must be signed by the owner, notarized if not present; contractors list their license instead.
Pay and receive the permit
A Simple Permit issues on payment ($440.82 for a no-plan remodel); plan-checked jobs pay $3,512.92 and the $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee before an estimated 8-business-day review.
Schedule inspections
Book rough and final inspections online or at 858-581-7111 before covering work, with the circuit card and alarms in place.