All building permit applications in the City of Sausalito are submitted and processed electronically.

The City uses a standardized intake and plan review process designed to establish completeness at submittal, streamline review, and reduce delays caused by incomplete or unclear applications. Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete, coordinated application package that accurately discloses the full scope of work.

Plan review does not begin until an application is deemed complete.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT for Building Applications and/or Plans.

Instructions for Submitting a Building Permit Application

Step 1: Prepare Your Application Package

Before submitting, applicants must prepare:

• A completed Building Permit Application
• A coordinated plan set that clearly shows the proposed work
• All required supporting documents and disclosures

Plans must accurately and fully disclose the scope of work, including demolition, finish removal, replacement work, and new construction.

Step 2: Determine Required Submittal Documents

The City uses a Plan Review Attachment Matrix to determine which drawings, reports, and supporting documents are required based on the scope of work and site conditions.

The matrix identifies:

• Required documents
• Conditionally required documents triggered by design or site characteristics
• Documents not typically required for certain scopes

Applicants are responsible for reviewing the matrix and submitting all applicable items as a complete package.

Submittals are reviewed for completeness at intake. Plan review will not commence until all required items are received.

Step 3: Scope of Work and Disclosure Requirements

Scope of Work Disclosure

All plans must clearly and accurately disclose the full scope of work. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Demolition and finish removal
• Altered construction
• Replacement versus new work

Where plans do not clearly distinguish existing work from proposed work, additional disclosure may be required to allow Building and Fire review staff to evaluate applicable code requirements.

Small Residential Projects

For certain limited-scope residential projects, Building Division staff may direct applicants to use standardized coversheets or disclosure templates as part of the plan set. These tools are used to clarify scope, identify applicable code triggers, and ensure consistency between the permit application and the submitted plans.

Permits are approved based on the accuracy and completeness of the information shown on the approved documents. Failure to fully disclose the scope of work may result in additional review, enforcement action, or application of additional requirements if field conditions differ from the approved plans.

Step 4: File Naming and Organization Requirements

To ensure uniformity, consistency, and efficient plan review, all electronic files submitted to the City of Sausalito must follow the organization and naming conventions outlined below.

Proper file organization is required for intake completeness. Submittals that do not follow these conventions may be rejected as incomplete.

File Organization Requirements

All application materials must be submitted as a single, coordinated upload containing clearly separated documents.

Required Organization Standards

• One document per PDF (do not combine unrelated materials)
• Plans shall be compiled into a single plan set PDF
• Supporting documents shall be submitted as separate PDFs
• Incremental or piecemeal uploads are not accepted

Recommended document groupings include:

• Plans
• Calculations
• Supporting Reports
• Forms

File Naming Convention Requirements

Because new applications do not yet have a permit number, file names must use the project address as the primary identifier.

Minimum File Name Format

• File names must include the following items in the order shown:

1. Document Type
2. Project Address

• File names shall be separated by a comma.

• Prohibited Characters

• No special characters may be used in file names.

• Do not use symbols such as:
  & % @ # / \ * ?

• Use letters, numbers, spaces, commas, and hyphens only.

• Files containing special characters may not open correctly and may be rejected.

Minimum File Name Examples

1. DOCUMENT TYPE, PROJECT ADDRESS

2. PLANS, 420 LITHO AVENUE

3. STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS, 420 LITHO AVENUE

4. GEOTECHNICAL REPORT, 420 LITHO AVENUE

5. ENERGY CALCULATIONS, 420 LITHO AVENUE

Building Permit Inspections

• Inspection Requests can be made by calling the Inspection Line at (415) 289-4100, ext. 800
• The request needs to contain the following information in order to be scheduled:
  • Preference for site inspection or virtual inspection
  • The desired day and date of the requested inspection
  • The permit number
  • The site address
  • Preference for AM or PM inspection (AM is 9AM to 12 noon; PM is 1PM to 4PM)
  • The type of inspection
  • A contact name and cell phone number
  • Inspection requests will be processed on a first come, first serve basis. If an inspection request needs to be altered due to the inspector’s schedule, or time constraints a phone call will be returned to the contact person. Otherwise, there will be no confirmation call returned and the inspection will be scheduled as requested.
• • Requests must be made by 4:00pm the day before inspection. Any inspections requested after 4:00pm will automatically be scheduled for the next inspection day.
• Failed inspections or no-shows will be charged a re-inspection fee of $75.00.
• For both in person and virtual inspections somebody must be onsite during the inspection with the job card and the approved set of plans.

Holds

• Some permits may be issued with "Holds."
• Holds are stipulated by different agencies and the holds must be met prior to various stages of construction.
• Holds may be placed by the Planning Division, Building Division, Fire Prevention Officer, County Environmental Health Services, and the Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District.
• A "Close-In Hold" means that the Building Division will not inspect the rough framing, plumbing, electrical, or mechanical component on a project until the requesting entity has released the hold.
• It is the responsibility of the permit holder to be aware of all holds and to be sure that the holds are released prior to requested inspections. 

Review by Outside Agencies

• The Applicant is responsible for submitting plans to outside agencies (e.g., Southern Marin Fire Protection District, Marin Municipal Water District, County Environmental Health Services, Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District, Bay Conservation and Development Commission), which may require review and approval of the project. 

Applicable Construction Codes

• The California Building Standards Commission has adopted the following construction codes, which are effective in the City of Sausalito. 
• In addition, 2016 California Fire Code with local amendments adopted by Ordinance No. 1215 is effective in the City of Sausalito. 
• See also the list of Local Building Ordinances

Useful Phone Numbers

• Building Division: (415) 289-4132
• Planning Division: (415) 289-4132
• Code Enforcement: (415) 289-4111
• Engineering Division: (415) 289-4106
• Sewer Division: (415) 289-4109
• Maintenance Division: (415) 289-4192 
• Southern Marin Fire Protection District: (415) 388-8182
• Marin Municipal Water District: (415) 945-1455 
• Marin County Environmental Health Services: (415) 473-6907 
• Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District: (415) 332-0244
• Bay Conservation and Development Commission: (415) 352-3600 
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District: (415) 771-6000 
• California State Contractor’s License Board: (800) 321-2752