County Board Eases Process of Obtaining Building Permits

By City News Service:

Building a guest house, carport or other addition on a property in unincorporated areas of Riverside County will be less of a hassle beginning next year, thanks to new regulatory guidelines adopted Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.

In a 4-0 vote, the board approved lifting requirements that property owners submit plot plans as the first step toward obtaining a building permit to place various structures on their land.

“It is important because it simplifies the process and makes it easier for residents to build secondary structures on their property,” said Supervisor John Benoit, who noted the change will lower the expense of altering lots.

According to the Transportation and Land Management Agency, the current cost of processing a plot plan for an accessory structure can run several thousand dollars or more.

Starting in January, an applicant can seek a building permit -- without going through a plot plan review -- as long as the second unit doesn’t exceed 1,200 square feet on a 20,000-square-foot property, or 2,500 square feet on properties situated on four or more acres.

Under the new guidelines, applicants also will no longer face deadlines of when to start work, with the risk of losing their permit if they fail to comply. Existing county regulations mandate a two-year window from the time a permit is granted to the time construction is supposed to get underway.

The time constraints will no longer exist; however, county officials noted that a property owner must still obtain a building permit before construction starts.

(Image via Shutterstock)