Chino Hills is a San Bernardino County city of about seventy-seven thousand residents in the hills above the Chino Valley, incorporated in December 1991 and built almost entirely from planned residential communities. Its Building and Safety Division, within Community Development at the civic centre on City Center Drive, is the sole building authority inside the city.
This guide covers the Building and Safety Division, its permit process, Title 24 with city amendments, and the records and forms rules that shape Chino Hills projects.
This guide covers work inside the City of Chino Hills limits. Unincorporated San Bernardino County and the neighbouring City of Chino are separate authorities.
Chino Hills did not exist as a city before December 1991, and its permit records start there. If city staff cannot locate a permit dated before incorporation, it will be held by San Bernardino County Building and Safety instead. The city also retains construction plans only for one hundred and eighty days after a project is completed, so copies should be requested early rather than years later.
What requires a building permit in Chino Hills?
California builds on a single statewide code — the California Building Standards Code, known as Title 24 — adopted on a three-year cycle by the California Building Standards Commission. The 2025 edition took effect on January 1, 2026 and governs statewide. Cities and counties enforce Title 24 and may adopt local amendments, but an amendment must be filed with the state and may only be equal to or more restrictive than the state code, justified by local climatic, geologic or topographic conditions. So the first question in Chino Hills is which authority has jurisdiction — the city on incorporated parcels, the county in unincorporated territory — and what local amendments sit on top of Title 24.
Permit required
- New commercial, multi-family and residential construction, additions and change of occupancy
- Structural alterations, load-bearing changes, foundations, decks and retaining walls
- Electrical work — services, panels, circuits, solar and EV charging — under the California Electrical Code
- Plumbing under the California Plumbing Code, tied to a licensed contractor
- Mechanical and HVAC change-outs, and work affecting the Title 24 energy envelope
- Re-roofing above the exempt scope, pools, signs, and demolition
Often exempt
- Minor repairs and maintenance replacing materials in kind
- Small accessory structures below the local threshold, where zoning allows
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry and other finish work
- Like-for-like fixture or appliance swaps with no alteration to wiring or piping
Local amendments and thresholds differ from one jurisdiction to the next, so an exempt list from a neighbouring city is not reliable — a project waved through in one place needs a full permit set in the next. An exemption from a building permit is never an exemption from zoning, the statewide energy or green-building codes, or an electrical or plumbing permit. Confirm scope with Building and Safety before work starts.
The statewide layers that apply everywhere
Several parts of Title 24 apply on top of the base building code and routinely catch projects owners assume are exempt: the California Energy Code (Part 6), among the strictest in the nation; CALGreen (Part 11), California’s mandatory statewide green-building code; and the accessibility provisions in Chapters 11A and 11B. Seismic design is built into the code statewide, and in fire-prone areas the wildland-urban-interface rules of Chapter 7A and Cal Fire defensible-space requirements add a further layer. In the City of Chino Hills, the Building and Safety Division administers Title 24 with city amendments, working alongside the Planning Division and the fire district on development review.
Who handles permitting in Chino Hills?
The Building and Safety Division reviews plans, issues building permits and conducts inspections to ensure compliance with the building codes and city ordinances.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Chino Hills Building and Safety Division |
| Serves | The City of Chino Hills limits |
| Phone | 909-364-2780 |
| Counter | 14000 City Center Drive, Chino Hills |
| Code | Title 24 with Chino Hills city amendments |
| Review | About fifteen business days per submittal |
| Licensing | State CSLB license; no local registration |
| Records | Pre-1991 permits held by San Bernardino County |
The Building and Safety Division reviews plans, issues permits and inspects construction from the civic centre, with the public counter open on a five-day schedule and a shorter Friday. Inspection requests are made online through the city’s development services customer portal or by the inspection hotline, with next-day requests received by the published afternoon cut-off and later requests moving to the following day.
Confirm the parcel is inside the city first; unincorporated San Bernardino County and the City of Chino file with different authorities under their own amendments.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential work inside the city is permitted and inspected by the division under Title 24 and city amendments. Water heater replacement, reroofs, interior remodels, window replacement, patio covers, second-storey decks and balconies all need permits, along with retaining walls. Freestanding walls and fences at or under the published heights in setback areas are exempt.
How California contractor credentials work
California licenses contractors statewide through the Contractors State License Board, not locally. The CSLB issues three license types — Class A for general engineering, Class B for general building, and the Class C specialty classifications for individual trades — and a contractor must hold the classification that matches the work. A license is required for any project valued at one thousand dollars or more in combined labour and materials, and, in practice, for any work that requires a permit regardless of value.
In California the license lives with the state, not the city. The same CSLB license is recognised in every jurisdiction, so there is no separate local contractor registration to secure before pulling a permit. What the permitting authority does check is that the license number is active and carries the right classification for the scope, along with workers’ compensation coverage. Confirm the classification matches before filing.
Commercial permits
Commercial work goes through division plan review against the California Building Code, the Energy Code and CALGreen, with city amendments. Moveable cases and shelving above the published height, adding walls, removing bearing or demising walls, changes to electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems, and changes in occupancy all require permits.
Licenses, trade classifications and design professionals
Practically, three credential layers appear on California projects: a CSLB license in the correct classification for the contractor pulling the permit; the specialty C-classifications for the electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades; and, on commercial and larger residential work, drawings stamped by a California-licensed architect or engineer. Confirm what Building and Safety requires for the specific building before filing.
Chino Hills permit costs and fees
Budget the city building permit and plan-review fees, separate trade permits, the state Building Standards and seismic surcharges, and any development impact fees. A card payment convenience fee is assessed on all transactions. Confirm the schedule in force on your filing date.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Based on project valuation or square footage; set by the local schedule |
| Plan check | A percentage of the permit fee or a flat charge, at submittal |
| Trade permits | Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees |
| State surcharges | Building Standards and seismic (SMIP) fees collected with the permit |
| Impact and school fees | Development impact and school-district fees in growth areas |
| Re-inspections and revisions | Additional fees for failed inspections, revisions and expired permits |
California layers two uniform state surcharges — the Building Standards Administration fee and the Strong Motion Instrumentation seismic fee — on top of the local charges, so they appear on permits everywhere. The building and plan-check fees themselves are local and change, and California law limits them to the reasonable cost of providing the service, so a figure from a neighbouring city is not reliable — ask Building and Safety for the schedule in force on your filing date.
Need a real number for a specific Chino Hills project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the authority having jurisdiction, the code edition in force and the fee categories that will apply.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trade permits are separate from the building permit and, on projects that require one, generally cannot be issued until the building permit is in place. Each trade follows its own part of Title 24 — the California Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Codes — and is tied to a contractor holding the matching CSLB specialty classification, the same license statewide.
California runs the trades on one statewide license. Electrical work is tied to a C-10 contractor, plumbing to a C-36, and heating and air to a C-20, each licensed by the CSLB rather than the city, so the credential travels with the contractor from one jurisdiction to the next. What changes locally is the permit itself and any local amendments — confirm both with the authority that issues it.
- Electrical work follows the California Electrical Code and a C-10 electrical contractor.
- Plumbing work follows the California Plumbing Code and a C-36 plumbing contractor.
- Mechanical work follows the California Mechanical and Energy codes and a C-20 HVAC contractor.
Permit required
- Service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heater change-outs, fixtures, backflow and gas piping
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork, venting and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm work on commercial and multi-family structures
Typically exempt
- Replacing a fixture, switch, receptacle or light with no alteration to wiring or piping
- Clearing a stoppage without replacing or rearranging concealed piping
- Filter, thermostat and routine component service
- Like-for-like appliance repair that does not alter the connection
How to apply for a Chino Hills building permit
The City of Chino is a separate city with its own department.
Pre-1991 records sit with San Bernardino County, not the city.
Smoke and carbon monoxide form, plus a waste management plan.
California licenses contractors statewide; match the classification to the scope.
Larger or more complicated projects take longer.
Later requests move to the following day.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
In California, the first cause of delay is uncertainty over jurisdiction — filing with the county when a city should have it, or missing a local amendment on top of Title 24. After that come Title 24 energy and CALGreen documentation, a CSLB classification that does not match the scope, and, in fire or coastal areas, defensible-space or coastal-zone requirements that were not addressed up front. Build the plan-check time into the schedule and confirm the checklist with Building and Safety before filing.
Approvals do not stay live indefinitely. A California building permit carries a validity period and can expire if work does not start or stalls between inspections. On phased or financed work, keep the permit active with periodic progress inspections and confirm the expiry window before it passes.
Inspections in Chino Hills
Where a permit is required, standard checkpoints include footing and foundation, framing, rough-in electrical, plumbing and mechanical, insulation and Title 24 energy, CALGreen measures, fire systems on commercial work, and final, with a certificate of occupancy before use. Two forms are required before permit issuance: a smoke detector and carbon monoxide form on residential projects above the published valuation, and a construction and demolition recycling waste management plan on projects above the published floor area.
California inspections are keyed to the code editions in force when the permit issued, so the approved plans and any energy and green-building documentation need to be on site for the inspector to check against. Confirm the notice Building and Safety needs and schedule around its inspection windows.
Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. Keep the issued permit, the approved plans, product listings, Title 24 energy documentation and your correction responses available on site.
Chino Hills permit search and official resources
Permit records in California sit with the local authority that issued them. Where the City of Chino Hills Building and Safety Division is the authority for the City of Chino Hills limits, it holds the building permit, the inspection history and the certificate of occupancy. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, confirm that past work was permitted rather than assuming it was — and confirm the code edition that was in force.
Confirm the authority having jurisdiction and the local amendments first. California enforces one statewide code, Title 24, but each city and county adds its own amendments and fee schedule, so the requirements that apply vary by parcel. Confirm current requirements, fees and review turnaround for your filing date.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- City of Chino Hills Building Permits
- California Building Standards Commission (Title 24)
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
- California Energy Commission (Energy Code)
- California Department of Housing and Community Development
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in the City of Chino Hills?
The Building and Safety Division, within Community Development, at the civic centre on City Center Drive. The City of Chino is a separate city with its own building department.
Where are permits from before 1991?
The city incorporated in December 1991. If staff cannot locate a permit dated before then, it will be held by San Bernardino County Building and Safety.
How long does plan check take?
Generally about fifteen business days for each submittal, with larger or more complicated projects taking longer.
What forms are required before issuance?
A smoke detector and carbon monoxide form on residential projects above the published valuation, and a construction and demolition recycling waste management plan on projects above the published floor area.
Can I get copies of my house plans?
Only for a limited period. Building and Safety retains construction plans for one hundred and eighty days after the project is completed.
How do I book an inspection?
Through the city’s development services customer portal or the inspection hotline, with next-day requests received before the published afternoon cut-off.
Simplify Chino Hills permitting with Alliance Permitting
Chino Hills rewards knowing where the paper lives. A city younger than much of its housing stock keeps its early records somewhere else entirely.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 22 years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Chino Hills because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm the parcel is in Chino Hills rather than Chino.
- We trace pre-incorporation records to the county where needed.
- We prepare the smoke, carbon monoxide and waste plan forms.
- We request plan copies inside the city retention window.
- We book inspections inside the published daily cut-off.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
Ready to break ground in Chino Hills sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Chino Hills permits while your crew stays on the job.
More California permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Chino Hills permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.