Architectural drafting · California
Title 24, CalGreen, and CBC permit sets — done right the first time.
California permit sets fail at compliance, not design. Title 24 energy modeling, CalGreen mandatory measures, and the right CBC seismic / WUI / liquefaction overlay — we lock all three before we draft.
CALIFORNIA CODE ADOPTION
Building
2022 California Building Code (CBC) — based on IBC 2021 with extensive state amendments
Residential
2022 California Residential Code (CRC) — based on IRC 2021
Energy
Title 24 Part 6 — California-specific energy code, more stringent than IECC
CalGreen mandatory non-residential and residential green-building requirements layer on top of all permits.
CLIMATE ZONE · 3 (Sacramento, Fresno) through 16 (Tahoe / mountain). Most coastal CA is zone 3 or 4.
WHAT TO KNOW IN CALIFORNIA
Title 24 is the dominant energy constraint
CA energy compliance is a separate analysis from IECC and far more demanding. Performance-path documentation (CF1R, CF2R, CF3R) is required. We model in CBECC-Res or CBECC-Com and submit the report set with the permit package.
CalGreen is mandatory
Every permit set includes a CalGreen checklist showing mandatory measures (waste diversion, water-use reduction, low-VOC materials). Mandatory measures run cheap; voluntary tier 1/2 only when the client elects them.
Statewide ADU streamlining
CA statute requires AHJs to issue ADU permits within 60 days. Most cities have a streamlined ADU package and pre-approved plan options. We work both paths depending on lot constraints.
Local fire & seismic overlays vary widely
Berkeley Hills, San Francisco peninsula, and most of the Sierra foothills are WUI. Coastal cities have liquefaction and seismic hazard overlays. We pre-clear hazard zones before quoting.
HOW WE WORK IN CALIFORNIA
California is the most code-heavy state in the country, and most permit-set delays in CA come from compliance documentation, not drawing quality. We treat CA projects with that in mind: every CA permit package includes the Title 24 performance-path report (CBECC-Res for residential, CBECC-Com for non-residential), a CalGreen checklist with mandatory measures itemized, and the right hazard-zone documentation for the parcel.
For coastal and Bay Area projects, we work directly within the LADBS, DBI, San Diego DSD, and Oakland portals — each has its own submission format and reviewer expectations. We submit in the format the city already wants to see, which is the difference between a 30-day permit and a 90-day permit. For Sacramento Valley and Central Coast projects, we partner with locally licensed engineers for stamping where required and handle the architectural drafting end-to-end.
For residential ADUs, CA statute caps review time at 60 days and many cities now offer pre-approved plan options. We work both the streamlined and pre-approved paths depending on lot orientation, setback constraints, and parent-parcel zoning. Statewide ADU code is more permissive than most cities realize; we read the state statute against the local code and route the project the way that gets the fastest issuance.
AHJs WE FILE WITH
- · City of Los Angeles LADBS
- · City of San Francisco DBI
- · City of San Diego
- · City of Sacramento
- · City of San Jose
- · County of Los Angeles
- · County of San Diego
- · City of Oakland
- · City of Berkeley
- · City of Fresno
- · County of Orange
- · County of Alameda
TYPICAL TIMELINE
LA County / LADBS: 60–90 days commercial, 30–60 days residential / ADU streamlined. SF DBI: 90–150 days for non-OTC. San Diego: 60–90 days. CalGreen and Title 24 documentation included in our permit package by default.
WHAT WE QUOTE IN CA
Tenant improvements (Bay Area + LA)
Restaurant, retail, office TIs. CalGreen non-residential mandatory + CBC compliance. Typical $7,000–$22,000.
Custom homes + Title 24 modeling
Single-family new builds, additions. CBECC-Res report + CalGreen residential. Typical $9,500–$32,000.
ADUs and JADUs
Statewide-streamlined and city pre-approved paths both supported. Typical $5,500–$13,000.
Tell us the lot APN, the AHJ, and your start window. We will pre-clear Title 24 and CalGreen before quoting.