This chapter is enacted for the purpose of adopting rules and regulations pursuant to the State Housing Law and the Health and Safety Code, for the protection of the public health, safety and general welfare of the occupant and the public governing the creation, construction, enlargement, conversion, alteration, repair, moving, removal, demolition, occupancy, use, height, court area, sanitation, ventilation and maintenance of any building used for human habitation; provided however, that nothing in the codes adopted in this chapter shall be construed to prevent any person from performing his own building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical work when performed with the permits in compliance with this chapter, and the California Business and Professions Code.
Whenever any of the following names and terms is used in this chapter or in any of the codes adopted by reference in this chapter, unless the context directs otherwise, such names or terms so used shall have the meaning ascribed thereto by this section.
(a) Bedroom means any room which can be used for sleeping purposes.
(b) Building official, plumbing official, chief, electrical inspector, fire official, fire marshall, administrative authority, and similar references to a chief administrative position shall mean the building official of the county of Solano; provided, however, that where such terms are used in connection with those duties imposed by statute or ordinance upon the county health officer said terms shall include the county health officer.
(c) Building department, electrical department, plumbing department, fire official, fire marshal or housing department means the “building division” of the county of Solano.
(d) Fire official, fire marshall, fire inspector, or similar reference to a county fire official, charged with enforcing the California Fire Code, as adopted, means the building official of Solano County.
(Ord. No. 1521, §1, Ord. No. 1601 §3; Ord. No. 1715, §2; Ord. No. 1746, §1)
Subject to the modifications and amendments contained in this chapter, the following primary and secondary codes are adopted and incorporated into the Solano County Code by this reference as if fully set forth, and which may be amended from time to time:
(a) The California Building Standards Code, 2022 Edition, known as the California Code of Regulations, Title 24 (CCR, T-24) as adopted by the State of California Legislature, is adopted by reference as the Building Code of the County of Solano, incorporating parts 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11, known collectively as the California Building Standards Code and respectively as the California Administrative Code, California Building Code, California Residential Code, the California Electrical Code, the California Mechanical Code, the California Plumbing Code, California Energy Code, the California Fire Code, and the California Green Building Standards Code (Cal Green), and the 2021 International Wildland Urban Interface Code; adopting by reference Title 25, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1 of the California Code of Regulations, known as the State Housing Law Regulations; and adopting by reference the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings.
(1) The California Administrative Code, 2022 Edition, together with the appendices as published by the International Code Council.
(2) The California Building Code, 2022 Edition, together with Appendices C, F, G, I, and J and the nonbuilding and administrative regulations as published by the International Conference of Building Officials.
(3) The California Residential Code, 2022 Edition, and nonbuilding and administrative regulations as published by the International Code Council.
(4) The California Electrical Code, 2022 Edition, and the administrative regulations for the 2021 Edition and the nonbuilding regulations published by the National Fire Protection Association and the International Code Council.
(5) The California Mechanical Code, 2022 Edition, together with the appendices and the nonbuilding administrative regulations as published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and the International Code Council.
(6) The California Plumbing Code, 2022 Edition, together with the appendices, and the nonbuilding administrative regulations published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and the International Code Council.
(7) The California Energy Code, 2022 Edition, and nonbuilding administrative regulations as published by the International Code Council.
(8) The California Fire Code, 2022 Edition, and Appendix Chapter 4, Appendices B, BB, C, CC, D, E, F, G, I, and J, and the nonbuilding administrative regulations as published by the Western Fire Chiefs Association and the International Code Council.
(9) The International Wildland Urban Interface Code, 2021 Edition, together with Appendix A, as published by the International Code Council.
(b) Adopting administrative and nonbuilding regulations contained in the above referenced model codes, and further adopting by reference:
(1) The Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 1997 Edition, as published by the International Conference of Building Officials.
(2) The Uniform Housing Code, 1997 Edition, published by the International Conference of Building Officials as referenced by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, pursuant to provisions of the California Health and Safety Code.
(3) The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2021 Edition, as published by the International Code Council.
(4) The Uniform Sign Code, 1997 Edition, as published by the International Conference of Building Officials.
(Ord. No. 1581, §2; Ord. No. 1609, §3; Ord. No. 1622, §2; Ord. No. 1715, §3; Ord. No. 1746, §2; Ord. No. 1780, §1; Ord. No. 1809, §1; Ord. No. 1838, §1)
The Department of Resource Management of the County shall maintain on file copies of the codes referred to in this chapter.
(Ord. No. 1521, §1; Ord. No. 1715, §4)
No building permit shall be issued for which an encroachment or grading permit is required, unless and until the requirements prerequisite to the encroachment or grading permit have been met.
No building permit shall be issued unless and until the Building Official is satisfied that the construction authorized by the permit will not violate any existing law or ordinance.
The building official shall review all codes newly adopted by the state pursuant to the State Housing Law, Section 17910 et seq. of the Health and Safety Code and shall:
(a) Report such newly adopted codes to the Board of Supervisors and advise the board to schedule a hearing not less than ninety days from the date of the report; and
(b) Place copies of the codes to be considered by the board in the office of the building official for review by the general public.
(c) The Board of Supervisors shall hold public hearing at the date and time scheduled, and shall then adopt the codes with amendments, if any.
(a) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, equip, use, occupy, or maintain any building, structure or building service equipment or cause or permit the same to be done in violation of this chapter.
(b) The ordinance codified in this chapter, nor its superseding of any portion of any other ordinance of the county shall in any manner be construed to affect prosecution for violation of any other ordinance committed prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, nor be construed as a waiver of any license or any penal provision applicable to any such violation, and all rights and obligations thereunto appertaining shall continue in full force and effect.
(c) All remedies prescribed under this chapter shall be cumulative and the use of one or more remedies by the county shall not bar the use of any other remedy for the purpose of enforcing this chapter.
(d) For the purpose of this chapter, the building official, his deputies and authorized agents are authorized to issue citations.
(e) Any person, firm, corporation or other entity violating any provisions of this title shall be guilty of an infraction. Any failure to obtain the proper permits and licenses for a period of one day after being cited under this chapter, including each additional one-day period thereafter, shall be an additional violation subject to the same penalties set forth in this section.
(f) In addition to the punishment set forth in this section, any person guilty of a violation of this chapter shall be liable for such costs, expenses and disbursements paid or incurred by the county in correction abatement and prosecution of the violation.
(a) Pursuant to section 836.5 of the California Penal Code, the building official or his designated deputies is authorized to enforce the provisions of this title and to arrest or issue citations to violators thereof.
(b) The collector, in the exercise of the duties imposed upon him under this chapter shall require inspections, made by various county departments, for all places in the county to ascertain if all provisions of this chapter and all other applicable ordinances of the county have been complied with prior to the issuance of such a permit.
Applications are to be signed by the property owner or a duly licensed contractor, engineer, architect, or authorized agent designated by the property owner to act on his or her behalf.
All structures or buildings classified in Occupancy Groups A, B, E, F, H, I, L, M, R-1, S and U be designed in accordance with the Building and Professional Codes of the State of California.
(a) The permits for occupancy groups A, B, E, F, H, I, L, M, R-1, R-2 and S will expire twenty-four months after issuance. The permit records, microfilm or other copies of such, will be retained as a permanent document; for the life of the structure.
(b) Permits for R-3 and U occupancy groups shall be valid for two years from the date of their issuance, provided that the time limits of starting work or work stoppage are met. Residential plans may be destroyed one hundred and eighty days after final inspection or revocation or expiration of permit.
(c) Permits currently issued and older than two years old will expire one year from the adoption date of this ordinance. Permits currently issued and issued within the last two years will expire based on the time frames above or one year from adoption of this ordinance, whichever is later.
(Ord. No. 1521, §1; Ord. No. 1581, §4; Ord. No. 1715, §6)
The fees for all building permits, plan reviews, appeals, inspection services and permit issuances charged by the Building and Safety Division are those set forth in the department’s fee schedule, Exhibit III-C to section 11-110.4(c).
The purpose of this section is to adopt an expedited, streamlined solar permitting process that complies with the Solar Rights Act, as amended by Assembly Bill 2188 (Chapter 521, Statutes 2014) to achieve timely and cost-effective installations of small residential rooftop solar energy systems. This section will encourage the use of residential solar energy systems, provide greater ease in solar system installation, and improve the county’s and state’s ability to reach clean energy goals, while protecting public health and safety.
All terms used in this section shall have the following definitions:
(a) “Electronic submittal” means submittal by any of the following means:
(b) “Small residential rooftop solar energy system” means all of the following:
(1) A solar energy system that is no larger than ten (10) kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or thirty (30) kilowatts thermal;
(2) A solar energy system that (A) conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted or amended by the county; (B) all state and county health and safety standards; and (C) all applicable safety and performance standards established by the California Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwrites Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability;
(3) A solar energy system that is installed on a single or duplex family dwelling; and
(4) A solar panel or module array that does not exceed the maximum legal building height as defined by the county.
(a) The application for a small residential rooftop solar energy system shall include the checklist and applicable standard plan contained in the most current version of the California Solar Permitting Guidebook adopted by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
(b) The application, including the checklist and plans, shall be available to the public on the county website. Applications shall be accepted through electronic submittal, and electronic signatures shall be accepted in lieu of a wet signature.
(c) Upon confirmation of a complete application, staff shall review the application to ensure that the small residential rooftop solar energy system meets local, state, and federal health and safety requirements.
Staff’s approval of an application shall not be conditioned on the approval by an association, as defined in Section 4080 of the Civil Code.
(d) Only one (1) timely inspection shall be required and performed by staff for small residential rooftop solar energy systems eligible for expedited review, excepting a separate fire inspection if necessary. If the system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized but need not conform to the requirements of this section.
(Ord. No. 1693, §3; Ord. No. 1715, §7)
(Ord. No. 1693, §3; Ord. No. 1715, §7)