Locations
Permits in Placer County.
Permit-ready plans and permit coordination for homes, ADUs, additions, and manufactured homes in Granite Bay, Penryn, Newcastle, and the rest of unincorporated Placer County, including North Lake Tahoe.
Placer County reviews permits for unincorporated areas. Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin, and Roseville run their own building departments.
What we handle here
- Confirm the reviewing agency, and whether the parcel is in the Tahoe basin.
- Prepare the construction document set and the online application.
- Check whether a pre-reviewed ADU plan fits the lot.
- Coordinate TRPA requirements for basin projects.
- Answer plan check comments and track the permit through issuance.
One portal, two offices
The county takes building, TRPA building, planning, and engineering permits through one online portal. Building staff work from Auburn and from Tahoe City. In the Tahoe basin, the county processes building permits jointly with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Pre-reviewed ADU plans
The county publishes pre-reviewed ADU plans. Since January 1, 2025, it has also accepted designers' plans for its Master ADU Program under state law (AB 1332). A pre-reviewed plan still needs a site plan and a site-specific building permit, and other permit fees still apply.
The plans cannot be altered. The county reviews a changed plan as a standalone permit, with full review. We check the fit, prepare the site plan and package, or prepare a custom set. See ADU permits.
Projects at North Lake Tahoe
Basin projects follow TRPA rules on top of the building code, including land coverage limits. We confirm the requirements from the parcel and coordinate the county and TRPA review together.
Fire hazard zones
The state maps Fire Hazard Severity Zones. New buildings in a High or Very High zone may need to meet the wildfire construction standards in Chapter 7A of the California Building Code. That affects roofing, siding, vents, windows, and decks, so we check the zone before drawings start.
Common questions
- Does Placer County review permits in Roseville or Rocklin?
- No. Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Colfax, and Loomis review their own. The county reviews unincorporated areas such as Granite Bay, Penryn, and Newcastle.
- Can I change a pre-reviewed ADU plan?
- Not and keep the faster review. The county treats a changed plan as a standalone permit with full review. If the lot needs changes, a custom permit-ready plan set may be the cleaner path.
- How are Tahoe basin permits different?
- The county processes them jointly with TRPA, and TRPA rules such as land coverage apply. We coordinate both reviews as one submittal.
- Is Granite Bay its own city?
- No. Granite Bay is an unincorporated community, so Placer County reviews its permits.
Start a project
Building in Placer County? Send the address.
Drawings, permit coordination, or both. One team, then a dashboard through issuance.