Locations
Permits in unincorporated Sacramento County.
Permit-ready plans and permit coordination for homes, ADUs, additions, and manufactured homes in Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Rio Linda, and the rest of unincorporated Sacramento County.
Sacramento County reviews building permits for unincorporated areas only. The seven cities in the county run their own building departments. Inside city limits, see City of Sacramento permits.
What we handle here
- Confirm whether the county or a city reviews the parcel.
- Prepare the construction document set and application for electronic submittal.
- Check whether a county Shelf Ready ADU plan fits the lot.
- Coordinate septic and well review when the parcel is not on public sewer or water.
- Answer plan check comments and track the permit through issuance.
Who reviews the permit
- Sacramento County Building Permits and Inspection. Unincorporated communities such as Antelope, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Gold River, North Highlands, Orangevale, and Rio Linda.
- City building departments. Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento each review permits inside their own limits.
- Environmental Management Department. Septic systems and wells anywhere in the county, including plot plan review as part of the building permit.
Plans are submitted electronically
The county accepts only electronic submittal and review for building projects of every size, through its online permit portal. We prepare the files to the county's standards, submit them, and follow the review through each department.
Shelf Ready ADU plans
The county offers five pre-approved detached ADU plans at no cost, from a 460 square foot studio to a 1,184 square foot three-bedroom unit. They can be used only in unincorporated Sacramento County, and the plans cannot be modified.
The county notes that the plans may not work on every parcel because of setback and firewall requirements. We check the fit, prepare the site plan and the rest of the package, or prepare a custom set when no Shelf Ready plan fits. See ADU permits.
Septic and wells
Parts of the county are not on public sewer or water. The Environmental Management Department permits septic systems and wells, and most septic construction or repair needs a permit. We coordinate that review with the building permit, so one does not hold up the other.
Common questions
- Does Sacramento County review permits in Elk Grove or Folsom?
- No. The county reviews building permits in unincorporated areas only. Elk Grove, Folsom, and the other cities in the county review their own. We confirm the reviewing agency from the address at intake.
- Can I use a Shelf Ready ADU plan on my lot?
- If the parcel is in unincorporated Sacramento County and the plan fits the setbacks and firewall requirements, yes. The plan cannot be modified. If it does not fit, we can prepare a custom permit-ready plan set.
- Can I submit paper plans?
- No. The county reviews building plans electronically. We prepare and upload the files and follow the review through issuance.
- My property is on septic. Does that change the permit?
- It adds a review. The Environmental Management Department reviews septic systems and wells, including the plot plan for the building permit. We coordinate it with the rest of the submittal.
Start a project
Building in Sacramento County? Send the address.
Drawings, permit coordination, or both. One team, then a dashboard through issuance.