Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Sacramento?

Yes, in most cases. Both the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County require a building permit for a kitchen remodel. The exception is finish work: the City lists painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work as exempt from a permit. Change anything behind that finish, such as a pipe, a gas line, a circuit or a wall, and you need one.

First: City or County?

The answer depends on your address, not your ZIP code. Inside Sacramento city limits, the City of Sacramento’s Building Division issues the permit. In unincorporated areas, including much of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale and Arden-Arcade, Sacramento County’s Building Permits and Inspection division issues it. Folsom, Roseville, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova run their own departments; the Sacramento remodel permits guide covers those.

What needs a permit, by scope

Kitchen work	City of Sacramento	Sacramento County
Paint, tile, flooring, cabinets, countertops only	Exempt, unless in a design review or preservation district or on a historic landmark	Check section 105.2 of the California Residential Code, or ask the division
Replace one sink, faucet, dishwasher, hood or stove	Single-inspection permit	Permit required to replace regulated plumbing, gas or electrical work
Several fixtures, appliances or circuits, no wall changes	Minor permit, no plans, submitted by email	Permit; plans only if the work requires them
New electrical circuit	Minor permit	Permit (“Electrical panel, circuit”)
New or moved gas line	Permit	Permit (“Gas Line”)
Add, move or remove a wall, window or door	Plan review	Permit with plans drawn to scale
Replace a window or add a skylight	Permit	Permit; window replacement has required one since January 1, 2010

City of Sacramento: two paths

Non-structural remodels are minor permits. A minor permit needs no construction plans, and the inspector reviews code compliance in the field. The City says kitchen and bathroom remodels that do not add, move, remove or alter a wall, window or door must be submitted by email to its EZ Permit address, with four forms: the Universal Building Permit Application (CDD-0200), the Owner Builder Verification Form (CDD-0220), the Planning Exemption Form Express (CDD-0035) and the Residential Interior Remodel Questionnaire (CDD-0162), which is required for like-for-like kitchen and bathroom remodels.

Structural remodels go through plan review. Removing or building a wall, or creating or enlarging an opening in a load-bearing wall, takes the project out of the non-structural category. These are submitted through the City’s Public Permit Portal under its Electronic Plan Check program. The City notes that plans may be needed just to establish whether a wall is load-bearing.

Who can hold the permit. The City issues building permits to property owners, licensed contractors and authorized agents. An owner who pulls the permit signs an owner-builder verification stating they are doing their own work. If a contractor is doing the work, the contractor should pull the permit.

Sacramento County: one portal

Sacramento County takes building permit applications electronically through its Citizen Access portal: the application plus, where required, plans drawn to a measurable scale and supporting documents as PDFs. Its Development Navigation Assistant produces a step-by-step list of the plans, documents and forms a residential submittal needs.

The County’s rule is broad. Anyone who intends to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building, or to install, alter, repair, remove or replace any regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, must apply for and obtain a permit first. “Kitchen/Bath remodel” is on the County’s list of projects that require one.

Some residential permits issue automatically online once paid: heating and cooling, electrical panel repair or replacement, re-roofs with no structural changes, sewer line repair or replacement, water heaters and contractor solar. A kitchen remodel is not on that list.

Inspections and the final sign-off

Every permitted kitchen ends with a final inspection. Sacramento County asks for an inspection before concrete is placed or any part of the work is covered, and before moving to the next stage of construction. A next-day inspection has to be requested by 5 p.m. the day before, and the County does not book a specific time.

When the inspector signs off the final, the permit is complete. In Sacramento County, the signed job card is the Certificate of Occupancy for a residential project. Keep it with the permit, the approved plans and any supporting documents; the County advises doing so for when you sell or refinance.

How CDI handles it

We pull the permit for your address with the City or the County, prepare the plans when the work needs them, and manage the inspections through the final sign-off. Most kitchen remodels that move plumbing, gas or electrical need a permit; see our kitchen remodels page for how the project runs.

What to ask before you sign

• Which department issues the permit for my address?
• Is this a minor permit or a plan-review permit, and why?
• Are you pulling the permit, or asking me to?
• Who meets the inspector at each inspection?
• When do I get the signed final job card?