Permit records can be accessed in three ways:

• Option 1: Search Citizen Access by the property address. The default search time frame is five years. As such, if a search needs to find records prior to five years ago, the “start” date needs to be changed to reflect when the search query should start. No documents are available in Citizen Access, but this Option will indicate what permits exist on a property. If copies of the permits/plans are needed, see Option 3.
• Option 2: Schedule a 45-minute appointment to look up the information yourself at the City's Self-Help Center by emailing self-helpcenter@fremont.gov or calling 510-494-4460.
• Option 3: If for some reason a desired record cannot be located or a digital or paper copy is needed, submit an online request form through the City's Public Record Requests Portal.

For more information, visit the City's Records Request webpage.

For information about construction hours in Fremont, read the City's Construction Hours Handout.

The California Building Code requires covered barriers for swimming pools, spas and hot tubs. By definition, a “swimming pool” is any structure that is intended for swimming or recreational bathing and contains water that is over 18-inches deep. Swimming pool includes in-ground and above ground structures and includes, but is not limited to, hot tubs, spas, portable spas, and nonportable wading pools.

 When a building permit is issued for the construction of a new swimming pool or spa or the remodeling of an existing swimming pool or spa at a private single-family home, it shall be equipped with at least two (2) of the following seven (7) drowning prevention safety features:

1.     An enclosure that isolates the swimming pool or spa from the home;

2.     Removable mesh fencing with a gate that is self-closing and self-latching and can accommodate a key lockable device;

3.     An approved safety pool cover;

4.     Exit alarms on the home’s doors that provide direct access to the swimming pool or psa.

5.     A self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor of the home’s door providing direct access to the swimming pool;

6.     An alarm that, when placed in a swimming pool or spa will sound upon detection of accidental or unauthorized entrance to the water;

7.     Other means of protection, if the degree of protection afforded is equal to or greater than that afforded by any of the features set forth above and has been independently verified by an approved testing laboratory as meeting standards for those features established by the ASTM or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Please note that permits for repairs on mobile homes are not issued by the City of Fremont. They fall under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

Depending on the type of permit being applied for it may require a licensed engineer to sign plans and documents. For specific requirements review the Guide to Engineering and Land Surveying.

A permit is required for residential accessory structures, including non-habitable storage sheds, workshops, gazebos, cabanas, and similar non-habitable structures, greater than 120 square feet in area. Structures 120 square feet or smaller in area may be exempt from building permit requirements. All accessory structures regardless of size must comply with Municipal Code zoning requirements for use, placement on the parcel, and design. If electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work is included as part of the accessory structure, a permit is required regardless of size. For information about the location limitations of residential accessory structures, contact Planning staff by email. 

No. There is no need to create an account in Citizen Access if just viewing permit activity or checking for permit processing updates and/or obtaining the inspection time window.

To legalize an addition that was done without a permit, a Building Permit must be requested and approved. Building Permit information is available on the City's Planning and Building Permits webpage.

After a permit is issued, inspections will need to be completed. For additions, verifying the construction of the structure may require opening or removing concealed construction, removing some or all interior finishes and insulation, and special inspection testing of epoxy anchors or hold-downs.

Important: Not all illegal additions can be approved. Contact Planning staff by email to better understand if the location and size of your illegal addition has the potential to be legalized.

For more information on how to complete a records request, visit the City's Record Request webpage.

To request an extension of a record that has not yet been issued a permit and is about to expire, complete the following form: Request to Extend Plan Check.

To request extension of permit that has been issued that is about to expire, complete the following online form: Request to Extend Issued Building Permit.

Note that the City's Building Official is authorized to extend plan reviews and issued permits. As such, it is possible that the Building Official will not authorize the extension of the permit based on these factors. In most instances, the Building Official can accommodate the request.

Log into Citizen Access and under "My Records," click on the permit record number. Then click on "Record Info" and then click on "Documents." The available documents will be listed. Click on "Actions" for the issued permit and inspection record.

For requesting other permit and plan information, visit the City's Records Request webpage.

Permits submitted prior to March 1, 2021 are issued via hardcopy paper plans. Applicants of these records will be notified that they need to print out hardcopy plans sets for manually stamping by City staff. Appointments are required and can be requested by email or by calling 510-494-4465.

For information on how to submit a revision/amendment to an issued permit, read the Citizen Access FAQs.

All persons doing business in Fremont must have a current business tax registration in order to schedule a final building inspection. For information on how to request and/or pay for a business tax registration, visit the City's Business Tax webpage.

Only verified addresses can be used to get past the address inquiry form in Citizen Access. To ensure a verified address is queried, follow the directions provided above the address fields. If a verified address is queried, the parcel number and owner will automatically fill in.

 To do this successfully, enter the street number and partial street name (e.g., 39550 Lib), then select "Search." If only one address is available, it will populate the address, parcel number, and owner. If multiple addresses are available, select the correct address for your project.

After a permit request has been assigned and routed for plan review, the contact for all inquiries is the Team Lead. The Team Lead is identified in the record in Citizen Access under “Record Info.”

By 7:00 a.m. on the day of the inspection, the inspector assignment has been finalized and can be found in the record in Citizen Access under "Record Info" and then "Inspections." Inspector names and office numbers are available on the City's Schedule Building Inspection webpage. Inspection order is separated by AM and PM, which is the best refinement of time that can be given at the start of the day due to the nature of inspections (e.g., extensive field work and driving time). As such, inspectors do not respond to voice messages during the day while they are out in the field.

If your record is still in plan review (e.g., permit not yet issued), contact the Team Lead for the record. The Team Lead contact information can be found in Citizen Access under the record and then under "Record Info."

If your permit request has been issued, learn how to submit a revision/amendment request by reading the Citizen Access FAQs.

Received means that the application is in the queue and as staff continues to process permit applications, the permit record status will be updated and processed in the order the application was received.

All permit requests requiring plan review are screened for conformance with the City's Plan Review Document Format Requirements. Rejected plans do not conform with these requirements. The rejection email will identify why the plans were rejected. The deficiencies with the plans need to be corrected and submitted to the record in Citizen Access under "My Records" and then "Documents."

To unlock a Citizen Access account, the user ID and/or email address on the account must be provided.

For a permit request that is still in plan review (e.g., not yet assigned/approved), contact the assigned Team Lead to unlock the account. The Team Lead contact information is found in the record in Citizen Access under "Record Info."

 For issued permits, send your request by email.

 Unlocking of accounts typically occurs with 24 hours of the request.

If an error message displays, typically, it will indicate what the issue is and how to resolve it. Most of these messages indicate that there are fees due, required documents, and/or other related records are still in-process for the record preventing the scheduling of the final inspection. Notices placed on the record to prevent scheduling of the final inspection can be found in the record in Citizen Access at the top of the record screen.

If the error message indicates some sort of programming issue (e.g., “contact the administrator,” EMSE error, or similar), take a screenshot of the error and send it by email. Staff will investigate the error and follow up with the solution to resolve it.

Fences in residential districts with a height greater than 7 feet tall require a permit. No permit is required for fences that are 7 feet tall or less. However, depending on the location of the fence on the residential property, particularly within setback areas, the allowable fence height will be less than 7 feet. Questions about fence heights should be directed to Planning staff by email. 

For information about how to schedule an inspection, visit the City's Schedule Building Inspection webpage.

After uploading documents to a record in Citizen Access, the record moves into a processing queue. Processing staff will contact the applicant as soon as they get to the record in the processing queue. 

The contact for all questions about a record while it is still being processed/reviewed is the Team Lead assigned to the record. The Team Lead contact information can be found in the record in Citizen Access under "Record Info" and then "Record Details."

Beginning July 1, 2011, all single-family homes must have carbon monoxide detectors installed outside of each separate dwelling unit sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedroom(s) and on every level of a dwelling unit, including basements. For more information, read the City's Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Handout.

Cycle 1: This means that the permit has been routed for review and the date the review is expected to be completed will be listed in the Processing Details of the permit record.

Out to Applicant: This status can be used in a couple of different ways, but it means that City staff is waiting for a response from the applicant. If there is an issue with the submitted documents or the review has been completed, the applicant on file is notified via email and provided with the information on what is needed by staff to continue with the permit process.

Prep for Issuance: This means that the review has been completed and approved, but it is not ready to be issued yet. Staff is compiling the documents as well as assessing the fees associated with the permit. 

Ready to Issue: This means that staff has compiled a list of outstanding documents that will be needed for the permit to be issued and/or document requirements before the permit is finaled. The applicant will be notified via email of the document requirements and the total permit fees that need to be paid.

The status of a permit record can be found by looking up the record in Citizen Access or by contacting the Team Lead.

The building code is very specific about the type of work that can be done without a permit. For more information, review the City's Permit Exceptions Handout. If you have additional questions, contact Permitting staff by email.

Building permits are required before you build, alter, repair, or demolish any structure. This includes re-roofing projects, water heater installations, window replacements, and other similar projects. For more information about the different projects that require permits, visit the City's Permit Types webpage.

All inquiries/questions about a review should be directed to the assigned Team Lead for that record. The Team Lead contact information can be found in the record in Citizen Access under "Record Info."

Warning placards can only be removed by City staff or by written notice from the City's Building Official. Furthermore, under the Fremont Municipal Code, it is a misdemeanor to remove the warning placard after it is posted, including red tag placards, until the required repairs, demolitions, or removal have been completed and the Certificate of Occupancy has been issued.

Records that were submitted in person prior to the COVID-19 closure in March 2020 and have had no activity since that time will need to be linked to the applicant’s Citizen Access account in order to be listed under "My Records." To request that a record be linked to a Citizen Access account, send a request by email and provide the record number and the email address on the Citizen Access account it needs to be linked to.