Permission to Utilize Your Property (Prior to Demolition) to Perform a Variety of Drills.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) requests your permission to utilize your property to perform various training drills before the building is demolished. The City of San Diego will only conduct these drills after a release of liability agreement is signed between you, the property owner, and SDFD. This agreement is for your protection. The City will also require a copy of the Demolition/Removal Permit and Hazard Abatement Release before any training is conducted. For any additional questions, please call SDFD at 619-533-4300 and request to speak to the Operations Support Captain.
Demolition/Removal Permits are required for the complete demolition and/or removal of any structure (see SDMC §129.0503 for Demolition/Removal Permit Exemptions), including the dismantling of telecommunication facilities. All open plumbing and sewer lines must be capped in an approved manner, whether a demolition permit is required or not. A separate permit is not required to cap the sewer.
Exemptions from a permit do not apply if the site contains a designated Historical Resource structure(s) or is located in a designated historical district, in accordance with SDMC §143.0210(d) and §143.0211 or when a discretionary permit has been previously issued requiring implementation of a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for Historical Resources.
Demolition permits will not be issued on a property where a development permit (Neighborhood Use Permit, Neighborhood Development Permit, Conditional Use Permit, Variance, Coastal Development Permit, Site Development Permit or Planned Development Permit) is also being processed by the City until a decision has been made by the appropriate authority in accordance with the Land Development Code.
A Demolition/Removal Permit is not required to demolish part of a structure except when dismantling telecommunication facilities. Partial demolition will require a Building Permit in accordance with SDMC Chapter 12, Article 9, Division 2.
Section I, Table 1 – Submittal and Issuance Requirements
| Structure to be Demolished or Removed | Required at Submittal | Required at Issuance | Building | Pool ≤ 5’ Deep | Pool > 5’ Deep | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Non-Residential | Residential | Non-Residential | Residential | Non-Residential | |||
| Application Package | R | - | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Historical Resource Information | R | - | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Waste Management Form | - | R | R 4 | R 4 | - | - | - | - |
| SD Regional Hazardous Materials Questionnaire | - | R | R 1 | R | R 1 | R | R 1 | R |
| SDG&E Certification of Discontinuance | - | R | R | R | - | - | - | - |
| Site Plan | R | - | R 2 | R 2 | R 2 | R 2 | R 2 | R 2 |
| Soils Compaction Report 5 | R | - | - | - | - | - | R | R |
| Storm Water Submittal Requirements | R | - | R 3 | R 3 | - | - | - | - |
1 Required for residential buildings when there is more than one building on the property (excluding garages and small outbuildings) and residential buildings with more than four dwelling units.
2 Required for Downtown Community Plan Area, Historic Potential and/or Historic Designated, project sites greater than one acre and Wireless Communication Sites.
3 Construction Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) must be applied at all construction sites. Further stormwater review is required for sites containing one acre or more. See Section II.H.
4 Required for demolition of structure(s) only, not required for transfer of structures to a temporary or new permanent site. See Information Bulletin 711 for Relocation of Structures.
5 Soils Compaction Report only required for final inspection.
The Submittal & Issuance Matrix and Minimum Submittal Requirements Checklist found in Section II, Table 1 above identifies the forms, documents and plans that are required for all Demolition/Removal Permits.
Demolition/Removal Permits require the completion of the Building Demolition/Removal Questionnaire (Form DS-710). Please note that a contractor with an A or C-21 class license may obtain a Demolition Permit. A contractor with a B-1 class license may obtain a Demolition/Removal Permit if that contractor’s name appears on a current construction permit for the site. An owner-builder may also obtain a permit.
Section II, Table 1 - Historical Resource Information
1 Call the County of San Diego Assessor’s Office at 858-505-6262 to verify the location of the Building Record. If the Building Record is inconclusive or unclear, the project will need to be submitted for Potential Historic Review.
A notification form can be obtained from the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District or by calling 858-586-2660.
The site plan must be drawn to scale, include the property lines, legal description, location and the dimension of all buildings and site features to be removed/remain (e.g., parking lot, fence, or any other structures) and limit of work demarcation.
A final soils compaction report prepared by a licensed geotechnical or civil engineer must be submitted to the Building Inspector before completion of the Demolition Permit.
If the demolition involves excavation or grading that results in ground disturbance (defined as an area where vegetation, topsoil or overburden has been removed or where topsoil, spoil, and processed waste has been placed, including landscaping) associated with a project of one acre or greater, the project is subject to the State Construction General Permit, the property owner is required to prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and obtain a Notice of Intent from the State Water Board prior to issuance of a Demolition Permit.
It is the responsibility of the property owner or his/her designee (contractor) to select, install and maintain appropriate BMPs during the demolition process and after all work is completed. A list of construction BMPs is provided for reference in Part 2, Chapter 5 of the City of San Diego Stormwater Standards Manual. Best Management Practices must be installed in accordance with an industry-recommended standard or in accordance with the requirements of the Construction General Permit (CGP). Statewide stormwater BMP manuals provide more information about BMPs (the California Stormwater Quality Association Construction BMP Online Handbook and the Caltrans Construction Site BMP Manual).
In addition to the submittal requirements above, you may need the following items to obtain your Demolition Permit:
Certain fees are charged to cover the costs of reviewing a building demolition/removal and to ensure compliance with applicable City of San Diego regulations. Fees also cover pre-demolition inspections when required and inspections to ensure the lot cleanup, sewer cap and utility disconnects after the building/structure is demolished or removed. The following Plan Check Fees are required to be paid prior to review unless indicated below.
Plan Check and Inspection Fee
| Plan Check Fee | $237.56 |
| Inspection Fee | $278.86 |
| Historic Review | $227.24/hour (if applicable) |
| Engineering Review | $145.00/hour (if applicable) |
Mapping Fee
This fee is collected to fund automation efforts and online GIS data and mapping for Development Services. It is charged when there are plans, drawings, maps or other geographical documents utilized for project review.
| Mapping Fee | $10.00 (If applicable) |
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris Recycling Deposit
A refundable C&D Debris Recycling Deposit may be required at permit issuance and is collected on behalf of the Environmental Services Department (ESD). The deposit encourages the diversion of construction and demolition debris from our local landfills and ensures it gets recycled by recycling, reusing or donating usable materials. View the deposit schedule. If a C&D Deposit is required, a completed Waste Management Form Part 1 must be provided. Learn more about C&D recycling.
Lead Hazard Prevention Fee
This fee is collected on behalf of the Environmental Services Department for the demolition of any structure built before 1979. The fee is meant to meet operational expenses associated with education, outreach and enforcement of the Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance (City Council Resolution R-303490).
Renovation or demolition work impacting lead-based painted surfaces can generate dangerous lead dust and soil contamination levels. Children are most at risk for lead poisoning and can be exposed to dust and soil contamination long after the work has been completed. Workers risk exposing their children to lead hazards by tracking contaminated dust and soil from the worksite into their own cars and homes. Studies have shown that even low levels of lead can cause damage to the brain, the central nervous system, and the kidneys and cause behavioral problems and loss of IQ. There is no medical treatment to reverse the damaging health effects of lead.
San Diego Municipal Code Sections 54.1005 through 54.1006 describe the lead-safe work practices that must be followed by anyone disturbing painted surfaces in pre-1979 structures or steel structures of any age. For more information, visit the Lead-Safety and Healthy Homes Program webpage at sdhealthyhomes.org.
| Lead Hazard Prevention Fee | $51.00 |
Fee Collection - Other Agencies / Departments
This fee is collected by the Development Services Department when fees are collected on behalf of other departments/agencies (e.g., water/sewer fees, Affordable Housing In-lieu, construction debris recycling, State fees, lead hazard fee). The fee is charged at permit issuance, and once per project.
| Fee Collection - Other Agencies / Departments | $14.00 |
All forms, documents and applications are now submitted electronically. Visit sandiego.gov/DSD to create an account and begin the submittal process.
The permit will become void if the work authorized and required has not begun within 60 calendar days of the permit issuance and has not been validated by an inspection (SMDC §129.0508). Also, the permit will expire if the work authorized is not completed within 120 days (SDMC §129.0509). One 60-day extension may be granted if work is delayed for reasons beyond the permittee’s control (SDMC §129.0510).
Failure to implement proper BMPs may result in one or more of the following enforcement actions depending on the severity of the stormwater violation.
An inspection for construction stormwater BMPs will be scheduled upon issuance of the Demolition/Removal Permit.
This section contains previous versions of this Information Bulletin by the last day they were effective.