Building and Safety Announcements

The County of Ventura follows a three-year Code update cycle for the Ventura County Building Code (VCBC), as mandated by State law. The current edition of the VCBC, the 2019 edition, is being updated to adopt the 2022 State codes and latest Ventura County amendments to these codes. These State codes are now available for viewing at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes .

The adopted Ventura County amendments to these State Codes are available here. These amendments focus on local administrative provisions needed in the VCBC, they also include certain technical provisions (building standards) needed in Ventura County that take into account the local climate, geology, and topography of Ventura County in the design and construction of new buildings and structures.

The 2022 State Codes become effective for new building permit applications received by Building and Safety on or after January 1, 2023. The corresponding Ventura County amendments were adopted by the Board of Supervisors on November 01, 2022. These will also become effective as the “2022 VCBC” on January 1, 2023.

The County of Ventura has adopted new provisions for the 2022 VCBC that will require that all new buildings be designed and constructed so they are served by all-electric equipment and appliances, in lieu of natural gas, for such equipment as water heaters, space heaters, cooking ranges, ovens, and other cooking equipment.

The new provisions became effective for new buildings constructed under building permits for which the permit application was received by Building and Safety on or after January 1, 2023.

The adopted new provisions are codified as amendments to the 2022 State Building and Residential Codes and will be part of the 2022 VCBC.

The County of Ventura has adopted new provisions for the 2022 VCBC that will require new construction requirements for buildings in Fire Zones.  The new provisions will apply to new buildings proposed to be located near adjacent large slopes, and to existing buildings generally constructed prior to 2008.

These provisions are intended to reduce the hazard of flame spread to homes or other buildings from brush fires on large adjacent slopes.  Certain exemptions will apply for buildings set back from the slope a specified distance.  The provisions are also intended to “harden” existing older buildings located in vulnerable communities in severe fire hazard zones, which are subject to the spread of fire from flying embers during large natural fires.

The new provisions became effective for new buildings constructed under building permits for which the permit application was received by Building and Safety on or after January 1, 2023.

The adopted new provisions were codified as amendments to the 2022 State Building and Residential Codes and will be part of the 2022 VCBC.

Other important Building and Safety Announcements:

• Customers With Active Building Permit Applications or Permits

The Integrated Waste Management Division (IWMD) will be re-launching the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling Program, beginning February 1, 2023.

For more information, please visit the following links:
"A Guide to the Construction and Demolition Recycling Program "
"Construction and Demolition Debris Homepage "

IWMD contact information:
Phone Number: (805) 658-4321
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Swimming pools and spas

Effective immediately, B&S will issue building permits for swimming pools and spas in all areas of the County, without restrictions, including those areas that were previously affected by severe drought conditions.  Previous restrictions on building permits for swimming pools and spas in these areas have been lifted.

• Graywater systems

Plumbing permits for grey water systems are required to ensure the design and installation of the system will be safe to operate consistent with VCBC Plumbing Code regulations.  To learn more, click here.

• Electronic permit applications

Effective January 22, 2024: Building and Safety has implemented a new streamlined electronic application process. You are now able to submit your application online through our VC Citizen Access permit processing portal.
To apply for a Building Permit online for review by the County, click here.

IMPORTANT: If you do not already have an Accela Citizen Access account, please click here to create your account. You must use this portal with your account to upload plans, pay permit fees, and transmit permit clearances from other agencies to Building and Safety when these are required.

More information about VC Citizen Access is available here.

• Electronic submittal of plans

Our offices now require that all plans/construction drawings needed for B&S review be submitted electronically in Accela Citizen Access (ACA) at https://vcca.ventura.org/ Very small projects having acceptable small drawings on sheets not larger than 11 x 17 may be submitted on paper format (which B&S will scan to create PDF copy).  These small drawings may also be accepted for quick review by our Plan Check staff at the public counter, for very small projects not needing a formal Plan Review. 

To register for an ACA account for uploading plans for B&S review, please ensure that your permit record has been activated for access by the person who will upload the plans, usually the architect or designer.  Please contact your Permit Technician who processed your project’s permit application to activate your login credentials for your permit record.  You will not be able to access your permit record until such activation has taken place.  If you are unsure of the name of your assigned Permit Technician, please call 805-654-2771 for West County projects or 805-582-8064 for East County projects.