Development Services

The City will need to approve of all mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural improvements to a property, as well as any new structures on a property over 36 inches in height. Additionally, any exterior modifications on a commercial site or Home Owners Association common property will need to be reviewed by the City’s Planning Division for consistency with the original development plans. For additional questions, please email the Building Department. 

You may find your property zoning through the City’s GIS Mapping system by inserting your address into the search bar. Additionally, you may reference the City’s colored Zoning Map (PDF).

The Planning and Building Counters at San Juan Capistrano City Hall are open by appointment to accept all applications from 7:30 am to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday. Please schedule an appointment online.   

To determine if a proposed project requires OCFA review, applicants will need to complete an OCFA Residential Screen Check form or OCFA Commerical/Multifamily/Tract Screen Check form. 

New Outdoor Non-Cooking, Gas and Wood Burning Fireplaces, Fire Pits, Fire Rings, and Similar Devices, Exterior to Residential Occupancies or Un-Enclosed Accessory Structures that are located on the perimeter of a community containing, or adjacent to slopes or hills, or adjacent to an open space or wildland area containing non-irrigated vegetation, or in a State Responsibility Area or Local Responsibility Area “Fire Hazard Severity Zone”, as defined by the State, or (D) near an area that could be affected by a wildfire in the open space may also require OCFA review. 

Any projects that are determined to require OCFA review will need to be submitted directly to OCFA Headquarters located at 1 Fire Authority Rd., Irvine, CA 92602.

For OCFA submittal information, please visit www.OCFA.org. For questions regarding OCFA lplan review, please call OCFA at (714)573-6100 or email fireprevclerk@ocfa.org.

Please see table below for plan review target dates. Applicants will be notified via email when all departments have completed their plan check review. 

All approvals/corrections must be picked up in person.

• Target Dates are an estimate. Time review may vary depending on complexity of project. 
• The City does not offer expedited review. 
• Target Dates do not include administrative processing time including department re-stamps, fee calculations and permit processing. 

Planning & Building Review

Public Works & Engineering

To check Plan Check/Permit Status, please click on the button below to access the E-Trakit Citizen Portal:

E-TRAKIT CITIZEN PORTAL

Once in the E-Trakit Portal, follow the steps below:

1. Enter the permit number. Alternatively, you may use the drop down box to select and enter the site address.
2. Click on the permit to view permit information.
3. Click on the 'REVIEWS' tab to view the current status of each department's review.

Applicants may contact their plans examiner directly by telephone or email. Plans examiner contact information can be found on the correction letter.  Please include the plan check number and address in your communication. For plan routing, all plans shall be routed through the City of San Juan Capistrano to ensure review by all necessary departments. 

See information on how to file a Code Enforcement Complaint.

Building inspection requests a may be scheduled online or by voice message on the Building Inspection Request Line. 

Inspection results including inspection corrections can also be viewed online through the City E-Trakit Citizen Portal. Learn how to make an inspection requests or view inspection results.

Anyone associated with the building permit can schedule an inspection: the general contractor, the homeowner, the trade contractor, or their official agents.

It is solely the responsibility of the permit holder to keep a permit active by actively performing work toward the completion of the project as permitted by scheduling an inspection.