Placer County Expedites Permits on Certain Commercial Projects

Commercial Building Interior Project Permits as Quick as One Day

Auburn, Calif. – To help business owners save time and stress, Placer County is simplifying and streamlining the process for building owners to receive commercial building interior project permits, now in as little as one day.

Beginning Aug. 1, in both its Auburn and Tahoe City offices, the Building Services division will be offering its B.E.T.T.I.R. program (Building’s Expedited Techniques for Tenant Improvement Review). The program allows customers and their designers to schedule an appointment with the county’s Building Services division to review construction drawings for minor and moderate commercial interior tenant improvements and demolitions.

This program expedites the permitting process for commercial building owners while allowing the county to uphold mandatory California building and fire codes.

“Obtaining a permit could take 3 to 4 months creating a major hardship on business owners,” said Timothy Wegner, the county’s chief building official. “Our revamped process has reduced that time down to as quickly as one day, depending on the project and appointment availability. This is a bright signal to the business community that Placer County truly wants their business, and wants them to succeed. Let’s get those doors open.”

Eligibility for the program is based on the following:

• Minor tenant improvements
  Minor interior alterations for business, mercantile or low-hazard storage occupancies under 30,000 square feet. Examples include beauty salons and retail or warehouses with minimal interior changes. In order to qualify, there must be no exterior or structural work required, and no assembly, educational, factory, institutional, hazardous or special-use occupancies.
• Moderate tenant improvements
  Projects involving uses other than those noted above, or involve other county offices other than Building Services, which are less than 5,000 square feet in area and have a maximum occupancy of less than 50. Moderate tenant improvement uses may include other small occupancies besides mercantile or business such as: storage, educational (day care) and small assembly buildings with no building additions, facade modifications or hazardous materials. These uses may include food establishments such as a coffee house or possibly a small restaurant. Other uses would be reviewed for acceptance into the program on a case by case basis.

Certain projects are not eligible for the B.E.T.T.I.R program, so business owners should contact the Building Services division to see if their project qualifies. Some excluded projects include: new buildings or additions, hazardous materials, larger food establishments, projects requiring air quality review, or projects requiring architectural review or historical district commission approvals.

To make an appointment, contact the Building Services division at 530-745-3010 or visit the B.E.T.T.I.R program website for locations and additional permit information.