How a Simi Valley building permit moves from application to final
How City of Simi Valley Building & Safety permits additions and remodels: the online portal, plan check timing, permit issuance, inspections and the final.
Permits for houses inside city limits go through the City of Simi Valley Building & Safety Division. The City takes applications through its Customer Self Service Online Portal and publishes its review timelines on its permit submittal page, which is where the steps below come from.
The short version: non-structural kitchen and bath work is reviewed in up to a week, and anything that needs plan review, such as an addition or a structural remodel, goes through counter screening and then plan check. Inspections follow the build, and the final closes the permit.
Applying through the City portal
Every application starts with an account on the City's Customer Self Service Online Portal. Each submittal needs either a Construction Permit Declaration, filled out by the contractor pulling the permit, or a Property Owner's Package, filled out by a homeowner who pulls the permit for their own home. When Aguila is your contractor, the permit is pulled under license #925152 with the Construction Permit Declaration.
Plans go in as one PDF containing the full set, with other construction documents as separate files. Updates on the application, invoices and plan check comments arrive by email, so the applicant's inbox is part of the process.
Review timelines the City publishes
The City's permit page lists these timelines. Counter screening and plan check are separate steps, and a resubmittal after plan check comments takes about as long as the first round, which is why complete drawings save weeks.
| Project or step | Published timing |
|---|---|
| Kitchen or bathroom remodel with no structural component | Up to one week |
| Counter review for work that needs plan review | May take 5 to 10 business days |
| Plan check, first round and each resubmittal | 20 to 25 working days |
| Permit issuance after the invoice is paid | Up to 3 business days |
Inspections and the final
Once the permit is issued, work proceeds in stages and the inspector signs off each stage before it is covered: footings, framing and rough plumbing, electrical and mechanical, insulation, and the final. A failed inspection is not unusual; it means a correction and a reinspection, which the 2024 fee schedule billed at $190.91 per hour for a building inspector.
The final inspection closes the permit and becomes part of the property's record. Ask for a copy. It is the proof a future buyer or appraiser will look for.
Other agencies that can be involved
Some projects need sign-off from outside agencies before the City issues the permit. The City lists them on its permit page, and which ones apply depends on the work and the lot.
- Ventura County Fire Department
- Waterworks District No. 8 or Golden State Water, depending on the address
- Simi Valley Unified School District
- City Public Works divisions: sanitation, traffic, engineering and landscaping review
Questions homeowners ask
Who should pull the permit, me or the contractor?
The contractor, in almost every case. If you pull it yourself as owner-builder, CSLB warns that you can be asked to pay for injuries to workers, and for injuries to subcontractors who are unlicensed or carry no workers' compensation or liability coverage.
Can I check the status of my plan check online?
Yes. The City says plan check status can be checked on the Customer Self Service Portal, and updates go to the applicant by email.
Does the City offer faster review?
The 2024 fee schedule lists expedited single-cycle plan check at double the plan check fee. Ask Building & Safety whether it is available for your project type.
What happens if work is done without a permit?
Unpermitted work can be ordered opened for inspection, corrected or removed, and it often surfaces during a sale. Legalizing it later usually costs more than permitting it at the start.
Sources
Facts on this page last verified: .
- City of Simi Valley Building & Safety, Online Permit Submittal Instructions: https://www.simivalley.org/departments/environmental-services/building-safety-division/online-permit-submittal-instructions (2026-10-05)
- City of Simi Valley, Summary of Service Charges effective July 1, 2024 (FY2024-25): https://simivalleylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CityofSimiValley_FeeSchedule2025.pdf (2026-10-05)
- CSLB, The Downside of Being an Owner-Builder: https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Know_Risks_Of_Owner_-_Builder/The_Downside_Of_Being_An_Owner_-_Builder.aspx (2026-10-05)
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