Plan Review Procedures

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The City strives to assist the public in understanding the plan review process by outlining the timelines for different projects and offering some guidelines to assist in the types of information that is needed to conduct a plan review. The extent of the review required to issue permits for a project depends upon the use & occupancy type of the structure, its location, and the impact of its construction on the environment.

The goal of the Building & Safety Division is to complete all plan reviews within 20 to 25 working days for the initial review and all subsequent reviews thereafter. Be mindful that all turnaround times will primarily depend on the current daily workload of the Plans Examiners.

In order to reduce the number of resubmittals for a specific project and to reduce any unnecessary delays in the approval of the plans, it is highly recommended that a permit expeditor and/or design professional that is familiar with the process be brought on board to be part of the team. Please keep in mind, the more complete the plans are, reduces the amount of time that it gets resubmitted resulting in a permit being issued in a shorter amount of time. It is not the intent of our Plans Examiners to design the project but rather to enforce minimum standards covering public safety, health and general welfare through structural strength, stability, sanitation and safety to life & property from fire, floods, earthquakes and other hazards attributed to the built environment.

Please read the following information carefully to ensure a complete set of plans are provided and the services of proper design professionals are obtained for the initial submittal.

Requirements On Who Can Prepare Plans

Building permit applicants are not required to engage a California Licensed Architect or California Registered Engineer to prepare plans for a one-story single-family dwelling, residential garage, or accessory structure, provided such buildings are of Conventional Wood Frame Construction and are of limited structural complexity. However, if one is not skilled in the preparation of plans and are not knowledgeable about construction and code standards, it is advisable to obtain the services of a design professional.

Plans for structural complex dwellings and for those in steep hillside locations, and plans for particular occupancies, must be prepared by a California Licensed Architect or California Registered Engineer in accordance with State law. At the initial submittal, drawings, calculations and other supporting documents pertaining to such construction shall bear the name and license number of the professional who has prepared them.

Seismic & Wind Design Requirements

The City of Simi Valley is located within Seismic Design Category D or E and the basic wind speed is 110 mph with a design exposure category of B.

Minimum Requirements for Submittal of Plans

All plans must be submitted through our Online Customer Self Service Portal.

When submitting plans to our online portal, submit the following items as separate PDF files:

Full set of plans containing site plan, architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and Title 24 compliance forms (stamped & signed by the respective preparer of the plans). These must be submitted as one PDF file and NOT as separate PDF files;
Structural calculations (stamped & signed by the California Registered Engineer); and
Any other supporting documents, i.e. geotechnical/geological report.

The plan review guidelines are provided to assist with a basic understanding of the types of plans and drawings that are required for the Plans Examiners to conduct a plan review.

Drawing Submittal Requirements for New Homes and Room Addition