Article 1. Enforcement Agencies of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 13. >> Part 1.5. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 1.

The building department of every city or county shall enforce within its jurisdiction all the provisions published in the State Building Standards Code, the provisions of this part, and the other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this part pertaining to the erection, construction, reconstruction, movement, enlargement, conversion, alteration, repair, removal, demolition, or arrangement of apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings.

(a) The governing body of a local agency may authorize its enforcement agency to contract with or employ a private entity or persons on a temporary basis to perform the plan-checking function.
  (b) A local agency need not enter into a contract or employ persons if it determines that no entities or persons are available or qualified to perform the plan-checking services.
  (c) Entities or persons employed by a local agency may, pursuant to agreement with the local agency, perform all functions necessary to check the plans and specifications to comply with other requirements imposed pursuant to this part or by local ordinances adopted pursuant to this part, except those functions reserved by this part or local ordinance to the legislative body. A local agency may charge the applicant fees in an amount necessary to defray costs directly attributable to employing or contracting with entities or persons performing services pursuant to this section which the applicant requested.
  (d) When there is an excessive delay in checking plans and specifications submitted as a part of an application for a residential building permit, the local agency shall, upon request of the applicant, contract with or employ a private entity or persons on a temporary basis to perform the plan-checking function subject to subdivisions (b) and (c).
  (e) For purposes of this section:
  (1) "Enforcement agency" means the building department or building division of a local agency.
  (2) "Excessive delay" means the enforcement agency of a local agency has taken either of the following:
  (A) More than 30 days after submittal of a complete application to complete the structural building safety plan check of the applicant' s set of plans and specifications which are suitable for checking. For a discretionary building permit, the time period specified in this paragraph shall commence after certification of the environmental impact report, adoption of a negative declaration, or a determination by the local agency that the project is exempt from Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code.
  (B) Including the days actually taken in (A), more than 45 days to complete the checking of the resubmitted corrected plans and specifications suitable for checking after the enforcement agency had returned the plans and specifications to the applicant for correction.
  (3) "Local agency" means a city, county, or city and county.
  (4) "Residential building" means a one-to-four family detached structure not exceeding three stories in height.

The building standards for residential buildings in Chapter 2-53 of Part 2, and Chapter 4-10 of Part 4, of Title 24 of the California Administrative Code effective July 13, 1982, shall not apply to the construction of new residential housing projects which received approval by an advisory agency or other appropriate local agency on or before June 15, 1982, provided application for the permits to construct single-family detached dwellings are submitted or filed on or before June 15, 1983, and the application for all other residential building permits are submitted or filed on or before December 31, 1983. For the purposes of this section, "approval" includes, but is not limited to, approval or conditional approval of a tentative subdivision or tentative parcel map or parcel map pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act (Division 2 (commencing with Section 66410) of Title 7 of the Government Code), condominium plan or other permit for a residential housing project.

The building department, housing department, or health department enforcing any of the provisions of this part may develop a list of public or publicly funded private agencies that finance or assist residential rehabilitation or repair activities for real property owners or renters. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the staff of that department may provide written or oral referrals to any of those financing or assistance agencies in conjunction with, or as a result of, any inspection, notice of violation, or other activity and may include on the list any loan or grant program operated by the city, county, or city and county employing that staff.

(a) The housing or building department or, if there is no building department acting pursuant to this section, the health department of every city, county, or city and county, or any environmental agency authorized pursuant to Section 101275, shall enforce within its jurisdiction all of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and the other rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this part pertaining to the maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use, or occupancy of apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings. The health department or the environmental agency may, in conjunction with a local housing or building department acting pursuant to this section, enforce within its jurisdiction all of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and the other rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this part pertaining to the maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use, or occupancy of apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings. Each department and agency, as applicable, shall coordinate enforcement activities with each other and interested departments and agencies in order to avoid unnecessary duplication.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the health department of every city, county, or city and county, or any environmental agency authorized pursuant to Section 101275 may, in addition to the local building or housing department, if any, enforce within its jurisdiction the provisions of Section 17920.10 and shall coordinate enforcement activities with other interested departments and agencies in order to avoid unnecessary duplication.
  (c) The State Department of Public Health may enforce Section 17920.10 if any local agency or department specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) enters into a written agreement, approved and published pursuant to local government procedures, with the State Department of Public Health to enforce that section, or provides the State Department of Public Health with a written request to enforce that section for a specific case following the identification of a lead poisoned child in that jurisdiction.

The chief of any city or any county fire department or district providing fire protection services, and their authorized representatives, shall enforce in their respective areas all those provisions of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to fire and panic safety, and those rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this part pertaining to fire prevention, fire protection, the control of the spread of fire, and safety from fire or panic.

By charter, ordinance, or resolution, a city, county, or city and county may designate and charge a department organized to carry out the purposes of this part, or an officer charged with the responsibility of carrying out this part, with the enforcement of this part, the building standards published in the California Building Standards Code, or any other rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this part for the protection of the public health, safety, and general welfare as set forth in Section 17921. However, this section shall apply to the duties and responsibilities enumerated in Section 17962 only if, in the area involved, there is no city, county, or city and county fire department or district providing fire protection services. By March 1 of each year, the designated department or officer shall provide in writing to the department the name, address, telephone number, and contact person of the designated department or officer.

Where there is no local enforcement agency charged with the enforcement of this part pursuant to Section 17964, and to the extent that enforcement responsibility is not assigned to a local enforcement agency pursuant to Section 17960, 17961, or 17961.5, the department shall enforce all the applicable provisions of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and other rules and regulations promulgated by the department pursuant to the provisions of this part, or alternative standards adopted by a city or county pursuant to this part, pertaining to apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings.

Cities or counties or fire protection districts may contract with the department for assistance by the department in the enforcement of the applicable provisions of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and the other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this part within such cities or counties. Such contracts shall contain provisions for the payment of the costs of such enforcement, or portions thereof, as may be determined by the department.

The department may examine the records of the various city, city and county, or county departments charged with the enforcement of building standards published in the State Building Standards Code and the other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this part and secure from them reports and copies of their records at any time. The department shall pay the cost of duplicating such records.