Where the line is
The County's residential exempt list (GI-21) exempts "Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work". Its FAQ (read 23 October 2026) lists what does need a permit:
| Remodel work | Permit? |
|---|---|
| New cabinets, counters, tile, paint, flooring | No (GI-21 finish work) |
| "Kitchen/Bath remodel" | Yes |
| "Shower/tub encl replacement" | Yes |
| "Window replacement (cut in or retrofit)" | Yes; the FAQ says this has applied since 1 January 2010 |
| Moving or removing a wall | Yes, with structural detail |
| "Garage Conversion" | Yes, its own submittal list |
| "Termite / Dryrot repair" | Listed as permit work, subject to the code's exemptions |
| New circuit, fixture or gas line in the remodel | Yes ("Electrical panel, circuit", "Ceiling fans / Lights", "Gas Line") |
The 50% rule is in the County's CO-42 remodel submittal list: "If 50% or more of the linear foot of walls are removed, or more than 50% of the square footage of the building is altered", the project "shall be considered as new construction", invoiced as a new building, and "the entire building will be required to comply with all currently adopted codes". On a gut job, measure before you design.
What you submit
Remodels are not on the County's list of permits issued online on payment; they go through plan review in Accela Citizen Access, and "Plan review and zone check fees must be paid upon submittal of plans" (CO-42).
| Job | County list | What it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Simple kitchen or bath | CO-49 | A floor plan showing appliances, mechanical equipment, windows, doors, gas outlets, plumbing fixtures, floor coverings, ceiling heights, room dimensions, receptacles and lighting |
| Kitchen or bath that moves load-bearing walls, posts, or adds window or door openings | CO-49 says "Additional information will be required" | Structural detail |
| Alteration with no added floor area | CO-42 | Plot plan, Title 24 energy sheets, architectural plan, structural plan and calculations if needed; sheets 11"x17" minimum, in PDF |
Every remodel permit also brings the County's CO-33 smoke and CO alarm self-certification: alarms "must be installed when building permits are issued for additions, alterations or repairs", in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on each story, with CO alarms where there is an attached garage or fuel-burning appliance. Budget for that on an older house.
Who can pull it
A CSLB-licensed contractor, normally B General Building or B-2 Residential Remodeling for multi-trade work (CSLB Licensing Classifications); 83.8% of the 864 remodel firms matched an active CSLB license by name. Or you, as owner-builder, after signing the AP-16 notice, which warns that if you engage anyone other than licensed contractors on work of $500 or more "I may be considered an 'employer' under state and federal law".
Inspections
Book online, on 916-875-5296 or by text to 855-280-5383, before 5 p.m. for the next day. The FAQ's rule: "Call for an inspection before placing concrete or 'covering' any aspect of construction". The County's inspection code list has the pieces a remodel strings together: 104 Frame, 223 Rough Electric, 344 Top out Plumbing, 114 Insulation and 111 Drywall Nail before the walls close, then 199 Structural Final, 299 Final Electrical and 399 Final Plumbing. Your inspector sets which apply. Keep the signed final job card; it is your Certificate of Occupancy for a home project.
What 2,933 County remodel permits show
| Measure | Sacramento County remodel |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 2,933 |
| Firms | 864 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the file | 420 |
| Usual filed value | $22,464 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $15,000 to $45,200 |
| Finaled (permits a year or more old) | 90.2% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 85 |
| 10th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 77.1% |
| Firms with one permit | 541 (62.6%) |
Remodel firms here finish their permits: 90.2% overall, and only 1 of 43 busy firms under 70%. The harder part is finding a firm with a track record: 62.6% of remodel firms pulled a single County permit in three years. The middle half of firms' usual job runs from $15,000 to $45,200, because the category mixes window jobs and full kitchens.
See every Sacramento County remodeler by permits finaled →
Related
Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for a home remodel, kitchen remodel and bathroom remodel. Prices: Sacramento County home improvement costs and home remodel cost; the checklist: hiring a remodeling contractor. License steps: Sacramento County contractor license lookup; older permits: Sacramento County building permit search; window installers have their own compare list; counts by year: permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our remodel category combines remodels, additions and repairs, so its usual value is not a kitchen price. The County's building pages publish no remodel fee table; plan review fees are invoiced at submittal. Unpermitted remodels are invisible to us.
How we know this
Exemptions, permit lists, submittal requirements, the 50% rule and alarm requirements are quoted from Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection Division pages and its GI-21, CO-42, CO-49, CO-33 and AP-16 documents, read 23 October 2026. Counts are Sacramento County permits on homes in unincorporated areas classified as remodel, addition and repair, October 2023 to September 2026; "finaled" uses permits a year or more old, and days are issue to final.
Numbers come from Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen or bathroom in Sacramento County?
Yes, once it goes past finish work. 'Kitchen/Bath remodel' and 'Shower/tub encl replacement' are on the County's permit list; painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and counter tops are exempt.
- What plans do I need for a Sacramento County kitchen remodel?
For a simple kitchen or bath, the County's CO-49 list asks for a floor plan showing appliances, mechanical equipment, windows, doors, gas outlets, plumbing fixtures, floor coverings, ceiling heights, dimensions, and receptacles and lighting. Moving load-bearing walls or adding openings needs more.
- How long does a remodel permit take in Sacramento County?
Remodels need plan review, so they do not issue online on payment. Once issued, the usual County remodel permit in our file reached final 85 days later, and 90.2% of permits a year or more old were finaled.
- How much does a remodel cost in Sacramento County?
The usual County remodel permit was filed at $22,464, and the middle half of firms usually file between $15,000 and $45,200. That is the value on the permit, not a quote.
- When does a remodel count as new construction in Sacramento County?
The County's CO-42 list says that if 50% or more of the linear feet of walls are removed, or more than 50% of the building's square footage is altered, the whole building is treated as new construction, invoiced as a new building and brought up to current code.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom? The rule in 14 cities, and what is exempt
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen? The rule in 18 cities, and what is exempt
- How to legalize unpermitted work: the steps, what it costs, and how long a retroactive permit takes
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
For one city
- Frequently Asked Questions — Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection (accessed 2026-10-23)
- GI-21 Residential Work Exempt from Permit — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- CO-42 Residential Remodel Submittal Requirements — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- CO-49 Residential Simple Kitchen/Bath Remodel Submittal Requirements — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- CO-33 Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm Self Certification — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- AP-16 Notice to Property Owner as Owner Builder — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Scheduling Inspections (inspection codes) — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Accela Citizen Access — Sacramento County (2026-10-23)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)