Irvine | Permits and Fees
Irvine Permits and Fees: Who Decides, Appeals, Planning Deposits, Building Fees and Impact Fees
This page follows an Irvine housing project from application to permit: who approves each step, how long the City has, how to appeal, and what the City charges. The rules come from the Zoning Ordinance (Supplement 16) and the Municipal Code (Supplement 20). The fees come from the City's fee schedule, effective August 15, 2026. The Irvine overview sums up the whole guide.
Irvine permits and fees in six facts
- Irvine bills planning review at $217.64 an hour against a deposit, under the fee schedule effective August 15, 2026. Source: Schedule I
- A Master Plan or a major conditional use permit takes a $10,000 initial deposit; a tentative parcel or tract map takes $4,000. Source: Schedule I
- New buildings pay a systems development charge of 1 percent of the building valuation, with the building permit. Source: Schedule IV; IMC 2-9-604
- Irvine adopted a citywide development impact fee for transportation, general government, police and library facilities in June 2025. Source: IMC 2-7-904
- A Director decision may be appealed within five business days, and most other decisions within 15 calendar days. Source: Irvine ZO 2-5-2
- Owners and residents within 500 feet of a project may appeal a Director, Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission decision. Source: Irvine ZO 2-5-1
Who Decides Each Permit
A ministerial permit is one staff approve by checking fixed rules, with no hearing. A discretionary permit is one a body may approve, change or deny after a hearing. Irvine uses both.
| Permit | Who decides | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| ADU building permit | Staff, ministerial (state law) | 15 business days for completeness, 60 days to decide |
| SB 9 duplex permit | Community Development Director, no hearing | 60 days from complete application (state law) |
| SB 9 lot split | Director and City Engineer, no hearing | 60 days from complete application (state law) |
| Residential setback deviation | Community Development Director, no hearing | Not set in the code |
| Tentative parcel map | Subdivision Committee, public hearing | Subdivision Map Act |
| Tentative tract map | Planning Commission, public hearing | Subdivision Map Act |
| Master Plan | Planning Commission, public hearing | Effective 15 days after decision |
| Density bonus | Planning Commission | With the project |
| Final map | City Engineer | Subdivision Map Act |
Sources: Irvine Zoning Ordinance Sections 3-42-3, 3-43-3, 2-40-4, 2-17-4 and 2-17-9, 2-3-10; Municipal Code Section 5-5-103; Government Code 66317, 65852.21, 66411.7.
State law sets the outer limits. Government Code 65943 says that "Not later than 30 calendar days after any public agency has received an application for a development project, the agency shall determine in writing whether the application is complete." For SB 9 duplexes and lot splits, and SB 684 maps of up to 10 lots, the statute adds that an application not approved or denied "within 60 days" of being complete "shall be deemed approved." Irvine's own SB 9 chapters set no deadline, so the state ones apply.
For SB 9 projects, Irvine also requires the applicant to mail a notice to the owners of each adjoining residential lot before or when applying. The code says this notice "does not confer a right on the noticed persons or on anyone else to comment on the project before permits are issued."
Appeals and Call-Up Review
Chapter 2-5 sets the appeal rules for zoning decisions:
- Who may appeal. "the applicant or any person who owns property or resides within 500 feet of the property line of the proposed project." Where a road borders the site, "the adjacent street and its right-of-way shall not be included in the 500-foot measurement."
- Which decisions. Director and Zoning Administrator decisions go to the Planning Commission; Planning Commission decisions go to the City Council, whose decision "shall be final." Recommendations cannot be appealed.
- Deadlines. A Director-level decision must be appealed "within five business days of the date of the decision"; other decisions "within 15 calendar days."
- Fee. Appeals carry "a deposit or fee as required by City Council resolution," except that an appeal "filed by a project applicant" is not charged. Schedule I lists $2,000.00 for an appeal to the City Council or Planning Commission.
- Documents. Supporting material "must be submitted to the City Clerk no later than ten (10) days following the filing of the appeal."
- Call-up review. "Any member of the Planning Commission or City Council may request that a decision" of the Director, City Engineer or Zoning Administrator "be called up for review," and Council members may call up Planning Commission decisions.
Subdivision decisions follow Section 5-5-110: appeal to the City Clerk "within fifteen days after the decision," and the City Council "shall hold a hearing on the appeal within 30 days after the date of filing the appeal."
How Long Approvals Last
An approval in Irvine has a clock. A Master Plan decision by the Planning Commission "shall become effective 15 calendar days after the date of the Commission's decision unless the decision is appealed." The Master Plan then "shall expire and become void three years following the effective date of final approval" unless a building permit is issued and construction "is commenced and diligently pursued toward completion," an occupancy permit is issued, or the site is occupied where no permit is needed.
The Director "shall have the authority to extend the Master Plan for one additional three-year period." The owner must ask "in writing at least 30 days prior to the expiration date," pay a deposit, and show that the plan still matches the original findings and that no new environmental impacts have appeared. "Subsequent extensions shall require the filing of a new Master Plan application." Tentative subdivision maps run on their own clock: 36 months, with extensions that may not exceed three more years in total, under Section 5-5-405. Subdivision applications are filed through the City's online plan portal at irvineready.com, according to the City's subdivision page.
Planning Fees: Hourly Billing Against a Deposit
Irvine bills most planning work by the hour. Schedule I lists a "Fee Per Hour" of $217.64 for each case type, an "Initial Deposit," and a minimum balance the account must keep. Project costs such as City Attorney fees, noticing and postage are charged "At Cost."
| Case type | Initial deposit | Minimum balance |
|---|---|---|
| Master Plan | $10,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Conditional Use Permit, major | $10,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Zone Change or General Plan Amendment | $10,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Tentative Parcel Map or Tentative Tract Map | $4,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Variance | $3,000.00 | $300.00 |
| Administrative Relief | $3,000.00 | $600.00 |
| Pre-Application | $3,000.00 | $300.00 |
| Accessory Dwelling Unit (code compliance) | $1,500.00 | $300.00 |
| Final Map (tract or parcel) | $500.00 | $200.00 |
| Setback Deviation Request | $500.00 | $200.00 |
| Appeal to City Council or Planning Commission | $2,000.00 | None listed |
Source: City of Irvine Schedule I, Planning and Development Engineering Fees, effective August 15, 2026, City Council Resolutions 24-41 and 25-78. All are billed at $217.64 per hour.
Some items are flat fees: a "Zoning Confirmation" is $435.29, a "Residential Alteration" $272.06, a "Use Determination" $652.94, and an address for the first unit $217.64 plus $71.82 for each unit after the first. "Affordable Housing Monitoring" is $59.79. The in-lieu park fee is listed as based on an appraisal of the land, under Section 5-5-1004.
Building Permit Fees and Valuation
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permit issuance, new residential construction | $73.08 |
| House: plan check, model or custom home | $0.68 per sq ft |
| House: inspection | $0.56 per sq ft |
| Apartments and attached condominiums: model plan check | $0.37 per sq ft |
| Apartments and attached condominiums: inspection | $0.41 per sq ft |
| Residential remodel and additions: plan check / inspection | $0.86 / $1.33 per sq ft |
| Systems development charge | 1% of valuation |
| Slurry seal fee, new homes | $0.04 per sq ft, up to $65.00 per unit |
| Citywide development impact fee, residential, Focus Area 1 (Greater IBC) | $5.34 per sq ft |
Sources: City of Irvine Schedule II and Schedule IV (Resolutions 24-41 and 25-78), effective August 15, 2026.
The City's fee page says "a plan check fee shall be paid at the time of plan submittal" and permit fees "at the time of issuance." Schedule II offers a "Plan Check Submittal Quality Incentive": "If a qualifying project is approved on the first submittal, 30 percent of building plan check fees will be refunded to the applicant." It "applies to new building construction and new grading projects over two acres" and "does not apply to tract production projects, additions, or alterations to existing buildings."
Valuation is set from the International Code Council's Building Valuation Data, "or by RS Means Square Foot Costs Manual data, where ICC data is not available." The City's valuation sheet, effective August 15, 2026, lists per square foot costs by building type. For "RESIDENTIAL - ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY (R-3)" it lists $175.92 for Type 5B construction, and for "RESIDENTIAL - MULTIPLE FAMILY (R-2)" $158.18 for Type 5B. Ask the Building Division which type applies to your plans.
Impact Fees and Other Charges
An impact fee is a one-time charge on new building to pay for the public facilities it will use. Irvine has several:
- Systems development charge. Chapter 2-9-6 imposes it "to provide a predictable and equitable funding source for capital improvements by requiring those in the business of development to 'buy into' the pre-existing City infrastructure." Schedule IV sets it at "1% of Valuation." It is paid "in conjunction with payment of the building permit fee." Exempt: "Alterations which do not increase the floor area" and house additions that do not add "a living unit."
- Citywide development impact fee. Ordinance 25-15, adopted June 24, 2025, set up fees for "Transportation facilities," "General Government facilities," "Police facilities" and "Library facilities"; "Residential uses are subject to all fee categories." Amounts are set "by resolution of the City." Schedule IV lists rates for "Focus Area 1 only (Greater Irvine Business Complex Area)," with residential at $5.34 per square foot. Rates are adjusted each July 1 starting in 2026. New homes are charged "for new dwelling units added to a parcel," and "Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) shall be subject to development impact fees per the Mitigation Fee Act and State law."
- Park fee. Subdivisions owe park land or a fee at five acres per 1,000 people; see the lots and subdivisions page.
- Slurry seal fee. For road wear: $0.04 per square foot for new homes, with a "Maximum Fee per unit" of $65.00.
- Affordable housing in-lieu fee. Paid only by projects that qualify for the menu option; it is under review in 2026. See the inclusionary housing page.
Other agencies charge too. Schedule IV lists "School District Fees (State Mandated)," "SB1473 Fees," "District 92-1 Fees," "Transportation Corridor Agency Fees," "Orange County Sanitation District Fees" and "Orange County Fire Authority Fees" as set by separate ordinance or resolution. The City's school fee sheet names the four districts serving Irvine, "Irvine Unified School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, Santa Ana Unified School District, and Tustin Unified School District," and says the City "cannot issue building permits for development subject to school fee requirements until the applicant demonstrates that fees have been paid." The fee page lists the Permit Processing Counter at (949) 724-6313.
When Fees Are Due: Code and Statute
Irvine Section 2-7-905 A says impact fees "shall be due and payable in accordance with the law, upon the issuance of a building permit," and that "development impact fees imposed on residential development may be deferred until the date of the final inspection, or the date the certificate of occupancy is issued, whichever occurs first, pursuant to a written agreement."
Government Code 66007(a), as amended effective January 1, 2026, says a local agency that charges fees for public improvements on residential development "shall not require the payment of those fees or charges" until "the date of the final inspection, or the date the certificate of occupancy is issued, whichever occurs first," except as provided in its subdivisions (b) and (h). The statute controls. Ask the City which exception, if any, it relies on before you budget for payment at permit issuance. The state impact fees page explains the Mitigation Fee Act.
Best For
- ✓ ADUs of 750 square feet or less, which pay no impact fees under state law.
- ✓ Projects ready for a complete first plan check submittal, which can recover 30 percent of plan check fees.
- ✓ SB 9 and SB 684 projects, which have a 60-day state decision limit.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The budget leaves out the hourly billing beyond the initial deposit.
- ✕ The budget leaves out school, sanitation, fire and transportation corridor fees from other agencies.
- ✕ An appeal is filed after five business days from a Director decision.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The building type the City will use for valuation.
- → The development impact fee rate for your area under the current resolution.
- → The school district for your lot and its current fee.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the California impact fees page, the CEQA and permit streamlining page and the Irvine overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Irvine charge for planning review?
What is the systems development charge in Irvine?
How does Irvine value a building for the 1 percent charge?
Does Irvine have development impact fees?
When are impact fees paid in Irvine?
How do I appeal a planning decision in Irvine?
Who can appeal a project approval in Irvine?
How long does Irvine have to accept an application as complete?
Are school fees paid on new homes in Irvine?
What do building permits cost for a new house in Irvine?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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