The City has an online portal for the public to access frequently requested records, including agendas, minutes, resolutions, and ordinances. Click here to access the online public records portal.

If you are requesting protected or stamped plans, please fill out the Affidavit form and include the Architect or Engineer’s signature and send back. Please see the affidavit form for instructions.

You can now conveniently request a refund for a building permit online through our streamlined process. This ensures that your request is handled promptly and efficiently. To initiate a refund please fill out the link below; your request will be sent to the department for review. Please note that refunds will be rejected if the request is made more than 180 days from the permit issuance date and that certain fees are non-refundable. For more detailed information, please refer to our Permit Refund Policy or contact our Building and Safety department at (760) 346-0611, ext. 420.

• Building Permit Refund Form

Every three years the California Building Standards Commission reviews, adopts, and publishes the standards by which all buildings are constructed and used. These revisions address new construction technology, energy and water conservation practices, and green sustainable building construction.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 California Building Standards Code are in effect. These include:

• 2022 California Building and Residential Codes; the 2022 California Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Codes; and the 2022 California Energy, Green Building Standards, and Fire Code.

• The City of Palm Desert has adopted Ordinance 1388 with an effective date of January 15, 2023, which include amendments to certain aspects of the code. Palm Desert Municipal Code, Chapter 15, outlines all current code adoptions and amendments.

For Palm Desert Ordinance and Design Requirements, please click here.

The Building Activity Report is a monthly summary of building permits issued in the City of Palm Desert Building and Safety Division.

This report also includes a comparison of valuations for the current and past calendar and fiscal years. More detailed reports are available upon request.

California Building Code 105.3.2 provides that applications for which no permit is issued within 1 year following the date of application shall expire by limitation, and plans and other data submitted for review may thereafter be returned to the applicant or destroyed by the building official.

The building official may grant one or more time extensions for a periods not exceeding 180 days on request by the applicant in writing showing that circumstances beyond the control of the applicant have prevented action from being taken.