Government » Community Development Department » Permits » Building Permits

Request Building Records

The City keeps official copies of building records and plans. Anyone can view the plans, but if you want them copied, you need to get consent from the owner of the building. If the plans are signed and stamped by a certified, licensed or registered, you will also need to get written consent from the design professional. 

How to request records

Follow these steps to request copies of official records.

1.Check that your request is within Walnut Creek

First verify that the address you are requesting a record from is within the City of Walnut Creek’s jurisdiction.

 You can do this by entering the address into our zoning web map. If the address appears in a gray area on the map noted as “UNIC” then it is located in an unincorporated area of Walnut Creek. For unincorporated addresses, submit your records request to the services at Contra Costa County.

2. Fill out the online application 

Please create an account on our Records Request Portal and submit your request to the Building Division using the below button. If your request includes plans, please read the below section.

Submit a Building Records Request

If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam folder. 

Request for plans

If you want a copy of plans, you will need to complete and upload the Records Research Request form [PDF] when you submit the online application. You will need to get the signature from the property owner of the building approving the release of plans on page 2 of the form. If the building is part of a common interest development, you will need to get a signature from the board of directors or governing body of the development.

Please note, the City was not required to keep plans until 1985; we may not have plans prior to 1985.

Plans may be copyright stamped by the design professional that drew the plans. Release of copyright stamped plans requires formal consent from the licensed professional through an Affidavit Process. For more information about the Affidavit Process, please scroll down to the section titled Consent From Design Professionals.

3. We will contact you

We will contact you within ten (10) calendar days to let you know if the records are available or if your request cannot be granted. Staff will notify you if your request will require consent from a design professional, see below for more information. 

4. Receive records

Once your records request is processed a permit technician will contact you with an update. If documents are found, they will be released via the records request portal. 

Consent from design professionals 

Plans that have been signed and stamped by a certified, licensed, or registered design professional require written permission for release from the professional. City staff will notify you if your request requires consent from a design professional. You can do this by completing this affidavit for permission to copy building plans form [PDF] and upload the form along with your request.

This process will incur fees, and may take up to 30 days from when the request is mailed out to allow the licensed professional(s) time to respond.

The Building Department will send the completed affidavit to the design professional by a registered letter requesting their permission to duplicate the official copy of the plans via certified mail. The registered letters will be sent to the most recent address of the professional available from the California State Board of Architectural Examiners or the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Fees

City staff will give you an estimate of charges before they provide a copy of the plans. Fees may include:

  • Copies (per page)
  • Affidavit (per design professional)
  • Postage (USPS certified mail)

The fees are set in the Master Fee Schedule.

More information

The following Health and Safety Code Sections describe the requirements for maintenance and duplication of official copy of plans maintained by the City.

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