Guaranteed Review Times

Removing Barriers to Housing – Guaranteed Review Times

As directed by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on May 24, 2023, under Short-Term Actions 1, 2, and 3a to go into effect on July 1, 2024., PDS has developed Guaranteed Review Timelines for certain housing projects, including discretionary projects that are required to go through environmental review per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as well as ministerial permits like building permits. To qualify for a guaranteed review time, the project must a be a deed restricted affordable housing project (all units), a workforce housing project, or a housing project within a Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) efficient and/or qualify as infill area as identified in the County's Transportation Study Guide. Below is a summary of the three types of housing projects that are eligible for a Guaranteed Review Timeline as well as the submittal requirements.   

Housing Projects Eligible for Guaranteed Review Times 

  • 100% Affordable Housing and Emergency Shelters 
    • 30 Day Discretionary Review including CEQA Environmental Studies 
    • 5 Day Building Permit Plan Check (2 Day Building Permit Plan Check for Emergency Shelters)
    • 5 Day Septic Review 
  • Workforce Housing (defined as three or more housing units on a single lot or attached multi-family housing units that include two or more units (townhomes or condominiums)
    • 30 Day Discretionary Review including CEQA Environmental Studies 
    • 15 Day Building Permit Plan Check 
    • 30 Day Septic Review 
  • Housing Projects Located within VMT Efficient and/or Infill Areas (any type of housing located within VMT Efficient and/or Infill Areas – view map )
    • 30 Day Discretionary Review including CEQA Environmental Studies 
    • 15 Day Building Permit Plan Check 
    • 15 Day Septic Review 

Project Planning & Land Development Projects
 (land use entitlements and/or grading permits that require environmental review under CEQA)

If the proposed housing project requires environmental review through the Project Planning & Land Development divisions, the application must include a Completeness Certification that involves a third-party certifying that a development project application package or resubmittal is complete. Projects that qualify for this process and submit a completeness certification will receive a guaranteed County review time of 30 business days for each submittal/resubmittal (this does not apply to outside agencies and districts). Below are links to the Completeness Certification, which is a requirement to receive a guaranteed review time.

Completeness Certification Application
Completeness Certification
Completeness Certification Scoring Criteria

In addition, PDS has coordinated with several County Departments and stakeholders to develop a standard correction list. The Discretionary Permit Standard Corrections List is intended to help applicants know what the County plan reviewers are looking for when reviewing applications for permits. PDS recommends reviewing the standard correction list before submitting a new application, which will help streamline the review process.
If you have any questions about the Project Planning process and guaranteed review times please email them to Kendalyn.White@sdcounty.ca.gov, and for Land Development questions please send emails to Erlinda.Remulla@sdcounty.ca.gov 

Building Permits (ministerial permits that do not require environmental review)

If a new housing project would like to have the guaranteed review times indicated above, they will need to work with an ICC certified Building Official to provide a letter stating that the plans provided to the County are ready to be approved and meet all California building codes. This DOES NOT apply to emergency housing or 100% affordable housing. The applicant’s design team will need to work with the third party building official until the plans are approved. The County will then review of the plans, in accordance with the County Amended Building Code.

In an effort to help our customers two standardized building correction plan check lists were created for residential and commercial plan checks and can be found here:

Residential Corrections List
Commercial Corrections List

Additionally, please also review the Pre-Intake form which must be completed to indicate that the project is in one of the qualifying classifications. This notation can be found on the first page.

If you have any questions about the building process and guaranteed review times please email them to Sylvia.Mendez@sdcounty.ca.gov