New‑Build Outdoor Living in San Diego (2025) — HOA Deadlines, Design‑Build, Permits & Budget Tiers

Do‑This‑First — San Diego County (City & Unincorporated)

Permits & Compliance — San Diego Snapshot (What Actually Triggers)

• Stormwater/BMPs (City): Design to keep runoff on‑site; document with DS‑560 and the City’s Storm Water Standards. Avoid direct discharge to curb/gutter without permitted public improvements.
• Right‑of‑Way (City): Driveway/apron changes, sidewalk work, parkway plantings, and any work in the public way require a Right‑of‑Way (ROW) Permit. Qualifying small scopes may use Rapid Review. Private features in ROW (pilasters, low walls, mailboxes, landscape) typically need an EMRA encroachment agreement. Fees: see IB‑502 Traffic Control & Utility Fee Schedule. Street trees: No‑Fee Street Tree Permit.
• Electrical / Plumbing‑Gas (City): Outdoor kitchens, lighting, pergolas with motors, and gas fire features usually need Simple (No‑Plan) MEP permits with scope‑specific pages (e.g., Electrical). Some electrical scopes escalate to plan review; see IB‑103 MEP Fees & Process.
• Retaining & free‑standing walls (City): Permit is required if over ~3 ft or supporting surcharge; follow IB‑220 (Retaining Walls) and, where applicable, the City’s prescriptive IB‑221 (Standard Cantilevered CMU Walls).
• Patio covers & pergolas (City): Most patio covers/pergolas require a building permit; many are eligible for Rapid Review using IB‑206 (spans, anchorage, height, setbacks). Confirm historic overlays before using streamlined paths.
• Recreational fires & fire features (City/County): San Diego Fire‑Rescue requires recreational fires ≤3′ dia × 2′ high at least 25 ft from structures; approved containers minimum 15 ft. Always follow the unit’s listing and manual. See SDFD Recreational Fires.
• Outdoor lighting (City): Design to SDMC §142.0740 Outdoor Lighting (shielding, glare control, uplight limits). Dark‑sky mindful specs help ARC approval and reduce corrections.
• Landscape water efficiency: City projects follow Landscape Plan Review and Landscape Standards; MWELO generally applies at ≥500 sf new landscape area. (See City update memo and State MWELO 2025 text.)
• Coastal Overlay (City): Some small/improvement scopes are exempt from a CDP per SDMC §126.0704 (CDP Exemptions), but confirmation is case‑by‑case. We verify early to avoid appeal delays.
• County (Unincorporated) differences: County recognizes a permit‑exempt patio cover ≤300 sf for SFR in specific cases—confirm details in PDS‑078. Retaining wall permits generally trigger above 3 ft or with surcharge (PDS‑083). County landscape thresholds and submittals: Landscape Ordinance & Water‑Efficient Landscape Design Manual. Grading permits per County Grading Ordinance.

City of San Diego Submittal Package (ARC‑Ready & Permit‑Ready)

• Scaled site plan with property lines, setbacks, easements, finish floor, spot grades, slopes, and all new work keyed (patios, structures, walls, stairs, utilities).
• Drainage/BMP plan + City DS‑560; details for permeable areas, subdrains, and legal discharge.
• Hardscape plan (patterns, borders, edges, joints, slopes) + sections at thresholds, pool/copings, steps.
• Structures: pergola/patio cover plan, elevations/sections, spans/anchors per IB‑206; walls per IB‑220 (and IB‑221 if prescriptive).
• Outdoor kitchen elevations, appliance cut sheets (clearances, BTU/amp loads), gas sizing calc, electrical one‑line/GFCI, bonding notes; MEP Simple Permit routing.
• Lighting plan with fixture schedule to §142.0740 (shielding, BUG ratings where applicable).
• Materials board, render(s), and plant palette aligned to ARC + MWELO (City Landscape Standards/MWELO worksheets as triggered).

Constraints That Change the Path

• Setbacks & easements: Base zone & recorded easements govern; verify in ZAPP and title docs.
• ESL/steep slopes & MHPA (City): ESL regulations can trigger additional reviews or limit grading/disturbance. See SDMC ESL regs and City maps (start with ZAPP).
• VHFHSZ & Brush Management: Fuel mods and planting limits near structures apply in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones; brush management per SDMC §142.0412 (City) or County fire code.
• Coastal Overlay: CDP requirements/exemptions per §126.0704; La Jolla/Del Mar areas can add height/view corridor constraints.
• Historic districts/designated resources: May alter eligibility for Simple/No‑Plan permits and require Historic Review before issuance.
• ROW frontage: Private features in parkway/ROW (mailbox piers, walls, low fences, landscape) usually require EMRA and ROW permits.

Build Specs & Best Practices (ARC‑Friendly, Inspector‑Happy)

Common Pitfalls (and How We Avoid Them)

• Skipping the City’s DS‑560 and BMP details — triggers resubmittals; we include DS‑560 and sections/details the first time.
• Assuming small patio covers/pergolas are permit‑exempt in the City — most are not; we use IB‑206 and Rapid Review to streamline.
• Unpermitted ROW work (aprons, sidewalks, parkways) — we route through ROW permits and EMRA where needed before mobilization.
• Walls drawn without surcharge/backdrain data — flagged at review; we separate wall types and use IB‑220/IB‑221 correctly.
• Lighting plans without shielding or BUG data — we specify listed, full‑cutoff fixtures and aim to dark‑sky standards to pass ARC and code.
• Coastal & historic overlays assumed exempt — we confirm §126.0704 applicability and, if needed, adjust scope or timing to avoid appeals.