Summary for the board
- Solana Beach became a city on July 1, 1986. Permits for older buildings were issued by the County, so the file may not sit with the City.
- The City takes records requests through the City Clerk and says it responds within ten days under the California Public Records Act.
- The Coastal Commission keeps its own permit records. Its online portal covers Commission-issued permits back to 1981, but older paper files sit in state archives.
- Building plans have special copying rules under state law. For a condo or other common interest development, the association board’s written permission is part of the process.
- Assembling records before an evaluation helps whoever looks at the building separate original design from later changes.
This briefing is general information. It isn’t legal advice, and agency procedures can change, so confirm current steps with each office.
Why the trail runs through three agencies
The local history explains a lot. According to the Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society, voters approved incorporation through Proposition N in 1986, and the first City Council was sworn in at Fletcher Cove on July 1 of that year. Before then, building permits came from San Diego County.
On top of that, Solana Beach is a coastal city with a certified Land Use Plan but, as our briefing on why the Coastal Commission signs off explains, no certified implementation plan yet. That means the Commission has been the issuing agency for many coastal development permits here, and its files can hold conditions and reports that never made it into the City’s building file.
So a complete picture for one building may include:
- City of Solana Beach building permits and inspection records from 1986 on.
- County permits from before incorporation.
- Coastal Commission permits, emergency permits, appeals and staff reports.
City records
The City’s Public Records page asks that a request describe the records specifically enough for staff to identify and locate them. It says the City will respond within ten days under the Public Records Act, and that requests can also be made in person at City Hall during business hours.
Be specific. A request for “everything on our building” is harder to fill than a request naming the address, the parcel number, the approximate construction years, and record types such as permits, inspection cards, certificates of occupancy, and any engineering or soils reports on file.
County records for pre-1986 work
The County’s Planning & Development Services records page describes online tools, including its permit research system, for properties in the unincorporated area. Because Solana Beach was unincorporated before July 1986, original permits for older buildings were County actions. Where those files ended up is a question to ask both the City and the County directly. Don’t assume one office has everything.
Coastal Commission records
The Commission’s Public Data Portal lets anyone search by record number, by street address, by applicant name, or by parcel number. Parcel searches use a five-digit county FIPS code plus the county’s own parcel format, and the Commission publishes a guide showing how to enter them.
Its FAQ lists the general coverage of electronic data:
- Coastal development permits issued by the Commission: 1981 to present
- Emergency permits: 1983 to present
- Appeals: mid-1980s to present
- Local coastal development permits: mid-1980s to present
It also says that not every Commission record created from 1972 onward is electronic. Older paper-based files are kept in Commission archives at the State Records Center.
One detail boards should know: the FAQ notes that staff reports can be found through the Commission’s meeting archive, but the Commission does not always adopt the staff recommendation. Check the final action, not just the staff report, before relying on a condition or finding.
Plans and the copying rule
Many owners are surprised to learn they can’t always walk out with a copy of their own building’s plans.
Health and Safety Code Section 19851 says the official copy of plans kept by a city or county building department is open for inspection at the department as a public record. It may be duplicated only with written permission from the licensed professional who signed the original documents, or that person’s successor, and from the original or current owner. For a building in a common interest development, the owner permission comes from the association’s board of directors or governing body. The law also lets a court order or a state agency request duplication, and it has the department provide an affidavit form for the person requesting copies.
For a board, that means approving the request is part of the job. Put it on an agenda early so it doesn’t hold up the evaluation.
What to request, item by item
A practical list to hand to the manager:
- Every building permit for the address or complex, with dates and descriptions.
- Inspection records and final sign-offs.
- Original construction plans, through the copying process above.
- Soils, geotechnical and structural reports on file with any agency.
- Coastal development permits, emergency permits and their conditions.
- Any recorded documents tied to those permits, such as deed restrictions.
- The association’s own files: past engineering reports, balcony inspection reports, reserve studies and repair invoices.
Our board guide to scoping a structural evaluation explains how to package these for whoever does the work.
Reading what comes back
Records answer different questions:
- Permits show what work was approved, and roughly when.
- Inspection cards show what was actually inspected.
- Plans show the original design intent, including foundation type and framing.
- Soils reports describe the ground the building was designed for.
- Coastal permit conditions may limit what future work can look like.
Gaps matter too. Work visible in the building but missing from every file is a flag for closer review.
If the paper trail runs out
Some buildings have little on file. That’s common for older structures and doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It means the evaluation has to rely more on field observation. Note what you asked for, from whom, and when, so the next board doesn’t repeat the search.
Where structural evaluation picks up
Records narrow the questions. They don’t replace looking at the building. An evaluation compares what’s on paper with what’s in the field, and where design or calculations are needed, we coordinate with licensed engineers as needed. Our foundation inspection, coastal permits and HOA and condo structural repair pages explain how we work.
Board action items
- Assign one person to own the records request.
- Approve plan-copy permission at the next meeting.
- Search the Coastal Commission portal by address and by parcel.
- Ask the City and County which office holds pre-1986 files.
- Keep a dated log of every request and response.
- Store everything where the next board can find it.
How records shift evaluation effort
No prices here. Records affect evaluation effort through:
- how complete the plans and permits are
- whether soils and structural reports exist
- the number of buildings and units involved
- coastal permit conditions that shape repair options
- how much field investigation is needed to fill gaps
Getting started on the file
If your board or household is assembling records ahead of structural work, request a Free Quote. We work throughout Solana Beach, from the bluff-top condos to the neighborhoods east of the freeway.