City of San Diego - Sustainable Building Expedited Permit Program
Administered by City of San Diego Development Services
You can get your sustainable building project (including solar photovoltaic systems) permitted roughly 50% faster by applying through San Diego's Sustainable Buildings Expedite Program. Submit the required form (DS-531) and meet the sustainability standards in Council Policy 900-14—such as using solar or other alternative energy technologies—to qualify for this faster permitting process.
Your customers can reduce permitting timelines by approximately half for sustainable projects that meet Council Policy 900-14 standards covering energy efficiency and alternative energy resources like solar. You'll need to help clients complete the DS-531 form and ensure the project meets sustainability requirements; affordable housing projects receive priority processing if they also qualify for that designation.
This expedited permitting program, established by Resolution R-298001 (2002), processes sustainable building permits in approximately 50% of standard timeframe and prioritizes projects when capacity is exceeded—second priority for affordable housing sustainable projects, fourth priority for other qualifying sustainable buildings. The program applies to new residential, commercial, and industrial development meeting standards in Council Policy 900-14 (alternative energy systems, energy efficiency, conservation) and requires applicants to submit form DS-531; the policy undergoes triennial review and addresses deviations through Process Four Site Development Permits under Land Development Code §143.0920.
Program details
- Program ID
- 4790
- Effective
- 5/20/2003
- Last updated
- 7/9/2024
Eligibility
- Sectors
- commercial industrial residential
- Technologies
- solar photovoltaics comprehensive measures/whole building
Program summary
In 2002, the City of San Diego passed Resolution R-298001, which amended the Sustainable Building Policy to allow for expedited permitting for sustainable buildings. Sustainable buildings are defined in Policy Number 900-14, and the expedited permitting program is described in Policy Number 600-27. The Sustainable Building Policy is scheduled to be revised every three years.
New residential, commercial, and industrial development projects are all eligible for expedited permitting. The expedited permitting process is estimated to take 50% as much time as the normal permitting process. The policy also prioritizes project types in the case that the expedited permitting program is full. Sustainable projects that also qualify as "Affordable Housing" projects receive second priority, and all other sustainable building projects receive fourth priority.
See Council Policy 900-14 for a list of requirements to qualify for expedited permitting. Program materials, including a checklist and form, are available on the program website above.
Contact & resources
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
