Our staff handles plan reviews, permits, and building and housing inspections. The department ensures that construction on new or remodeled buildings within the City limits meet or exceed current codes and provide a safe environment for the community.
Building Department Staff
Ken Zuidervaart
Planning Director
[email protected]
Todd Hatch
Building Official/Senior Building Inspector
[email protected]
Katie Greene
Building and Public Works Secretary, Permits & Fees
[email protected]
Business License Required for Contractors
If you are hiring a contractor to work on your home, contact this department to be sure the contractor has a local license. All contractors working in Ripon must have a license registered with the City (an out of town license in not sufficient.)
Building Inspections
The Building Inspection Division of the Public Works Department is overseen by the Director of Public Works\Building Official. The department is staffed with a Chief Building Inspector and one Building Inspector. All of the Department staff are ICBO Certified Inspectors.
The Building Department’s primary responsibility is to ensure safety to life and property from all hazards incidental to the design, erection, repair, removal, demolition or use and the occupancy of building, structures or premises through the enforcement of City zoning regulations and state and local building codes.
If you have a permit and need to schedule an inspection, please call (209)599-6079 the day before you want the inspection. This is a 24-hour recording line, please listen to the instructions and the inspection will be scheduled the following work day. AM & PM requests only.
Permit Processing
The Building Department processes applications, collects permit fees, appropriates development fees, and issues building permits for various residential, commercial, and industrial construction projects within the City of Ripon.
Plan Review
The Building Department reviews plans to ensure that the building structure, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, handicap accessibility, and energy usage is in compliance with all state and city adopted construction codes. Residential and light commercial plans are checked in-house and heavy commercial and industrial are sent out to professional plan check services.
Inspection
The Building Department is responsible for inspecting the construction of all new and existing structures for conformity with approved plans and permits and for compliance with state and local building code requirements. A total of 1,815 inspections were performed last year.
Housing Inspection
The Department enforces minimum standards of the uniform housing codes for existing residential buildings to safeguard life, liability, health, property and public welfare by conducting health and safety inspections and responding to tenant complaints.