Yolo County Demolition Permit Guide

Short answer

Demolishing a house, commercial building, or many outbuildings in unincorporated Yolo County requires a permit from the Yolo County Building Division before work starts. Two local wrinkles: agricultural structures may be permit-exempt under the county code, and the Yolo-Solano AQMD runs a 10-working-day asbestos notification that starts only once the survey, form, and fees are all in. For the wider service picture, see our Yolo County service-area overview and the Woodland demolition and land clearing and Davis demolition and land clearing pages.

When a demolition permit is required

Yolo County follows the California Building Code, which requires a permit to demolish a regulated structure. In practice:

• Houses, garages, and commercial buildings require a demolition permit
• Barns and ag outbuildings may be permit-exempt agricultural structures under CBC 105.2 and YCC 7-1.04 — but confirm, because the exemption turns on use and size
• A permit exemption for the structure does not waive the air-district asbestos notification
• Pools — full removal typically needs a permit; confirm partial fill-in rules first
• Fire-damaged structures require a demolition permit that memorializes the removal

The issuing authority and how to apply

The authority having jurisdiction for unincorporated parcels is the Yolo County Building Division (building.division@yolocounty.gov, 530-666-8037). Woodland, Davis, West Sacramento, and Winters are incorporated cities with their own permit desks — confirm jurisdiction before applying. Yolo County typically collects fees in two steps: an application/plan-review fee up front and a permit/inspection fee once the application is approved. Application steps: confirm the AHJ; determine whether the structure is permit-exempt (especially for barns and ag buildings); prepare a site plan; complete the asbestos survey and Yolo-Solano AQMD notification; coordinate utility disconnects; submit the application; clear corrections; then demolish and pass the final inspection.

Required documents and inspections

• A demolition permit application identifying each structure being removed (or documentation supporting an agricultural exemption)
• A site/plot plan showing the footprint and what remains after demolition
• Utility disconnect confirmation (electric, gas, water, sewer or septic, communications)
• An asbestos survey report and the Yolo-Solano AQMD demolition/renovation notification form
• Proof of the required AQMD fees, since the notification clock does not start until survey, form, and fees are all submitted
• A final inspection after demolition, hauling, and rough cleanup are complete

Asbestos and dust rules — Yolo-Solano AQMD

The Yolo-Solano AQMD requires, for all demolitions and any qualifying renovations, a District Asbestos Demolition/Renovation Notification Form submitted with a copy of the survey and the proper fees. There is a mandatory 10-working-day notification period that begins once the survey report, notification form, and all required fees are submitted to the district — an important detail, because a missing fee resets your earliest start date. A survey by a Certified Asbestos Consultant is the standard way to establish what is present, and any regulated asbestos-containing material must be removed by a licensed abatement contractor before the demolition crew disturbs it. Confirm the current notification form and fee on the district's Forms & Applications page.

Barns and ag outbuildings — the local nuance

Yolo County is farm country, so barns, equipment sheds, and other agricultural outbuildings come up constantly. The county recognizes permit-exempt agricultural structures under CBC 105.2 and the local amendment YCC 7-1.04, which can mean no building permit for qualifying structures — but two cautions apply. First, the exemption depends on the building's use and size; a converted barn used for non-ag purposes may not qualify. Second, a building-permit exemption is not an asbestos exemption: older barns and outbuildings frequently contain regulated materials (transite panels, older roofing, insulation), so the Yolo-Solano AQMD survey and notification path still applies. Confirm both tracks with the Building Division and the district before demolishing any farm structure.

Fees and timelines

Yolo County demolition permit fees are valuation/scope-based and split into application and permit stages; a straightforward residential demolition commonly lands in the low-to-mid hundreds of dollars — confirm the current figure with the Building Division. Add the private asbestos survey and the Yolo-Solano AQMD notification fee (which must be paid before the 10-day clock starts). Treat the table below as a planning frame.

Get a scoped quote with permits handled

Permit rules are only half the job — the other half is a contractor who pulls the permit, coordinates the asbestos survey and utility disconnects, and hauls to a licensed facility. Send the address, photos of the structure, and the access path and we will come back with a written scope that names who files the permit and what the site looks like when we leave.

Sources and references

• Yolo County Building Inspection Services — permits: https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/community-services/building-inspection-services/permits
• Yolo County Building Division — forms: https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/community-services/building-inspection-services/forms
• Yolo-Solano AQMD — asbestos: https://www.ysaqmd.org/rules-compliance/asbestos/
• Yolo-Solano AQMD — forms & applications: https://www.ysaqmd.org/permits/forms-applications/
• California Air Resources Board — asbestos NESHAP notification: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/asbestos-neshap-program/asbestos-neshap-notification-renovation-or-demolition
• CSLB license check: https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx