What triggers a permit, what "RTI" means, and how the paperwork actually gets handled.
Short answer: most remodels that touch plumbing, electrical, gas lines, structural elements, or a home's footprint need a permit in California. A purely cosmetic refresh (new paint, new cabinet fronts, swapping a faucet) typically doesn't. Where a lot of homeowners get surprised is everything in between.
Requirements vary by city and county within California, so the exact line depends on your local building department, which is exactly why we handle this as part of every applicable project rather than leaving homeowners to figure it out.
RTI stands for Ready to Issue: the point at which a city or county has reviewed and approved a project's plans and is ready to issue the building permit. Getting to RTI typically involves architectural plans, structural engineering (for anything load-bearing), and energy compliance documentation (California's Title 24 requirements), plus renderings where design approval is part of the process.
Our preconstruction package takes a project all the way to RTI before construction starts: architectural plans, structural engineering, energy compliance, renderings, and full permit processing are handled as part of the process, not billed as a surprise add-on discovered mid-project. That means less back-and-forth with the building department landing on the homeowner, and a clearer picture of timeline before demolition ever begins.
Curious what your project will actually cost once permits and engineering are factored in? See our remodel cost guide or ADU cost guide, or schedule a discovery call →.
Tell us about your project and we'll set up a discovery call to talk it through. Serving LA and the Valley.