General contractor in Arcata, Humboldt County

Who issues building permits in Arcata

Arcata is an incorporated city, so the city issues building permits: City of Arcata Building Division (Building & Engineering Department), Arcata City Hall, 736 F Street. Arcata says some permits need only a simple online form and can be issued the same day, and asks applicants to find out from its Engineering Department whether a property is in a flood zone before preparing plans.

Sources: Building Division | Arcata, CA; Building Permits | Arcata, CA

Homes in Arcata

• The Census counts about 8,636 homes in Arcata. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Housing Units, Arcata city
• The Census counts about 18,607 people in Arcata. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Total Population, Arcata city
• Half of the homes were built in 1976 or earlier. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Median Year Structure Built, Arcata city
• 44 percent are single-family detached houses and 5 percent are mobile homes. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Units in Structure, Arcata city
• 36 percent of the homes people live in are lived in by their owners. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Tenure, Arcata city

With half the homes built in 1976 or earlier, many here were built on or before January 1, 1994. For those, California's fixture law applies to alterations or improvements made to a single-family home under a permit. The law does not apply to registered historical sites, to property where a licensed plumber certifies that water-conserving fixtures are not technically feasible, or to a building whose water service is permanently disconnected. What the law asks.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Median Year Structure Built, Arcata city; California Civil Code §1101.2; California Civil Code §1101.4; California Civil Code §1101.7

Rain

• NOAA's weather station at Eureka (Woodley Island), about 6 miles away, averages 40.4 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals), 77 percent of it from November through March. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991-2020 normals: Eureka (Woodley Island)

What we build in Arcata

• Remodels→
• Additions & new builds→
• Decks→
• Dirt work→
• Lot clearing→

When a job can be done without a contractor license is set out in California Business and Professions Code sections 7040 to 7054.5, including the $1,000 exemption in §7048. More on the $1,000 rule.

Sources: California Business and Professions Code, sections 7040 to 7054.5 (exemptions from the contractor license law); California Business and Professions Code §7048 (the $1,000 exemption)