General contractor in Ferndale, Humboldt County

Who issues building permits in Ferndale

Ferndale is an incorporated city, so the city issues building permits: City of Ferndale, through the City Clerk, City Hall, 834 Main Street, Ferndale. Ferndale has the owner or contractor submit the application, plans and specifications to the City Clerk; the package may then go to the city's Plan Checker or City Engineer for review.

Sources: BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS (City of Ferndale); Home - City of Ferndale

Homes in Ferndale

• The Census counts about 875 homes in Ferndale. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Housing Units, Ferndale city
• The Census counts about 1,552 people in Ferndale. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Total Population, Ferndale city
• Half of the homes were built in 1953 or earlier. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Median Year Structure Built, Ferndale city
• 75 percent are single-family detached houses. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Units in Structure, Ferndale city
• 61 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, Ferndale city

With half the homes built in 1953 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, Ferndale city; California Civil Code §1101.2; California Civil Code §1101.4; California Civil Code §1101.7

Rain

• NOAA's weather station at Scotia, about 11 miles away, averages 47.67 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals), 80 percent of it from November through March. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991-2020 normals: Scotia

What we build in Ferndale

• 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)