General contractor in Fortuna, Humboldt County

Who issues building permits in Fortuna

Fortuna is an incorporated city, so the city issues building permits: City of Fortuna Building Division (Community Development Department), 621 11th Street, Fortuna. Fortuna takes building permit applications electronically through its Permit Portal and schedules inspections Monday through Thursday, at least 24 hours ahead, through OpenGov.

Source: The City of Fortuna, CA

Homes in Fortuna

• The Census counts about 5,295 homes in Fortuna. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Housing Units, Fortuna city
• The Census counts about 12,326 people in Fortuna. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Total Population, Fortuna city
• Half of the homes were built in 1978 or earlier. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Median Year Structure Built, Fortuna city
• 66 percent are single-family detached houses and 4 percent are mobile homes. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates: Units in Structure, Fortuna city
• 56 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, Fortuna city

With half the homes built in 1978 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, Fortuna city; California Civil Code §1101.2; California Civil Code §1101.4; California Civil Code §1101.7

Rain

• NOAA's weather station at Scotia, about 7 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 Fortuna

• 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)