Development Services

Site Menu

Grading & Right-of-Way Permit Issuance

City of San Diego Development Services Department

INFORMATION BULLETIN
353
April 2026

View All Information Bulletins

 

IN THIS BULLETIN:

Grading and Right-of-Way permits are issued once the project application has been reviewed and signed off by all the required review disciplines and the Deputy City Engineer (DCE), if applicable. All projects will be automatically placed into a permit issuance queue and processed in the order received. During the permit issuance process, staff will perform a completeness check. The applicant will receive an email if additional documents are required or if additional plan check fees are due.

Issuance Requirements

Visit the Development Services Department (DSD) online permitting portal and log in to your account to submit the required issuance documents requested by permit issuance staff. Review the User Guide for detailed instructions on submitting documents electronically.

Required Documents

  1. Supplemental Right-of-Way Permit Application (DS-3037) 
    Required for the following projects:
    1. Grading and Right-of-Way
    2. Right-of-Way
      *Not required for Grading Only projects
  2. Project Contacts Information (DS-345)  
    Required for Grading only projects.
  3. Deposit Account/Financially Responsible Party  
    Required for DCE – Grading and Public Improvement projects only.
    1. Grading and Right-of-Way Permit
    2. Right-of-Way Permit
    3. Grading Permit
  4. Bond – Construction 
    When the reviewer indicates that a Bond is required on the completed Construction Cost Estimate, a Bond in the form of a Performance Bond, Cash Bond or Letter of Credit is required. For additional information, refer to Information Bulletin 126 Bonding for Grading/Public Right-of-Way Permits and Maps. 

Fees 

  1. Outstanding Plan Check Fees
    Any outstanding plan check fees must be paid prior to uploading the requested Issuance Checklist Items shown on the Project Issues Report for permit issuance.
  2. Inspection Fees
    Inspection fees will be invoiced once all required issuance documents have been submitted (as requested during permit issuance). These fees must be paid to finalize permit issuance and download the approved plans.

  3. Inspection Deposit
    An Initial Inspection Deposit fee will be charged at the time of issuance for DCE – Grading and Public Improvement projects. A deposit into a Trust Fund account with an initial deposit to pay for the inspection, and/or management services is required. 

    The initial deposit is drawn against to pay for these services. The initial amount for this fee will be invoiced at the time of issuance and will be separate from all the associated plan check fees. 

    The "Financially Responsible Party" will receive a monthly statement reflecting the charges made against the account, and an invoice when additional deposits are necessary to maintain a minimum balance. When applicable,  payment of the invoice will be required to continue processing the project. Once the project has been finalized and/or the As-Built has been approved by the Resident Engineer, all remaining funds will be returned to the Financial Responsible Party.

  4. Construction Bonds 
    1. For additional information, refer to Information Bulletin 126 "Bonding for Grading/Public Right-of-Way Permits and Maps". 
    2. For any additional fees, refer to Information Bulletin 502.

Payment Methods

  1. Online Payments
    Customers are encouraged to make     online payments by e-check or credit card. Bank and processing fees apply. There are no minimum or maximum credit card transaction amounts when making payments online.
  2. Onsite Payments 
    • Customers can request a Payments appointment to make credit card or check payments in person at the Mission Valley location. 
    • With in-person payments, the minimum credit card transaction amount is $10, and the maximum is $99,999.99.
    • Payments with an "SAP Invoice Number" are not accepted here. Instead, these invoices can be paid with the City Treasurer. Learn more.

Additional Resources

Permit Procedures

Previous Versions

This section contains previous versions of this Information Bulletin as of the last day they were effective.