City of Berkeley Window Permits & Guidelines

As we have highlighted in the past, doing your due diligence and making sure your window installation and/or installment project is up to code with the city. Each city’s guidelines are different, as we have gone over with San Francisco and San Mateo. Today, we will take a trip over to the to the East Bay. We’ll explore the regulations that the residents of Berkeley need to follow when replacing windows.

Submitting a Cover Sheet

In general, getting your window replacement project involves submitting a ton of paperwork for approval. Berkeley is no different. Initially, a cover sheet needs to be turned in that includes the following:

Project address
Owner’s name, address and phone number
Name, address and phone number of the person drawing up the plans
Scope of work statement
Sheet index indicating each area of the project
Legend for symbol, abbreviations and notations (u-value)

Submitting a Plot Plan and Floor Plan

After preparing a cover sheet, which covers a lot of the basic info the city needs, you will need submit documents reflecting the details of the property where the project is taking place, both inside and out. First you will need to draft a plot plan, which highlights lot dimensions, property lines yard setbacks, and street names. Second, you need to submit a detailed floor plan that shows the size and layout of the rooms where the work will be done, including where the windows will be replaced or altered.

Berkeley Window Permits/Guidelines

After providing the proper documentation for Berkeley window permits, you then need to ensure that the windows you are looking to install meet all the requirementsl. Berkeley requires the windows you install have a maximum u-value of .40 and must be NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) rated and labeled in order to comply with State Energy Code.

Should you be replacing a window or windows in a bedroom, you must identify one egress window with the following aspects: