Plan Review
Placer County issues building permits. Depending on the nature of the project, the Northstar Fire Department (NFD) may be one of several departments/divisions/jurisdictions involved in the County’s building permit review process. Specifically, NFD may be involved in the review of plans for compliance with fire and life safety requirements.
The Northstar Fire Department is willing to work with owners, designers and contractors during the inception or design phase to hopefully spot and correct any fire and life safety code deficiencies before a formal submittal. Simply email Fire Prevention Officer Brandon Olk at bolk@northstarcsd.org to discuss the possibility of a preliminary review. However, for the purposes of a formal submittal, NFD requires an applicant to first submit to Placer County before submitting plans to NFD for review/approval.
NFD’s Plan Submittal Process:
1. Complete a NFD application found here:
2. Review all NFD guidelines pertinent to the construction project/development found here:
3. Submit both the completed application and plans/construction documents (.pdf only) to bolk@northstarcsd.org
4. The submitted application and plans are then reviewed and processed during normal business hours Monday-Friday. Approximate time for reviewing plans is 7-10 business days.
5. At the completion of the review, NFD will notify the applicant whether the plans are approved or denied.
6. Plan review and mitigation fees will be determined at the completion of the review. All fees must be paid prior to NFD signing-off with Placer County and its permit process.
Please note: Depending on the size and complexity of the project, the Northstar Fire Department retains the right to require an applicant to submit construction documents to a third-party reviewer.
2016 CBC Chapter 7A Section 706A.3 prohibits ventilation openings on the underside of eaves and cornices. Exception: The enforcing agency may accept or approve special eave and cornice vents that resist the intrusion of flame and burning embers. You can search for vents by using the search by number option and looking for 8165 at https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/fire-engineering-and-investigations/building-materials-listing/bml-search-building-materials-listing
The following Manufacturer's have venting products approved by the State Fire Marshal as meeting Section 706A.3:
Exterior Wall Siding and Sheathing, Horizontal Projection Underside, Decking, and Windows tested to meet SFM Standards can be found in the latest updated Building Materials Listing Web Page for Construction Assemblies and Components. Use this link to find the: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/fire-engineering-and-investigations/building-materials-listing/bml-search-building-materials-listing for Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) materials.
Check the button to search by number, search for 8110, 8120, 8140, 8150, 8165, and 8180
