Permit Technician

Permit Technician

Salary

$55,254.48 - $74,046.24 Annually

Location

City of Westminster, CA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

2026-36

Department

Community Development

Opening Date

07/28/2026

Closing Date

8/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The City of Westminster is looking for a Permit Technician to join our Community Development Department.

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, performs a variety of responsible clerical and office administration duties related to the issuance of building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits and in support of related services and activities of the Community Development Department; explains ordinances, requirements, and City codes, and department procedures to building contractors, architects, engineers, builders, and the general public pertaining to land development and improvement, permit requests, and concerns; and performs related work as required.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from the Community Development Director. Exercises no supervision of staff.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This is a journey-level classification that is fully competent to perform a variety of responsible duties to assist in the provision of City services for the public. Incumbents with well-developed office support skills are expected to learn technical and specialized rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and activities related to the Community Development Department and to apply them independently. This class is distinguished from other office support classes by the performance of specialized duties that require application of a larger base of technical knowledge and skill in addition to standard office support skills.

Examples of Duties

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only)

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Conducts building, land use, and engineering permit processing; reviews permit applications, plans, specifications, and supporting documents for completeness and compliance with legal standards and City requirements; calculates permit fees; prepares bills, collects fees, and issues receipts; issues building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits following established guidelines.
• Reviews and approves plans and accompanying documents on over-the-counter permits for routine or less complex projects, such as patio covers, room additions, and minor tenant improvements; assists in processing construction plans for commercial and residential projects; files or routes information to appropriate City departments.
• Provides appropriate information regarding zoning, subdivision plans, and building ordinances, procedures, and requirements to the public including homeowners, developers, contractors, engineers, and architects, in person and over the counter and telephone; assists the public in the application process for building, land use, and engineering permits and other developmental processes.
• Accepts applications for business licenses, assesses business license tax, prints and mails out licenses, and balances business license receipts.
• Enters scheduled inspection dates into database for both City and contractor inspections.
• Performs a wide variety of routine to complex administrative duties in support of the Community Development Department; establishes and maintains filing systems; creates and modifies forms as necessary; prepares and proofreads a wide variety of correspondence, letters, memoranda, reports, statistical charts, and other written materials; distributes reports internally and to various governmental offices; organizes and assembles documents; files and catalogues maps, photos, and other planning exhibits and documents; verifies accuracy of information; researches discrepancies and records information.
• Applies departmental policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records, and reports; provides information and forms to the public; processes appropriate information.
• Compiles information and data for statistical and financial reports; maintains a variety of statistical records; checks and tabulates statistical data.
• Contacts the public and outside agencies in acquiring and providing information and making referrals.
• Clears and releases utility services; manages and tracks all releases for other internal departments.
• Checks status of State contractors licenses, business licenses, and verification of workers compensation insurance.
• Provides technical support for special events and special promotions programs.
• Operates standard office equipment, including job-related computer hardware and software applications, facsimile equipment, and multi-line telephones.
• Provides needed information and demonstrations concerning how to perform certain work tasks to new employees in the same or similar class of positions.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Organization, procedures, and operating details of the Community Development Department.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, and organizational policies and procedures relevant to building, engineering, land use, and/or urban planning, sufficient to answer questions and provide information to the public; applicable zoning and related laws and regulations.
• Business letter writing and basic report preparation.
• Business arithmetic and basic statistical techniques.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.

Ability to:

• Understand and explain City policies, procedures, fees, and basic planning and building codes and regulations to the general public, permit applicants, and City staff.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Read and interpret plans, specifications, related construction documents, and maps.
• Perform detailed, technical, and specialized planning and zoning and/or permit support work.
• Perform the full range of office and administrative support duties and tasks.
• Respond to and effectively prioritizing multiple phone calls, walk-up traffic, and other requests and interruptions.
• Compose correspondence and reports independently or from brief instructions.
• Maintain accurate logs, records, and basic written records of work performed.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Make accurate arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established policy and procedural guidelines.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.
• Organize own work, set priorities and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience:

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade and two (2) years of increasingly responsible administrative experience in a municipal, engineering, or planning department or equivalent private sector experience, including a high level of public contact and customer service.

Licenses and Certifications:

• None.

Supplemental Information

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. Standing and walking in work areas if frequently required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

The City of Westminster offers a comprehensive benefit package to Westminster Municipal Employees' Association (WMEA) members, including:

RETIREMENT BENEFITS: The City participates in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). The Citys contract provides for the following retirement tiers:

Tier 2 (Classic Members hired on or after July 28, 2011): 2.0% @ 60 formula; employees contribute 7.0% of salary towards retirement costs.

Tier 3/PEPRA (New Members hired on or after January 1, 2013): 2.0% @ 62 formula; employees contribute 8.25% of salary towards retirement costs.

The City of Westminster does not participate in Social Security.

INSURANCE BENEFITS: Effective January 1, 2024, the Citys cafeteria benefits plan provides $1,600 per month toward the purchase of health, dental, vision and life insurance, as well as additional voluntary products. Employees who participate in the CalPERS health insurance program and are enrolled in a Family plan will receive an additional $400 per month towards the purchase of medical benefits (total of $2,000 per month).

Medical insurance is provided through the Cal-PERS health insurance program. Unused cafeteria plan dollars may be received by the employee as taxable income. A pre-tax flexible spending account is also available for health care and dependent care expenses. The City also provides a City-paid Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefit of 66.6% of salary to a maximum of $10,000 per month; the City also provides a paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

VACATION: Employees earn 120 hours of paid vacation during their first year of service. An additional eight hours is earned for each additional year of service up to five (5) years. Additional benefits apply after 20 years of service. Employees are permitted to cash out accrued unused vacation hours a maximum of 2 times per calendar year.

HOLIDAYS: Employees receive 99 hours of paid holiday for official holiday closures (11 recognized holidays) each year, and an additional 27 hours of floating holiday time annually to be used at the employees discretion.

HOLIDAY FURLOUGH: City offices are closed between Christmas and New Years Day. Employees may use accumulated leave banks or elect leave without pay during the furlough.

SICK LEAVE: Employees earn 96 hours of paid sick leave per year.

WORK SCHEDULE: The City offers flexible work schedules. Employees will have the option to work a 9/80, 4/10, or 5/8/40 work schedule. The City does not offer a Hybrid work schedule at this time.

BILINGUAL PAY: The City provides $150 per month for demonstrated proficiency in specified languages including Spanish and Vietnamese.

EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVE: Employees may receive an additional 5% of base pay for an A.A. degree (with a minimum of 24 college units directly related to the job) or 10% of base pay for a Bachelors degree (B.A. / B.S.).

SPECIAL CERTIFICATION PAY:Employees who hold the following certifications shall receive additional pay for possessing one of the following certifications, provided the employee is required to perform services covered by the certification:

• ICBO or ICC Certificates - 5.0%

• Water Distribution (D) or Water Treatment (T) Certification Grades 2 through 5 from the California Public Health Drinking Water Program:

• Grade 2 (either D2 or T2) - 7.0%

• Grade 3 (either D3 or T3) - 8.0%

• Grade 4 (either D4 or T4) - 9.0%

• Grade 5 (either D5 or T5) - 10.0%

• Play Ground Safety Inspector - 5.0%

• Pest Control Advisor License - 5.0%

• Qualified Applicator Certificate - In order to be eligible for 5.0% certification pay, employees must pass all three (3) of the following California Department of Pesticide Regulation examinations:

• QAC - Laws, Regulations and Basic Principles

• QAC-B Landscape Maintenance

• QAC-C Right of Way

• ASE - Master Mechanic - 5.0%

• American Payroll Association (APA) Effective Payroll Administration and Management Certification - 2.5%

LONGEVITY PAY:As an incentive for continuous service, employees are entitled to longevity pay at completion of the following service intervals:

• 21 years of service = 2.0% longevity pay
• 22 years of service = 4.0% longevity pay
• 23 years of service = 6.0% longevity pay
• 24 years of service = 8.0% longevity pay
• 25 years of service = 10.0% longevity pay

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT: Tuition reimbursement up to $1,000 per fiscal year for approved courses is available.

Please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for Westminster Municipal Employees Association (WMEA) members for additional details: City Compensation/MOUs

01

Do you have experience providing customer service? Please describe your experience. This would include customer service experience gained from previous jobs in both the private sector, public sector, and non-profit organizations. Please indicate if the customer service experience you have is in-person or over the phone. If you do not have customer service experience, please enter N/A.

02

Do you have experience providing customer service at a public counter at a government agency? If yes, please describe. If no, please enter N/A.

03

Do you have experience working on permit processing at a municipal government agencys building division? If yes, please describe. If no, please enter N/A.

Required Question

Employer City of Westminster

Address 8200 Westminster Blvd.

Westminster, California, 92683

Phone 714-548-3244

Website http://www.westminster-ca.gov/