Whether a permit is required depends on the city, the work, and the details of the project. California's Contractors State License Board directs property owners to the local building department because local requirements vary. Form-O-Matic does not replace that official determination, but it helps customers move from a supported project to the relevant paperwork.
Permit thresholds, exemptions, forms, plan-review requirements, online portals and local procedures differ. That is why Form-O-Matic configures Rancho Santa Margarita, Anaheim and Irvine as separate jurisdictions instead of using one generic Orange County form.
Choose your city and the type of work. The guided flow shows the currently supported permit workflow and the forms or follow-up steps configured for that combination.
Local rules differ, so Form-O-Matic treats each supported city as a separate permit workflow.