Project Information

Bid Title

Permitting Compliance Program and Building Performance Standard Program for the City of Pinole

Issuing Agency

City of Pinole

Location

California

Published Date

Mar 16, 2026

Closing Date

Apr 6, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

Join to Access Full Details

Bid Inquiries

Join to Access Full Details

Bid Documents

Join to Access Full Details

Project Description

Project ID:

Title: Permitting Compliance Program and Building Performance Standard Program for the City of Pinole

Addenda: 0

Release Date: 3/16/2026

Due Date: 4/6/2026

Follow

Permitting Compliance Program and Building Performance Standard Program for the City of Pinole

Community Development Department

90628 , 91016 , 91017 , 91018 , 91112 ... show all

Release Date: Monday, March 16, 2026

· Due Date: Monday, April 6, 2026 5:00pm

Posted Monday, March 16, 2026 10:49am

All dates & times in Pacific Time

Draft Response No Bid20 days, 22 hours, 47 minutes

Post Information

Posted At:Mon, Mar 16, 2026 10:49 AM
Sealed Bid Process:Yes (Bids Sealed / Pricing Sealed)
Private Bid:No

Overview

Summary

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to invite proposals from qualified firms to assist the City of Pinole with development of both a permitting compliance program and building performance standard program. A permitting compliance program will streamline and simplify the permitting process, reduce administrative burden, decrease permitting evasion, and increase convenience for both permit applicants and building staff. A building performance standard program will establish a standard for energy use per square foot in commercial and industrial buildings over 20,000 square feet. The ultimate purpose of this programs is to achieve the Pinole Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) goals set for community building decarbonization as well as make progress towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

Background

The City of Pinole is advancing community-wide building decarbonization through multiple, coordinated strategies. In 2024, the City launched the Pinole Energy Enhancement Rebate program (PEER) to help offset project cost of various energy-efficiency measures for single-family and multi-family property owners. The City is also developing an all-electric building virtual concierge—a one-stop platform designed to streamline adoption of electrification measures.

In tandem, the City is also pursuing reach codes to establish stronger standards that support long-term decarbonization goals. The City also modernized its permitting systems by launching eTRAKiT for online permitting as well as Symbium for instant approval of solar and, just recently, a suite of energy-efficiency permits, significantly improving efficiency and accessibility. Additionally, the City has allocated funds to issue no-cost permit fees for heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVACs. In tandem, the City is developing a water heater loaner program for homes to make any necessary upgrades to accommodate permanent heat pump water heaters.

The City of Pinole adopted its inaugural CAAP [1] in August 2024 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, aligning with State goals and reducing the City’s contribution to global emissions. Building energy consumption from fossil fuels makes up approximately 32% of the Pinole community greenhouse gas emissions with building electrification identified as a key strategy.

Central measures in the CAAP’s Building Energy section include

• BE-1 Electrify 100% of new construction in the City in 2024
• BE-2 Electrify existing residential buildings to reduce natural gas consumption by 26% by 2030 and 100% by 2045
• BE-3 Electrify existing commercial and mixed-use (i.e., combined commercial and residential) buildings to reduce natural gas consumption 18% by 2030 and 100% by 2045

Actions under these measures to make progress towards these goals include

• BE-2j Enforce ordinance compliance through a comprehensive permitting compliance program may include, but it is not limited to:
  • Providing dedicated time for routine staff training to incorporate into existing building inspections
  • Imposing fees for noncompliance to offset staff costs and encouraging voluntary compliance
  • Establishing easy-to-understand web-based compliance checklists and permit applications
  • Facilitating online permitting
  • Providing zero-cost permit fees for heat pump installations

• BE-3d Develop a building performance standard program to meet a specific level of energy use per square foot for all commercial and industrial buildings over 20,000 square feet.

Implementation and compliance support, including resources and tools which will be implemented through four stages:

1. Pre-development phase – Stage 1 – Staff to receive technical assistance from the Building Technologies Office in the Federal Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Per the EERE, technical assistance may take the form of:

▪ Building stock analyses, including analysis of energy and emission impacts associated with building performance standard adoption

▪ Performance target-setting and trajectories

▪ Measure and technology prioritization and packaging

▪ Cost-effectiveness analyses

2. Data collection phase – Stage 2 – All commercial and industrial building owners with floor area over 20,000 square feet report electricity and natural gas data through energy star portfolio manager

3. Retro commissioning phase – Stage 3 – All covered building owners complete a retro commissioning process to identify and correct system inefficiencies while identifying opportunities for electrification and downsizing of oversized equipment.

4. GHG Performance Standard – Stage 4 – Implement a building performance standard that requires buildings to meet a specific GHG performance level

The City was awarded Federal grant funds through the California Energy Commission Local Government Building Decarbonization Challenge to support preparation of these programs. The resulting fixed-fee contract and scope of services will be subject to all grant terms and conditions.

The following tables are being provided to help inform more accurate cost proposals as well as avoid duplicative work in order to ensure efficient spending of public funds. This completed and in progress work must be leveraged where feasible in completion of scope of work.

Table 1: Current and upcoming resources for permitting compliance program development

Resource	Status	Description
San Mateo County Comprehensive Report on Heat Pump Water Heater Permitting Streamlining	Complete (please see attachments)	The report documents the findings and analysis of in-depth research into current permitting and inspection processes for heat pump water heater retrofit projects across the 21 jurisdictions in San Mateo County
Marin Clean Energy/Cadmus Permitting simplification findings	Underway	Marin Clean Energy enlisted the support of Cadmus to conduct a study on streamlining the building permitting process. Cadmus interviewed multiple jurisdictions, including Pinole, to learn about challenges and opportunities from staff. Interviews with applicants to learn about their experience and areas for improvement at these jurisdictions were also conducted.
SPUR Greenlighting Clean Heat Brief	Complete (please see report in attachments)	A roadmap for streamlining and standardizing clean heating installations, and hastening building electrification efforts
Marin County Permit Holiday feasibility study	Complete (please see report in attachments)	A July 2025 study details the feasibility of implementing a permit feel sale or holiday by weighing the potential benefits, costs, and implementation considerations.
TECH Public Reporting Permitting Pilot	Complete ( please see this link )	This TECH Clean California report identifies permitting timelines and challenges for heat pump water heater issuance and proposes solutions to overcoming them.
Energy Code Ace	Complete	A comprehensive resources page with no-cost tools, training and resources to comply with the building code.
BayREN Codes and Standards Program	Complete	This no-cost program provides 60-90 minute trainings for code compliance and enforcement, permit applicant resources, permit staff tools and guides, and more.
California Energy Codes & Standards	Underway	The City currently receives free technical assistance through this program to develop proposed reach code policies for residential and non-residential buildings. Compliance checklist templates for each reach code policy are available through the program.
Energy Code Support Center	Complete	The California Energy Commission offers a Energy Code Support Center which houses many resources such as fact sheets, guides, presentation, training classes, and more.

Table 2: City of Pinole summary of permitting compliance complete and underway work

Measure	Description
Online permitting	The City offers online permitting and licensing via the eTRAKiT platform.
Instant Permitting	The City offers a suite of energy-efficiency instant permits powered by Symbium such as heat pump water heaters, heat pump HVACs, electrical panel upgrades and more.
Pinole Energy Enhancement Rebate Program	The Pinole Energy Enhancement Rebate Program offers rebates on a selection of energy-efficiency projects such as heat pump water heaters, heat pump HVACs, electrical panel upgrades, and more.
Limited, first-come, first-served no-cost permit fees for heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVACs	The City was awarded grant funding through the California Energy Commission Local Building Decarbonization Challenge. Some of that funding will be allocated towards no-cost permit fees to incentivize heat pump water heater and heat pump HVAC installations.
All-electric building virtual concierge	Launching soon in April 2026, the all-electric building virtual concierge will be a one-stop platform for residential and commercial building owners to access streamlined support such as rebates, local contractors, technical assistance, and more to simplify the transition to electrification.
Reach codes policy development	The City is considering reach code policies to meet building decarbonization goals. If adopted, many new and existing building types (residential, mixed-use, commercial) will be subject to policies which will trigger at time of permit application.
Water heater loaner program	The City is in process of developing a water heater loaner program to offer a temporary solution while homes make any necessary upgrades to accommodate heat pump water heating. The program dovetails with available rebates for homeowners, no-cost permit fees, and a MCE direct rebate to installers.
Building Performance Standard Program	Bundled into the scope of services for this solicitation, a building performance standard program will establish compliance requirements for commercial and industrial building owners to meet long-term climate goals
Revolving fund for energy-efficiency measures	The City will explore options to offer a revolving fund program for energy-efficiency upgrades by April 2027
Average permitting volume	Building Activity Reports share the 2025 permitting volume was ~700.

Table 3: Supporting resources and information for building performance standard program

Resource	Description
Building Performance Standards | Building Energy Codes Program	A resource hub offered by the U.S. Department of Energy which includes technical assistance, implementation resources, financing and more.
What Are Building Performance Standards? | ENERGY STAR	This webpage includes resources for both policymakers as well as building owners and managers
California Building Performance Hub | Enhance Building Performance Today	This resource hub is offered by the U.S. Green Building Council California and provides explainers, training materials, policy guides, help desk support, and more.
Building Performance Standards: Overview for State and Local Decision Makers	A policy toolkit for best practices in developing building performance standards prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency
Peer Learning Collaborative | Learn, Connect, Decarbonize Today — California Building Performance Hub	The California BPS Peer Learning Collaborative is a forum to accelerate and streamline the path to building performance standards. A model BPS policy for California cities and counties is currently under development.
Implementing a Building Performance Standard (BPS): A Guide To Mitigating Risks in Your Jurisdiction	A U.S. Department of Energy compilation of BPS case studies offers guidance on risk mitigation
bps-framework_july-2021_final.pdf	Developed by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, this resource is a framework for equitable policies to address existing buildings
Building Energy Benchmarking Program | California Energy Commission	The Building Energy Benchmarking Program requires owners of large commercial and multifamily buildings over 50,000 square feet to report energy use to the California Energy Commission. The webpage offers resources to building owners and policymakers and houses annual benchmarking information for Pinole buildings required to report.
Building Blocks subscription	Building Blocks is a software recently procured by the City with customizable overlays to support building stock analysis
Building Estimates for City of Pinole | Cost Effectiveness Explorer	This building estimates explorer approximates 25 commercial and industrial buildings which will be subject to BPS policies and provides other data information which will be helpful in BPS development

[1] City of Pinole Final Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

Timeline

Release Project Date:

March 16, 2026

Question Submission Deadline:

March 25, 2026, 11:59pm

Question Response Deadline:

March 27, 2026, 5:00pm

Response Submission Deadline:

April 6, 2026, 5:00pm

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 236220Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
• NAICS 541330Engineering Services
• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
• NAICS 541620Environmental Consulting Services
• NAICS 541690Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services

* Disclaimer: Government BidHub provides information on bids, RFPs (Requests for Proposals), and RFQs (Requests for Qualifications) solely for convenience and informational purposes. This site is not an official public notice board. For official details, responses, or inquiries, please contact the relevant government agency directly.