Solvang extends contracts for building plan review and inspection to Willdan and 4Leaf
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Summary
The council approved new contracts extending building plan-review and inspection services with Willdan Engineering (not to exceed $300,000) and adding 4Leaf Inc. on call (not to exceed $50,000) to ensure coverage for required code services.
The Solvang City Council on July 14 approved professional services agreements for building plan review, inspection and building official services with Willdan Engineering and 4Leaf Inc. The Willdan contract term runs to June 30, 2027, not to exceed $300,000; the 4Leaf agreement is on-call, not to exceed $50,000 for the same term.
Staff said the city issued a request for proposals in May 2025 and received eight responses. Willdan is the city's current provider; staff said the city has reduced Willdan's counter coverage by expanding in-house staffing, which lowered Willdan's billings by 43% compared with the prior year. The additional 4Leaf contract will provide on-call backup capacity to maintain turnaround times for plan checks and inspections.
Staff said fees for plan checks are billed to permit applicants and that approximately $200,000 of the cost is budgeted for FY 2025'26. Council members asked about a prior small-claims suit related to a permit; staff said the court found in the city's favor and that most contractors report satisfactory service from Willdan. The council voted 5-0 to approve both agreements.
The contracts allow the city to meet legally required building inspection and plan-review services under the California Building Code while providing a second vendor for surge coverage if workload increases.
