Berkeley, CA · Alameda County
Unreasonable Hardship Exemption Request
Property owners submit this request with a building permit application to document an unreasonable hardship involving accessibility features for proposed alterations.
What this form is
This request documents accessibility-feature costs for proposed building work and previous alterations on the same path of travel within the past three years. It asks for project, owner, construction-cost, accessibility-feature, and architect or designer information. If requesting a determination of technical infeasibility, attach a detailed analysis showing the constraints and how the alteration will provide equivalent facilitation or comply to the maximum extent feasible.
Who needs it
A property owner seeking an unreasonable hardship determination for accessibility features associated with proposed building alterations should complete this request.
How to submit it
Submit the completed request to Building and Safety, Building and Safety Permit Service Center, 1947 Center St., 3rd floor, Berkeley, CA 94704, or email [email protected].
About notarization
No notary is required; the owner signs and dates the form, and the architect or designer must wet stamp and sign it.
How to submit this form
- 1
Download The Request
Download the Unreasonable Hardship Exemption Request PDF.
- 2
Complete The Form
Enter the project and owner details, previous alteration information, accessibility-feature costs, and architect or designer information.
- 3
Gather Attachments
For a technical infeasibility request, attach a detailed analysis documenting the infeasibility and the proposed accessibility approach.
- 4
Sign And Submit
Have the owner sign and date the form and the architect or designer wet stamp and sign it. Submit it to Building and Safety by mail or email.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Unreasonable Hardship Exemption Request do?
- It documents proposed and previous accessibility-feature costs for building alterations and requests an unreasonable hardship determination. It also allows a request for a technical infeasibility determination.
- What should I attach for a technical infeasibility request?
- Attach a detailed analysis documenting the technical infeasibility and showing that the alteration will provide equivalent facilitation or comply with the requirement to the maximum extent feasible.
- Do I need a notary for the Unreasonable Hardship Exemption Request?
- No. The owner signs and dates the form, and the architect or designer must wet stamp and sign it; no notarized attachment or sworn step is identified.
- How do I submit the Unreasonable Hardship Exemption Request?
- Submit it to Building and Safety at the Building and Safety Permit Service Center, 1947 Center St., 3rd floor, Berkeley, CA 94704, or email [email protected].
Need something notarized?
This Unreasonable Hardship Exemption Request doesn’t need a notary — but if you have another Berkeley form that does, a commissioned online notary can help.