Confirm jurisdiction
Use the County’s Property Profile resource, linked from its permit application page, to check whether a parcel is unincorporated. A postal city name alone is not enough.
HOME / SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Santa Clara County.
One project.
The right jurisdiction.
Permit consulting and expediting across Santa Clara County’s cities and unincorporated communities. We help organize your application and coordinate with the reviewing jurisdiction for your property.
COUNTY OR CITY?
Start by confirming
who reviews your project.
Santa Clara County is both a geographic service area and a permitting authority. The County Department of Planning and Development accepts planning and development applications for unincorporated areas. Properties within incorporated cities generally work with their city’s permitting department.
Coordinate the review path
For unincorporated projects, check with County staff whether planning review is needed before a building permit. Requirements depend on the parcel and scope.
Organize related reviews
Where required, help track requested documents and communication involving building, planning, fire, grading, and your project professionals.
APPLICATION SUPPORT
Keep the next steps
in view.
Our role is coordination and application management. The reviewing agency sets requirements and makes permit decisions; approval dates are not guaranteed.
ADUs, remodels & additions
Help assemble application materials, coordinate with your design team, and track review comments and resubmittals.
County portal follow-through
The County Public Permit Portal supports applications, payments, status checks, and inspections. We discuss the application-management tasks appropriate to your project.
SB9 & agency coordination
Help organize documents and outstanding questions for proposed SB9 projects and coordinate required follow-up with the appropriate jurisdiction.
OUR COUNTY SERVICE AREA
Serving all 15 cities and towns,
and unincorporated areas.
- Campbell
- Cupertino
- Gilroy
- Los Altos
- Los Altos Hills
- Los Gatos
- Milpitas
- Monte Sereno
- Morgan Hill
- Mountain View
- Palo Alto
- San José permit support →
- Santa Clara
- Saratoga
- Sunnyvale
For properties outside city limits, tell us the project location so we can discuss coordination with the County. For properties within a city, the relevant city process applies.
COUNTY PERMIT QUESTIONS
Know where to begin.
Is this page about the City of Santa Clara or the County?
This page covers our service area throughout Santa Clara County, including the City of Santa Clara. County-administered permits apply to unincorporated areas; a project within the City of Santa Clara follows the City’s process.
Can you help if my application is already in County review?
Yes, tell us what has been submitted and share the current review status. We can discuss organizing outstanding comments, coordinating responses, and following up with the County and your project team.
Does every project need a planning application?
No single answer applies to every property. The County recommends checking with its planning staff whether a planning land-use application is needed before applying for a building permit.
What should I prepare for an initial conversation?
Share the project location, the proposed work, available plans, and any existing application or review comments. This helps identify the relevant jurisdiction and the coordination support you need.
OFFICIAL COUNTY RESOURCES
Check the current requirements.
- Apply for a Planning or Development Permit: jurisdiction check and portal links ↗
- County permit fee resources ↗
Official County resources provide current instructions. Permit Support Services is an independent consulting business, not a County department.
Have a project within San Jose? View San Jose permit support →LET’S GET STARTED
A good next step
starts with a
conversation.
Tell us about your Santa Clara County project and its current stage.
408-230-3093 ↗info@permitsupportservices.com
Serving Santa Clara County and Surrounding Bay Area Cities.