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Building Permit in San Mateo, California

San Mateo will not take a same-day inspection request, does not treat a submitted request as booked until an automated email says so, and runs virtual inspections that only the inspector can initiate.

Verified 2026-09-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • WHAT NEEDS A PERMIT, BY TRADE. Building: "required to build, enlarge, alter, remove, demolish, or repair a structure... This includes everything from houses and garages to commercial construction, tenant improvements to signs." Electrical: "new electrical service equipment, existing service relocations, service upgrades as well as fixed appliances and equipment connections." Mechanical: "the installation and repair of heating, ventilating, cooling and refrigeration systems." Plumbing: "any plumbing, gas or drainage piping work or any fixture or water heating equipment."
  • THE APPLICATION IS THREE STEPS: "submit construction drawings, complete an application form, and pay necessary fees."
  • SOME WORK IS DONE WHILE YOU WAIT: "Simple alteration projects can often be approved while you wait."
  • TEN PROJECT TYPES QUALIFY FOR AN EXPRESS PERMIT: reroof; repair or replacement of stucco; repair or replacement of siding; small animals and fowl (chicken and bee hive keeping annual permits); electrical service upgrades; temporary power pole; furnace replacement; water heater replacement; sewer line replacement; and waterline replacement.

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Fee schedule

General building permit fees"Building permit fees vary according to the type of construction. General building permit fees are based on the valuation of the project." No valuation table or multiplier was transcribed for this record.
Based on the valuation of the project.
Subcontract permits"Itemized fee are charged for subcontract permits, such as plumbing, electrical, mechanical, sign and fire department life/safety permits." The city separates the two bases in one sentence, the same split Antioch spells out at greater length.
Itemized rather than valuation-based.
Re-inspection fees
Triggered two ways. If the site is not ready or the plans and permit card are absent, "contractors may be subject to re-inspection fees". Show full citationTriggered two ways. If the site is not ready or the plans and permit card are absent, "contractors may be subject to re-inspection fees". And "late cancellations of less than 24 hours prior or same day may be assessed a re-inspection fee". The schedule was not opened, so no amount is recorded.
Set by the City Council Adopted Comprehensive Fee Schedule.
After-hours inspections"Additional fees are applicable per the City Council Adopted Comprehensive Fee Schedule and must be paid prior to requesting the after-hours inspection." Payment comes before the request, not after the visit.
Additional fees, payable in advance.

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Building Permit permit actually take in San Mateo?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    No same-day requests, and a 3:00 PM deadline for tomorrow

    "We do not accept same day inspection requests." And "There is a 3:00 PM deadline for scheduling next day inspections." Requests go through the Customer Self-Service portal, "available 24 hours, seven days a week."

  2. 2

    A request is not a booking until the email arrives

    "Inspection requests are not confirmed until you get a confirmation email by our automated system. Generally, the email confirmation will be sent the night before the scheduled inspection date around 5:00 PM." Until that email, nothing is scheduled.

  3. 3

    Your inspector calls before 9:00 AM with a two-hour window

    "Please expect to be contacted by your inspector before 9:00 AM on the morning of your inspection, at which point you will receive your 2-hour inspection window and confirmation of wither an in-person or virtual inspection." A daily report is published too: "The updated daily inspection 2-hour window report will be published at 9:00 AM." The word "wither" is the city's own typo for "whether".

  4. 4

    Put the right phone number on the request

    The city is specific about whose number to give: "It is important to input the field contact number during the scheduling. It is best not to use the call center or dispatch number, but the actual person who will be present at the inspection."

  5. 5

    Virtual inspections exist but you cannot book one

    "These inspections are available on an as-needed basis and are initiated by the building inspector assigned to the project... To request a virtual inspection, reach out to your project inspector." The route is the inspector, not the portal, and the decision is theirs.

  6. 6

    AM or PM is a preference only

    "AM/PM inspection request times are only noted as a preference and cannot be guaranteed."

  7. 7

    Somebody qualified, with the plans and the card

    "Contractors shall prepare for their inspections by having a qualified employee at the site with plans, a permit/job card ready for the inspector. If the site is not ready, or plans and a permit card are not present, contractors may be subject to re-inspection fees."

  8. 8

    Cancelling, and the 24-hour line

    "Inspection requests can be cancelled via the CSS Portal before receiving the confirmation email stating that your request has been scheduled. You can also call (650) 522-7172 to cancel." After that: "late cancellations of less than 24 hours prior or same day may be assessed a re-inspection fee."

See the full San Mateo inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • GET NEXT-DAY REQUESTS IN BY 3:00 PM - there are no same-day inspections.
  • WAIT FOR THE CONFIRMATION EMAIL; a submitted request is not a scheduled one.
  • GIVE THE SITE CONTACT'S NUMBER, not a call centre or dispatch line.

Frequently asked questions

San Mateo requires a building permit for: WHAT NEEDS A PERMIT, BY TRADE. Building: "required to build, enlarge, alter, remove, demolish, or repair a structure... This includes everything from houses and garages to commercial construction, tenant improvements to signs." Electrical: "new electrical service equipment, existing service relocations, service upgrades as well as fixed appliances and equipment connections." Mechanical: "the installation and repair of heating, ventilating, cooling and refrigeration systems." Plumbing: "any plumbing, gas or drainage piping work or any fixture or water heating equipment."; THE APPLICATION IS THREE STEPS: "submit construction drawings, complete an application form, and pay necessary fees."; SOME WORK IS DONE WHILE YOU WAIT: "Simple alteration projects can often be approved while you wait."; TEN PROJECT TYPES QUALIFY FOR AN EXPRESS PERMIT: reroof; repair or replacement of stucco; repair or replacement of siding; small animals and fowl (chicken and bee hive keeping annual permits); electrical service upgrades; temporary power pole; furnace replacement; water heater replacement; sewer line replacement; and waterline replacement.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of San Mateo Community Development Department, Building Division at (650) 522-7172 (permit technicians and inspection cancellations) before starting work.

In San Mateo, the published General building permit fees is: Based on the valuation of the project.. Additional published fees: Subcontract permits — Itemized rather than valuation-based.; Re-inspection fees — Set by the City Council Adopted Comprehensive Fee Schedule.; After-hours inspections — Additional fees, payable in advance.. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

San Mateo does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of San Mateo Community Development Department, Building Division at (650) 522-7172 (permit technicians and inspection cancellations) for current turnaround.

Depending on your project, San Mateo may also ask for: ; ; ; . See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

You can ask your project inspector, but you cannot book one. Virtual inspections "are available on an as-needed basis and are initiated by the building inspector assigned to the project."

Apply through City of San Mateo Community Development Department, Building Division at San Mateo City Hall, 330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403. Phone: (650) 522-7172 (permit technicians and inspection cancellations), email: NOT PUBLISHED as a divisional mailbox on the pages read for this record. The pages route enquiries to the permit technician line and to the Customer Self-Service portal.. Office hours: NOT PUBLISHED as counter hours on the pages read - the Building Permits, Building Inspections, Adopted Building Codes, Reach Codes and Express Building Permits pages. What IS published is when INSPECTIONS happen: "Inspections are performed during normal business hours, typically 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM." That is the inspectors' working day and this record does not convert it into opening times for the permit counter. The CSS portal is separately "available 24 hours, seven days a week".. Official information: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/479/Building-Permits.

The Council adopted a reach code ordinance on March 16, 2026 for the 2025 cycle, covering cooling upgrades, renovations of 1,000 SF or more, kitchen and laundry renovations, and new construction. The city states they are "pending the Building Standards Commission (BSC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) approval", so check their status with the Building Division before designing to them.

Six items: seismic design category per CBC 1613.1; basic wind speed 85 mph on a 3-second gust; wind exposure per CBC 1609.4; Climate Zone 3; soil bearing capacity 1,500 psf maximum or a soils report required; and roof drains designed for a minimum of 2 inches of rainfall per hour.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-20.

Fee schedules

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the San Mateo building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

San Mateo's permit history isn't searchable here yet

This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for San Mateo yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when San Mateo lands. Privacy.

Building Permit in other cities

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