How to Get a Santa Clara County Building Permit

It can be complicated to get a building permit in Santa Clara County, but it shouldn't be. It should be easy to build on your property, but with all the paperwork, it can be confusing to determine how to get a building permit.

And it's not just Santa Clara County; Florida can be just as bad; from Palm Beach to Sarasota getting a building permit can be a nightmare. It's even worse in big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago when it really shouldn't be so complicated at all.

This guide will talk about when you need a , how to get a building permit yourself, and why you should rely on DoNotPay to get a permit in no time.

When Is a Building Permit Necessary in Santa Clara County?

"A building permit must be obtained before you construct, enlarge, alter, move, replace, repair, improve, convert, or demolish any building or structure. This includes patio covers and sheds over 120 square feet, decks, fences over 6 ft. high, retaining walls more than 4 ft. in height (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall), and all retaining walls supporting a surcharge (i.e. road, structure or hillside, etc.)."

How to Get a Building Permit in Santa Clara County

"Complete a Development Services Intake Form. Fees will be calculated upon submission. Plan Check and Planning fees are required at the time of application, the other fees can be paid when the permit is issued.
Submit plans to scale, with a sheet size of 18" X 24" to 24" X 36" and any other required documents digitally. Review the Digital Submittal Requirements and Naming Conventions for file formatting requirements. Files cannot exceed 100 MB, and files can be separated by disciplines - e.g., architectural, structural, civil, and landscape. Plans must include:

A description of the project scope of work.
Area (square feet) of existing structures, new construction, conversion, remodel, etc.
Santa Clara County REBUILD Determination and Points Allocation table. Review Rebuild Ordinance for more information. If the project is determined to be a Rebuild, the project will be classified as a new residence and not a remodel. In that case, building site approval, annexation to adjacent city, or other requirements may result."

There are problems with all these solutions. First, all of this is very complicated, especially if you just want to build a shed.

Once you figure out how to apply, there are all the fees, and the building permit request form is long and confusing. DoNotPay makes it easy to get a permit for what you are building and fills the application out for you with just a bit of information.

What Fees Are Associated With Getting a Permit?

For all the fees involved in getting a , click here.

How to Get a Building Permit in Santa Clara County With the Help of DoNotPay

DoNotPay takes the pain out of applying for a building permit. We'll find the exact rules of the area of Santa Clara County; you're in, fill out the application form and get you the lowest possible processing fee.

How to apply for a Building Permit Fast in Santa Clara County with DoNotPay:

If you want to apply for a building permit fast in Santa Clara County but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered. Create your own cancellation letter in 6 easy steps:

Go to the Planning Permissions product on DoNotPay.
Choose one of the following options:

Check whether your project needs a building permit or if it's exempt
Generate a permission request letter to send to your HOA
Generate a guide on how to complete the building permit application

Choose the focus of your project (new ADU, pool, shed, fence, etc.) and answer a few questions about your plans, including the size of the structure and estimated cost.
Indicate whether you're hiring a contractor and include the estimated start date and timeline for the project.
Indicate whether any public sidewalk/street space will be used during construction.
And that's it! DoNotPay will help guide you through the building permit process by checking if your project needs a building permit, contacting any HOAs you're a part of to request building permission, or generating detailed instructions on how to start and complete your building permit application process.

Why Use DoNotPay to Get a Building Permit in Santa Clara County

Using DoNotPay takes all the hassle out of getting your building permit.

Fast	It'd take you hours to determine the fee structure and fill out the application form. DoNotPay will have it done in no time.
Easy	You don't have to worry about making a trip to the building department. DoNotPay deals with them for you.
Successful	DoNotPay has helped thousands of people get their building permits, and we can help you too.

DoNotPay Works Across All Companies/Entities/Groups With the Click of a Button

DoNotPay doesn't just help you get your building permit; it can help with other things, including:

DoNotPay can help recover Spotify account passwords the same way with Amazon, eBay, or Steam.
Or it can help you get your birth certificate in Kentucky the same way it could for California.