San Mateo County
San Mateo County Planning and Building Department
In short
San Mateo County Planning and Building Department issues 2 permits we publish for San Mateo County, last verified 2026-10-09. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | San Mateo County Planning and Building Department | Application filing fee: Easy Review $60, Moderate Review $298, Full Review $595. Minimum permit fee: residential $197, commercial $392. Commercial/industrial/office/institutional new construction: $8.92 per sq ft. Valuation schedule (tenant improvements and other projects): from $197 for $0-$1,000 of valuation to $14,228 for the first $500,000 plus $24 for each additional $1,000. Installation, relocation or replacement of each commercial range hood and/or exhaust duct: $298. Surcharges: document storage 2%, technology 4%, legal counsel 5%. 65% of the building permit fee is due before plan review begins. | per project (one-time) | 2026-10-09 |
| Use Permit / Kennel-Cattery Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | San Mateo County Planning and Building Department | Use Permit: initial $6,222; renewal/amendment $3,883; inspection $589. Kennel/Cattery Permit: initial $6,222; amendment $887; renewal/inspection $444. | per permit; renewals and inspections billed when due | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Building Permit (unincorporated area)
Construction, a tenant improvement or a change of use on a site in unincorporated San Mateo County needs a building permit from the county Planning and Building Department; a site inside one of the 20 cities and towns gets its building permit from that city. The figures are from the county's Building Service Fee Schedule, established by Board of Supervisors Resolution 080751 (adopted 19 November 2024) and effective April 1, 2026; the resolution provides that the fees 'will automatically be adjusted' by the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward consumer price index, effective no earlier than April 1 of each year. Square-footage fees cover permit processing, plan review and inspection, with half due when the application is accepted; reviews beyond three rounds cost a third of the original plan check fee per resubmittal. Planning, geotechnical, stormwater, Environmental Health and fire review fees can apply on top.
Use Permit / Kennel-Cattery Permit (unincorporated area)
A business whose use needs a use permit under the county's zoning in unincorporated San Mateo County applies to the Planning and Building Department, and a kennel or cattery operation applies for a Kennel/Cattery Permit; a veterinary practice that also boards animals confirms with the Planning Division whether its boarding takes that permit. The figures are from the county's Planning Service Fee Schedule, established by Resolution 080751 and amended by Resolution 082009 (adopted 23 June 2026), effective July 23, 2026. Note 7 of the schedule adds that County Fire review fees 'apply only to San Mateo County Fire jurisdiction. Other Fire jurisdictions may apply their own fees and applicants shall pay those fees separately'. Whether a given use needs a use permit depends on its zoning district, which the Planning Division (650-363-1825) confirms; a site inside one of the 20 cities and towns follows that city's zoning instead.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- San Mateo County
- Phone
- (650) 363-4161
- Website
- www.smcgov.org/planning/fees
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Building Service Fee Schedule (Resolution 080751), effective April 1, 2026San Mateo County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Planning and Building FeesSan Mateo County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Planning Service Fee Schedule (Resolution 080751 as amended by Resolution 082009), effective July 23, 2026San Mateo County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Resolution No. 080751 — Planning, Building and County Fire Marshal service fee schedules, with automatic CPI adjustment (adopted 19 November 2024)San Mateo County Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Other offices serving San Mateo County
- San Mateo County Health, Environmental Health Services
- San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board)
- San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner / Sealer of Weights and Measures
- San Mateo County Fire Department (operated cooperatively with CAL FIRE), Fire Marshal
- California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
- Restaurants in San Mateo County
- Coffee shops in San Mateo County
- Retail stores in San Mateo County
- Salons and barbers in San Mateo County
- Food trucks in San Mateo County
- Fitness studios in San Mateo County
- Childcare centres in San Mateo County
- Contractors and trades in San Mateo County
- Auto repair shops in San Mateo County
- Veterinary clinics in San Mateo County
California jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.