9 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Contra Costa County?
In short
A childcare centre in Contra Costa County, CA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division charges $20 per filing, biennial for the statement of information (llc). 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Contra Costa County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processingonly if it applies to you | Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development | Plan Review fee, by improvement value (seven tiers): up to $2,000 = $49 + $8.94 per $1,000 above $2,000; $25,000 = $254 + $6.44 per $1,000 above $25,000; $50,000 = $415 + $4.47 per $1,000 above $50,000; $100,000 = $639 + $5.30 per $1,000 above $100,000; $500,000 = $2,758 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $500,000; $1,000,000 = $5,516 + $3.79 per $1,000 above $1,000,000; $5,000,000 = $20,685 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. A separate, lower-scaled Permit Review and Processing fee runs on the same valuation bands, starting at $19 + $3.44 per $1,000 above $2,000. | per permit (one-time, project-based) | 2026-10-02 |
| Child Care Centre License | California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division | $484–$2,420 original application, banded by licensed capacity | no expiry; an annual fee falls due on each anniversary of the license | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
CA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $20 per filing, biennial | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually | 2026-09-03 |
| Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $25 per filing, annual | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Seller's Permitonly if it applies to you | California Department of Tax and Fee Administration | No fee — no fee to apply | no expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to you | California Franchise Tax Board | Varies — formula on the CA page | annual, until the entity is cancelled | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — California position (city or county, not state) | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | No fee | set by the issuing city or county | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a childcare centre in Contra Costa County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a childcare centre in Contra Costa County, CA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
3 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processing: Plan Review fee, by improvement value (seven tiers): up to $2,000 = $49 + $8.94 per $1,000 above $2,000; $25,000 = $254 + $6.44 per $1,000 above $25,000; $50,000 = $415 + $4.47 per $1,000 above $50,000; $100,000 = $639 + $5.30 per $1,000 above $100,000; $500,000 = $2,758 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $500,000; $1,000,000 = $5,516 + $3.79 per $1,000 above $1,000,000; $5,000,000 = $20,685 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. A separate, lower-scaled Permit Review and Processing fee runs on the same valuation bands, starting at $19 + $3.44 per $1,000 above $2,000.
Child Care Centre License: $484–$2,420 original application, banded by licensed capacity
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Contra Costa County permits page and the CA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Contra Costa County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Contra Costa County, CA come from 5 separate offices: Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board, California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and DevelopmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processing30 Muir Rd, Martinez, CA 94553-4601 · (925) 655-2700www.contracosta.ca.gov
- California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Statement of Information (LLC), Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation(916) 657-5448bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov
- California Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Seller's Permitonlineservices.cdtfa.ca.gov
- California Franchise Tax BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxwww.ftb.ca.gov
- California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Centre Licensewww.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Contra Costa County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Contra Costa County: Child Care Centre License.
Child Care Centre License
Banded by licensed capacity, and the annual fee is always half the application fee. 1 to 30 children costs $484 to apply and $242 a year; 31 to 60 is $968 and $484; 61 to 75 is $1,210 and $605; 76 to 90 is $1,452 and $726; 91 to 120 is $1,936 and $968; 121 or more is $2,420 and $1,210. A family child care home in a residence is the separate, much cheaper track: $73 for 1 to 8 children and $140 for 9 to 14, with the annual fee equal to the application fee. Watch the add-ons, which are where budgets slip: changing licensed capacity costs $25, relocating costs half the application fee again, a department orientation is $50 a person, a late annual fee adds 50 per cent, and failing to implement a plan of correction by its stated date costs $200. Non-payment is itself grounds to deny or forfeit the license.
Shared with other businesses in Contra Costa County
- Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processing — Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Plan Review fee, by improvement value (seven tiers): up to $2,000 = $49 + $8.94 per $1,000 above $2,000; $25,000 = $254 + $6.44 per $1,000 above $25,000; $50,000 = $415 + $4.47 per $1,000 above $50,000; $100,000 = $639 + $5.30 per $1,000 above $100,000; $500,000 = $2,758 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $500,000; $1,000,000 = $5,516 + $3.79 per $1,000 above $1,000,000; $5,000,000 = $20,685 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. A separate, lower-scaled Permit Review and Processing fee runs on the same valuation bands, starting at $19 + $3.44 per $1,000 above $2,000., per permit (one-time, project-based). Also required for contractors and trades, retail stores, restaurants, fitness studios, auto repair shops and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
The 7 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CA and are covered on the CA state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Contra Costa County?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Centre License. A fitness studio needs Land Use Permit (General/"Other" category), which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Contra Costa County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- California Health and Safety Code section 1596.803 — child day care facility application and annual fees by licensed capacityCalifornia Legislative Information · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.