Building permits in Mountain View, CA
Mountain View (Santa Clara County) follows California's statewide codes, but runs its own permit intake, forms, fees, and review timelines through its building department. Here's the general picture for the trades — and where to confirm the specifics.
Mountain View handles the entire permit process on ePermitsMV — electronic submission is mandatory for all Building and Fire Protection permits, with the City Hall public counter at 500 Castro Street offering in-person and virtual assistance. Effective January 1, 2026, applications must comply with the 2025 California Building Standards Code with local amendments; building fees follow the valuation-based table effective August 9, 2025 (plus a 5% technology fee per permit). Simple like-for-like residential work qualifies for Same-Day Building Permits issued online without plans.
Verified local data — Mountain View
Every fact below is sourced from a public City of Mountain View document or portal page. Each carries the source URL and the date we last verified it.
- Permit portal
- ePermitsMV (Avolve)
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · "The permit process is handled exclusively on this platform" — city pages link ePermitsMV to the Avolve-hosted portal; account sign-in is required to apply
- Submission methods
Online
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · All Building and Fire Protection permits must be submitted electronically through ePermitsMV; the public counter (City Hall, 500 Castro Street) and Virtual Public Counter appointments provide in-person assistance, not paper intake
- Adopted code edition
2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24, with Mountain View amendments)
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · Effective January 1, 2026, all Building and Fire permit applications must comply with the 2025 California Building Standards Code and certified standards, adopted by reference with local amendments
- Fee schedule
- Building Permit Fees — effective August 9, 2025 (valuation-based fee table)
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · The city applies a 5% technology fee on the total permit cost of each building and fire permit issued
Other local notes
Building counter: City Hall, First Floor, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041; 650-903-6313; public counter hours Monday–Friday 8 AM–4 PM.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
All building permits must be signed by a California licensed contractor, except single-family home and duplex properties where the owner may elect to sign as an owner-builder.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
Building inspections are self-scheduled online 24/7; requests received by 3 PM on a business day are scheduled for the next business day.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
Same-Day Building Permits: like-for-like replacements and simple upgrades for single-family homes and duplexes can be submitted and issued online without a set of building plans.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source
Official building department
City of Mountain View Community Development — Building DivisionVerified Mountain View specifics are shown above. For project-specific fees, timelines, and counter staff, this department is the authority.
Permits by trade in Mountain View
Electrical permits
Service panel upgrades · Rewires and circuit additions · EV charger installs →
Plumbing permits
Water heater replacement · Repipes · Sewer line repair →
HVAC permits
AC / furnace changeouts · Heat pump installs · Mini-split systems →
ADU permits
New detached ADU · Garage or accessory-structure conversion · Junior ADU (JADU) within the existing home →
Solar permits
Rooftop solar PV systems · Battery energy storage (ESS) · Solar + storage retrofits →
Roofing permits
Full roof replacement (tear-off) · Re-roof / overlay where allowed · Structural sheathing or deck repair →
Common jobs in Mountain View
Each job below is combined with Mountain View's verified permit data — portal, fee schedule, and adopted code edition.
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