Building permits in San Jose, CA
San Jose (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.
San José issues permits through SJPermits.org (online portal) and SJePlans (electronic plan review), with in-person service at the Development Services Permit Center. The city has adopted the 2025 California Building Standards Code, applicable to applications filed on or after January 1, 2026. The Building Division's published FY 2025-26 hourly rates are $227 for permit issuance, $325 for plan review, and $315 for inspection.
Verified local data — San Jose
Every fact below is sourced from a public City of San Jose document or portal page. Each carries the source URL and the date we last verified it.
- Permit portal
- SJPermits.org (San José Online Permit Center)
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source · Online permit applications, payments, and status check via SJPermits; electronic plan review through SJePlans
- Submission methods
Online · In-person
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source · Online via SJPermits.org + SJePlans (electronic plan review); in-person at the Development Services Permit Center
- Adopted code edition
2025 California Building Standards Code
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source · 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing Codes; applicable to permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026
- Fee schedule
- Building and Structure Permits Fee Schedule — fees in effect as of August 11, 2025 (FY 2025-26)
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Other local notes
Permit Center phone: (408) 535-3555, Monday–Friday 7 AM–4 PM.
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Hourly rates published in the FY 2025-26 Building Division Fee Schedule: $227/hr for permit issuance, $325/hr for plan review (15-minute minimum for over-the-counter; one-hour minimum for review intakes), $315/hr for building inspection. Many permit types have a flat-fee table; hourly rates apply when no table entry covers the work.
verified Aug 10, 2026 · source · FY 2025-26 schedule — fee tables in the same document take precedence where applicable
SJePlans is the city's electronic-plan-review portal; project plans for building, planning, public works, and fire review are uploaded there once an SJPermits application is opened.
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Contractors applying online via SJPermits must have a current City of San José Business Tax Certificate in addition to their CSLB license; permits may be issued only for work within the contractor's license classification.
verified Aug 9, 2026 · source
Official building department
San José Planning, Building & Code EnforcementVerified San Jose specifics are shown above. For project-specific fees, timelines, and counter staff, this department is the authority.
Permits by trade in San Jose
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 San Jose
Each job below is combined with San Jose's verified permit data — portal, fee schedule, and adopted code edition.
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