Department of Planning and Development

The mission of the Department of Planning and Development is to protect the county's natural resources; to ensure quality and sustainable community development and affordable housing; and to protect the public health, safety and welfare of our constituents through the application and enforcement of the County of Santa Clara's Ordinance Code and land use policies.

InSite, Our new online permit center, is live.

Currently, it is available to make online inspection appointments, and also to report possible violations.

Future updates will be available for customers to be able to initiate request or apply for a permit online or on site; check the status of your project, submit digital documents, and make payments online or on site; get better customer service through smooth & efficient internal routing.

Santa Clara County InSite Public Portal User Manual
How to make an online payment on InSite Public Portal
How to schedule an Inspection Appointment on InSite Public Portal
How to submit documents electronically
Feature: How to add frequent projects to a Collection for quicker searching and reference
Digital Submittal Requirements, Including Naming Conventions

Looking for Property Information? Start Here

Property Profile

A reporting tool designed to provide useful information about a parcel's location, jurisdiction, General Plan designation, Zoning, and other data of interest. We Also have an Interactive Property Profile, which combines our traditional Property Profile app with an Interactive Map.

What's New

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance Update

A series of California State Laws impacting the development of ADUs go into effect on January 1, 2020. The County is in the process of updating its Ordinances to reflect these new laws. The new laws tentatively will be updated by March 2020.

Lehigh Quarry Information

Permanente Quarry is a limestone and aggregate mining operation and cement plant located in the foothills above Cupertino.

Building Electrification Reach Codes (2019)

An update to 2019 Reach Codes for Building Electrification, electric vehicle infrastructure, and an FAQ.
Reach Code Stakeholder Meeting Notification

Zoning Amendments Regarding Commercial, Institutional, Recreational, and Industrial Uses in Rural Districts

The Department of Planning and Development is proposing zoning modifications to subject similar industrial, commercial, recreational, and institutional uses to the same zoning ordinance standards addressing size, scale and intensity of uses, in order to ensure consistency within each individual rural base zoning district.

Stanford General Use Permit Application - withdrawn

This application was withdrawn by Stanford.

Cordoba Center Draft EIR

The County of Santa Clara has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Cordoba Center project.

Community Preservation Ordinance

In order to protect the public from health and safety hazards and the harm to property values that result from the neglect and deterioration of property, and to preserve the livability, appearance, environment, and social and economic stability of unincorporated Santa Clara County (County), the County is considering adoption of a Community Preservation Ordinance.

Reporting illegal dumping and graffiti is now easier with the Illegal Dumping Hotline

Residents may now report illegal dumping and graffiti in the unincorporated County to a centralized Illegal Dumping Hotline at 408-299-5770. Depending on the type and location of the violation, staff will rout a service request to the appropriate County department for follow-up. In order to ensure appropriate response, please have the exact address available when calling.

Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan

The Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan [Valley Agricultural Plan] is a regional effort led by the County of Santa Clara and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) to conserve Santa Clara Valley’s farmland and ranchland as an innovative climate change mitigation and economic development strategy.

Sustainable Landscape Ordinance

The Model Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) was established to promote water efficiency for new and rehabilitated landscapes.

Current Development Projects

A list of current development projects subject to public notification, Including:

Popular Picks

Departmental Fees

A list of fees associated with various services our department offers.

Build on or Improve a Property

Item Information about the permitting process and necessary steps to Build or Remodel a House or another structure.

Building Site Approval Verification Form

If you would like to see if your property is an Approved Building Site, submit the form to our Building Site Approval email address.

GIS Mapping Tools

We create and maintain several maps and mapping applications that can be used to gain information about a property, including development activity, political jurisdictions, hazard areas, land use regulations, and other spatial data.

Permit Status

What is the Status of My Permit? Email our Permit Center to check up on the status of your permit.

Property Profile

A reporting tool designed to provide the public with useful information about a parcel's location, jurisdiction, General Plan designation, Zoning, and other data of interest. We Also have an Interactive Property Profile, which combines our traditional Property Profile app with an Interactive Map.