City of Half Moon Bay

new construction, demolition, remodeling, expansion, addition, or repair to a structure; examples include additions, pools, hot tubs, covered patios, decks/trellises, bathroom and kitchen remodels, shed and solar/solar storage work, and most interior/exterior remodeling.

• Exempt one-story detached accessory structures up to 120 sq ft
• Exempt fences <= 7 ft
• Exempt retaining walls <= 4 ft
• Exempt water tanks <= 5,000 gallons (height/width limits)
• Exempt sidewalks/driveways
• Exempt minor finish work
• Exempt prefab pools under 24 in depth
• Exempt some tiny/small accessory items.

Note: Permit is still required for many listed items when they exceed thresholds or include plumbing/electrical or structural changes. - Exemptions do not waive Planning, zoning, right-of-way, or other ordinance requirements. - Fence and shed projects can still be subject to setback and HOA or planning constraints.

Building code

as of Jan 1, 2026, submissions must conform to current 2025 California Building Code; City references also link to 2022 Residential Code for exempt-work definitions.

Permit validity

- Construction must start within 365 days of permit issuance; if no work starts and no inspections are called, permit is null and void. - Permit may be renewed for one-half original permit fee with no plan changes when requested within one year. - Building Official may extend an unexpired permit once for up to 180 days on written request.

Owner-builder

property owners and licensed contractors may apply. Owners doing their own work may need an Owner-Builder Declaration; otherwise Workers’ Compensation is required.

Contractor requirements

contractors may need applicable CA contractor registration/insurance and business licensing requirements (Cloudpermit registration required for contractors).

Source: City of Half Moon Bay Building, Planning and Public Works Inspections / Building Division ↗

1. 01
   Confirm if City of Half Moon Bay permit jurisdiction applies (city vs county boundary areas).
2. 02
   Create Cloudpermit account and start application.
3. 03
   Review and follow the Submittal Checklist, then submit plans/fields electronically.
4. 04
   City performs plan check routing (Planning, Building, Public Works, Coastside Fire, CCWD, Health as applicable).
5. 05
   Pay plan check and permit fees at submission (plan-check is required before approval).
6. 06
   Request inspections after permit issuance.

Typical processing time: City indicates allow at least 10 business days for plan check processing.

Source: City of Half Moon Bay Building, Planning and Public Works Inspections / Building Division ↗

online submission includes payment workflow; City materials also list in-person credit/debit/cash/check options and fee payment with permit submittal.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ before budgeting.

• Cloudpermit (online)

Scheduling deadline

Cloudpermit for standard scheduling and cancellation; for legacy/older permits use inspection hotline for next-day scheduling.

Time windows

City posts Mon–Thu inspection periods around daytime windows (including Monday–Thursday mornings and Friday window); building process document also references Friday afternoon hours, so verify at time of request.

Typical sequence: plan review/approvals (Planning/Fire/Public Works/CCWD/Health as applicable) -> permit issuance -> scheduled inspection request -> first/next inspections -> final inspection.

Source: City of Half Moon Bay Building, Planning and Public Works Inspections / Building Division ↗