Town of Corte Madera, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Building permits for properties within the incorporated Town of Corte Madera. Depending on scope, separate or parallel review may also be required from Town Planning, Public Works, Fire, and Marin County Environmental Health Services for food-handling uses.

Department

Town of Corte Madera Community Development Department, Building Division

Address

300 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925

Phone

(415) 927-5062

Email

buildingpermit@cortemadera.gov

Website

https://www.cortemadera.gov/130/Building-Division

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Complete the Town building permit application, signed by the licensed contractor, legal property owner, or authorized agent.
2. Assemble required supporting forms based on applicant type: owner authorization for contractor submittals, contractor agent authorization if the submitter is not the license holder, and owner-builder acknowledgment for owner-builder applications.
3. Email the signed application and submittal documents to buildingpermit@cortemadera.gov with the project address in the subject line. If plans are required, staff reviews the intake first and then sends upload instructions.
4. Pay the plan check deposit or permit fees using the Town payment link / Online Permit Center after staff calculates the charges.
5. If plan review is required, Town reviewers and other applicable departments issue comments/corrections. Basic permits without plan review are processed in about 2 business days; permits requiring plan review are commonly cited at about 2 weeks to 2 months depending on workload and application quality.
6. When approved, complete issuance documents (typically via DocuSign), pay any balance due, and receive the issued permit by email. Keep approved hard-copy plans on site if plan review was required.

Typical processing time: Basic permits without plans about 2 business days; plan-review permits about 2 weeks to 2 months; non-instant solar/ESS applications about 3 business days depending on staff availability; qualifying Symbium solar permits are intended for instantaneous review.

Source: Town of Corte Madera Community Development Department, Building Division

General Requirements

Corte Madera requires permits for most construction, alteration, addition, tenant improvement, repair, and many mechanical/electrical/plumbing scopes. The Town's current fee schedule specifically covers new buildings, additions, tenant improvements, residential remodels, and MEP permits not otherwise listed. ADU construction projects require a building permit, and some ADUs need Planning approval first.

Required Documents

• Building permit application
• applicant-authorization forms as applicable
• plans/construction documents if required
• PDFs formatted per the Town document-submittal guidelines
• additional project-specific items such as structural calculations, cut sheets, special inspection forms, school-fee forms, and separate fire sprinkler permit documents when applicable

Permit validity

Applications expire 180 days after filing if no permit is issued and the application is not pursued in good faith. Issued permits expire if work does not start within 180 days, or if work is suspended/abandoned for 180 days. Current fee schedule lists an $80 permit extension fee for a maximum 6-month extension.

Building code

As of January 1, 2026, Corte Madera requires compliance with the 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Wildland-Urban Interface, Historic Building, Existing Building, Green Building Standards, and Referenced Standards Codes, plus local green building reach-code requirements.

Owner-builder

Owner-builders must submit the Town owner-builder acknowledgment form. Not all permit types are eligible to be issued as owner-builder permits. If a design professional submits on behalf of an owner-builder, both owner-builder and owner-agent forms are required.

Contractor requirements

Applications may be signed by a licensed contractor, legal property owner, or authorized agent. If the submitter is not the contractor license holder, the contractor agent authorization form is required. Contractor licensing and insurance are verified at issuance; the Town links applicants to CSLB license check resources.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Lowest listed building permit fees are $96 for certain reduced-fee residential electrification permits (for example some electric HVAC, water-heater, battery, and EV-charger permits). For valuation-based permits, the base permit schedule starts at $192 for $1-$2,000 valuation, before add-on fees.

Plan check fee

Building plan review fee is 75% of the permit fee when applicable; expedited plan check is 1.5x the standard plan check fee. Planning and Public Works review fees may also apply to projects requiring their review.

Permit fee formula

Mixed. Minor/common permit types use flat fees; larger projects use a valuation-based base permit fee schedule, plus applicable mechanical/plumbing/electrical inspection percentages, plan check fees, permit processing fee, zoning/general plan update fee, technology fee, and state surcharges.

Reinspection fee

Reinspection fee $144 each after the first reinspection; missed inspection fee $96; after-hours inspection $230/hour with 4-hour minimum

Penalty (no permit)

investigation fee for work done without permits equals the permit fee in addition to permit charges.

Payment note

After staff calculates fees, applicants are given an online payment link / Online Permit Center access. Credit card transaction processing fee is 3.00%. The fee schedule also includes an $80 permit processing fee for building permits.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Work exempt from permit is generally governed by the adopted California codes rather than a separate Corte Madera exemption handout; applicants should confirm with the Building Division before starting work
• Common examples that are generally exempt under the adopted California Building/Residential Codes include small detached accessory structures, certain fences, some retaining walls under code thresholds, shallow prefabricated pools, finish work such as painting/papering/cabinets/countertops, playground equipment for one- and two-family dwellings, and some nonstructural movable partitions

Important: Even when a building permit is exempt, zoning, planning, floodplain, fire, encroachment, sanitary district, or utility approvals may still be required. Local reach-code, WUI, property-line, and safety requirements can still apply. Corte Madera expressly warns owners and contractors to check with the Town before starting construction.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Building inspections are scheduled online through Accela (online)

Inspection hours

Building inspections are conducted Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM. Community Development public counter hours are Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM and Friday 8:30 AM-12:00 PM.

Time windows

Building inspections are conducted Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM. Community Development public counter hours are Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM and Friday 8:30 AM-12:00 PM.

Typical inspection sequence: Inspection sequence varies by project, but issued permits cover required building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and energy inspections. Applicants schedule inspections as work progresses and must keep approved permit documents/plans available on site. Reinspection note: Reinspection fee applies after the first reinspection. Missed inspections are separately charged. Inspectors may refuse unsafe inspections at the Building Official's discretion.

Additional Resources

• Building code: As of January 1, 2026, Corte Madera requires compliance with the 2025 California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Wildland-Urban Interface, Historic Building, Existing Building, Green Building Standards, and Referenced Standards Codes, plus local green building reach-code requirements.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Planning Division
• Zoning maps
• Building codes and guidelines
• Online Permit Center
• Inspections
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

Other cities in Marin County