Town of Colma, CA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Town of Colma handles permits for the Town. For permit inquiries in unincorporated San Mateo County/Broadmoor, Colma directs applicants to the County of San Mateo Planning and Building Department.

Department

Building Department (Town of Colma)

Address

1198 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014

Phone

(650) 757-8888

Email

building@colma.ca.gov

Website

https://www.colma.ca.gov/departments/building/

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm the work type and whether it is exempt (Town of Colma publishes an exempt/required permit handout).
2. Obtain and complete the Building Permit Application and required supplemental forms from the Colma Building Department "Forms & Handouts" page.
3. Call (650) 757-8888 or email building@colma.ca.gov with submittal questions and submission details.
4. Pay permit/plan-check-related fees under the Town's master fee schedule before or at permit issuance.
5. Schedule inspections after permit issuance and complete required inspections on sequence required by staff.

Typical processing time: not published publicly in a single standard processing-time page.

Source: Building Department (Town of Colma)

General Requirements

Colma states that any owner or authorized agent intending to construct, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change occupancy of a building/structure, or regulated electrical/gas/mechanical/plumbing work, must first apply for and obtain the required building permit.

Required Documents

• Building Permit Application form (Project Information, owner/owner-authorized party details, responsible party, contractor name and CA license field), plus supporting plans/spec sheets as requested by the Building Department during review.

Permit validity

Colma says permits expire 1 year from issuance; first inspection must be scheduled within 180 days of issuance; subsequent inspections no more than 180 days apart. For non-commenced permits and suspended/abandoned projects, renewal/reinstatement fees and conditions are set by ordinance.

Building code

Colma Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Energy and Fire Prevention codes are adopted by reference with local amendments (per Colma Building & Construction Municipal Code Chapter 5.04, updated January 2026).

Owner-builder

Colma's posted building application materials do not explicitly describe a separate owner-builder exemption; instead, they include owner/responsible party submission options.

Contractor requirements

Building permit application asks for contractor details including CA license number. Separate permit types (e.g., grading permit form) explicitly call out contractor license fields.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Building permit application/permitted work base minimum listed as $25 (base range starts at $1-$500).

Plan check fee

Town Processing Fee (Valuation) from $37 up to $743 depending on valuation bracket; consult the Master Fee Schedule for the active bracket.

Reinspection fee

re-inspection fee listed at $149 first hour + $75 per additional 1/2 hour. Additional early work-before-permit penalties may apply under code; one source states up to ten times permit fee up to $5,000 for commencing prior to permit issuance.

Payment note

fee schedule is published as an ordinance-based schedule; online payment portal details are not explicitly posted on the permit pages.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

Important: Several exempt items still trigger separate plumbing/electrical/mechanical permitting if those permit categories apply, and planning/fire/public-works approvals may still be required.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Microsoft Outlook Booking page for scheduling department contacts/visits (online)
• (650) 757-8888 (phone)
• building@colma.ca.gov (email)

Time windows

Town business hours listed as Monday�Friday 8:00 AM�5:00 PM.

Typical inspection sequence: file/obtain permit, then request inspections in sequence for plan and completion milestones; subsequent inspections should be within 180 days from previous inspection to preserve permit validity.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Colma Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Energy and Fire Prevention codes are adopted by reference with local amendments (per Colma Building & Construction Municipal Code Chapter 5.04, updated January 2026).
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Permits Required And Exemptions
• Master Fee Schedule
• When Does A Permit Expire
• License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement

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