City Building Permits
San Bruno, CA Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in San Bruno, California. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Building permits for projects in the City of San Bruno and handled by the city�s Building Division; properties in unincorporated San Mateo County are not administered by this city portal.
- Department
- City of San Bruno Building Division (Community & Economic Development Department)
- Address
- 567 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA 94066
- Phone
- 650-616-7058 (general contact), 650-616-7074 (Building Division/building permit technical help), 650-616-7076 (legacy permit inspection scheduling)
- building@sanbruno.ca.gov
Online Permit Portal
Platform: MGO Connect (MyGovernmentOnline) • Account required: Yes • Submission: Online or in-person
Application Process
- Create a MGO Connect account (required to apply).
- Submit the building permit application in MGO Connect and upload required plans/specifications.
- Pay plan review and other applicable fees when triggered in MGO portal.
- Obtain permit decision and permit issuance.
- Track tasks and request inspections through the same portal or by phone for legacy permits.
Typical processing time: Not explicitly published as a standard review-time benchmark on the permit pages.
Source: City of San Bruno Building Division (Community & Economic Development Department)
General Requirements
California Section 105 type work including constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing, or changing occupancy, or electrical/gas/mechanical/plumbing work subject to the building code.
Required Documents
- permit application (with applicant/property/contractor/license data), stamped and signed plans, plot plan, foundation and floor plans, and additional discipline-specific drawings as noted in San Bruno�s submittal guide.
- Permit validity
- Valuation-based life of permit table: not over $50k = 6 months; $50,001-$500k = 12 months; $500,001-$1,000,000 = 18 months; $1,000,001-$3,000,000 = 24 months; over $3,000,000 = 36 months. One 6-month extension may be granted before expiration; permits may become null-and-void after deadline without approval.
- Building code
- City applies the California Building Code and related state codes through its municipal building chapter (notably 2022 CBC adoption with city amendments and most-restrictive-code policy).
- Owner-builder
- Owner-builder acknowledgment/verification is required when permit is in owner name; city requires confirmation of owner-builder capacity/eligibility and verification before permit issuance. Owner-builder limitations and liability exposures are detailed in the city�s owner-builder packet.
- Contractor requirements
- Contractor must list CA license class and license number on the application; contractors/certain applicants must declare license status and workers-comp compliance (B&P Code-based).
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Building permit issuance fee not purely fixed; for valuation bands the Master Fee Schedule includes a valuation-based formula. Publicly shown minimum line is a small first threshold and hourly-based handling for very low valuations.
- Plan check fee
- Plan review is paid at plans/spec submission; schedule includes a construction valuation formula plus plan-check percentages for the relevant review pathway.
- Permit fee formula
- Valuation-based schedule with tiered ranges plus plan-check multipliers/percentages; coordinated plan review has a different percentage model than standard review.
- Reinspection fee
- Reinspection fee amount is not separately listed in permit-facing pages; legacy scheduling notes state reinspection fees can apply for late cancellation. Permit time-limit section lists penalties after deadline ranging from $200/day, escalating with duration, up to a $250,000 cap.
- Payment note
- City permits/plan review and related fees are paid in MGO Connect; the fee schedule also notes possible agency coordination charges and card/payment transaction surcharges.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Important: Exemptions are narrow and still cannot be used for work that affects structural, safety, life-safety, egress, or code-compliance conditions; city inspectors still review permit need case by case.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- MGO Connect (MyGovernmentOnline) (online)
- 650-616-7076 (phone)
- Scheduling deadline
- scheduling requires at least 24 hours in advance; legacy windows listed as 8:00 am�12:00 pm and 1:00 pm�4:00 pm; next-day inspection cutoff is 3:00 pm.
- Time windows
- scheduling requires at least 24 hours in advance; legacy windows listed as 8:00 am�12:00 pm and 1:00 pm�4:00 pm; next-day inspection cutoff is 3:00 pm.
Typical inspection sequence: request inspection type/date/window in MGO; field inspector confirms day-of; final inspections may include planning-related inspection when project includes ARC/Planning Commission/design-feature review.
Additional Resources
- Building code: City applies the California Building Code and related state codes through its municipal building chapter (notably 2022 CBC adoption with city amendments and most-restrictive-code policy).
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Building Permit Fees
- Handouts Guides
- Building Permit Time Limits Pdf
- 2022 Permits Exempt
- License lookup guide: California Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: California Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the City of San Bruno Building Division (Community & Economic Development Department) before applying.
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