Permit records
Santa Clara County permit search
Santa Clara County permit records are public. The county publishes them through Public Permit Portal, and searching does not require an account.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 10 official sources
- Project types verified
- 10
- in Santa Clara County
- Search verified
- 23 Aug 2026
- we opened it ourselves
Search Santa Clara County permit records
The search accepts address, permit number, or parcel number.
Open the Santa Clara County record searchApplying rather than searching? Use the Santa Clara County permit portal
We opened this address ourselves on . Official government links only, and we check them on a schedule.
How to search
- Open the Santa Clara County permit record search.
- Enter an address, or switch the search type to look up permits by permit number or parcel number.
- Open a result to see the permit's status, inspection history, and issue date.
If the permit does not turn up
Older permits are often missing from online records, and a permit filed under a contractor's name will not surface in an address search that expects the owner. Santa Clara County Department of Planning and Development, Development Services (Building Inspection Office) can check the paper file.
- County Government Center, East Wing, 7th Floor, 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110
- Phone: 408-299-5700
- Official permit page
What needs a permit in Santa Clara County
Every project type we have verified in Santa Clara County, with the rule, the threshold, and the fee that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | deck area, paired with a 30-inch height limit, no attachment to the dwelling, and no required exit door served | Decks are charged by valuation, not by a flat fee. |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Under the county's Building Section Services Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 the... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fence height at which the County Residential Code permit exemption stops applying | No fence-specific permit fee is published. |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Under the county's Building Section Services Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 the... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Not specified | No patio-specific flat fee is published. |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Under the county's Building Section Services Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 the... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | depth of a prefabricated swimming pool | The county charges single-family residential swimming pools as flat fees. |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Reroof up to 5,000 square feet is a flat fee under the county's Building Section... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a one-story detached tool or storage shed | No shed-specific flat fee is published. |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Solar is charged as an electrical system only permit. |
Everything we have verified about permits in Santa Clara County