A Guide to Building in San José,
Permitting, Timelines, and
Coordination
April 20, 2026
From Ideation to
Occupancy:
Development Services Partners
PBCE | Public Works | Fire
1 The outcome of this study session is to build a shared understanding of the development permitting system and define the priority actions, investments, and performance expectations needed to advance the City’s Focus Areas of Building More Housing and Growing Our Economy by making San Jose’s permitting process faster, more predictable, and more effective.
Outcome:
2 San José Permitting History:
3 Agenda
Tools and Technology Supporting the
Work
Alex Powell
Customer Voice
Dave Mulvehill
5.a
6. Continuous Improvement: What’s
Underway and What’s Next
Chris Burton
7. Development Services at a Glance
James Dobson
The Development Permitting
Continuum
Chris Burton
1. 2.
Enhanced Service Pathways: Case
Study on Affordable Housing
Lisa Joiner
3. Customer Voice
Chris Neale
3.a
Fees and Requirements: Understanding
Cost Recovery and Project Obligations
J. Guevara
5. Customer Voice
Samida Thakral
2.a
Customer Voice
Ryan McNamara
4.a
What Drives Time to Completion: Where
Time is Added and Where Time is
Reduced
Manira Sandhir
4. 4
6.a Customer Voice
Jennifer Freedman
1. Development Servicesat a
Glance
5 Development Services at a Glance
Planning
Building
Public
Works
Fire
Housing
DOT
ESD
SJPD
OEDCA
CAO
CMO
County
HCD
BAAQMD
SCVURPPP
School
Districts
ALUC
LAFCO
MTC/ABAGRWQCB
SJC
SJE
Valley
Water
Habitat
Agency
VTA
Code
Enforcement
Finance
6 BSC
OSFM
Local Water
Companies
Customer
Segments
A Big City = Diverse Customers
Property owners and
representatives
Developers
Community and
affected parties
Design professionals
External agencies +
utilities
Builders and
contractorsSpecialty consultants
7 A Diverse Portfolio for a Diverse City
Why is the portfolio broad?
How that shows up across departments:
Planning (PBCE)
• Legislative actions and discretionary
land use approvals including CEQA
• Administrative permits tied to zoning,
historic resources, signs, tree removal,
and special use cases
• Implements policy direction through
entitlement decisions
Public Works
• Subdivision maps and lot adjustments
• Grading, drainage, street and utility
improvements, and stormwater
compliance
• Encroachments and work in the public
right of way
Building (PBCE)
• Life safety and Building Code
compliance
• Permits for Building, Electrical,
Mechanical, Plumbing Work
• Includes compliance with accessibility,
green, energy requirements
Fire Prevention
• Life Safety and Fire Code compliance
• Permits for Fire Protection and
Hazardous Materials Systems
• Includes compliance with Fire access,
hydrants, and commodity storage
• Supports development review at the
Planning and Building phases
Council priorities
Housing, safety, sustainability,
mobility, and neighborhood quality
Project types
From reroofs to major
development, street work, and
hazardous materials
Customer groups
Homeowners, businesses,
developers, utilities, and public
agencies
Service pathways
Online permits, OTC review,
discretionary review, and annual
permits
38 41
22 19
##
Permits Types
8 How permitting supports the City
Council Priority Focus Areas:
Increasing Community Safety: San José residents live in a community with responsive emergency services and safe streets and roads.
Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness: Move toward functional zero in unsheltered homelessness by proactively and effectively managing the shelter system, increasing throughput into permanent housing, and improving data systems to guide investment.
Cleaning Up Our Neighborhoods: San José residents can enjoy a city with clean public spaces and well-maintained private property.
Building More Housing: Meet resident’s housing needs across income levels by making San José a great place to build housing.
Growing Our Economy: Cultivate an ecosystem for thriving businesses and resident prosperity.
9 2. The Development Permitting
Continuum:
City Perspectiveand Development
Community Perspective
10 Providing High Volume Customer Service at Scale:
Permit Issued
Permits Approved by Process – 2025
“Finaled” or
Certificate of
Occupancy
Building
Building Plan Review
Entitlement
Planning
Public Works
Fire
11 Fire Permits
2,950
The Development Continuum:
Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Cycles
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
↺ ↺
Entitlement Permitting
Estimated Average Timeline: 6-24 months
Developer
Decision Points
Entitlement
Estimated Average Timeline: 6-24 months
Permitting
Estimated Average Timeline: 5 – 8 years
12 0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
General Plan Amendment
Planning Legislative Process
Planning Discretionary Process
Planning Administrative Process
Public Works Maps
Public Works Improvement and Grading
Public Works Encroachment
Fire Protection Systems
Building Plan Review
Building Service Programs
Building Online
The Development Continuum: Volume
by Service Pathway
Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Cycles
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
↺ ↺
13 Number of Permits
Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit Review
Cycles Issuance Construction +
Closeout (CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The Development Continuum:
Simplified process for Minor Alterations/
Online Permits
Single Family Alterations
14 Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit Review
Cycles Issuance Construction +
Closeout (CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The Development Continuum:
Simplified process for less complex
projects
Commercial Tenant Improvement
15 Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit Review
Cycles Issuance Construction +
Closeout (CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The Development Continuum:
Ideation to Occupancy: Full Entitlement through Construction 16 Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Cycles
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The Development Continuum: The City’s Role
Planning flowchart of entitlement through construction
Review Review
Planning
Building
Public
Works
Fire
Housing
Parks
DOT
ESD
GP/Zoning/
Development
Permit
Review/
Resubmittal
Public
Hearing/
Approval
Conformance
Review
Review/
Conditions
Grading/
Improvement
Plan
Review/
Resubmittal
Approval and
Issuance Inspection
Review/
Conditions
Building
Permit
Review/
Resubmittal
Approval and
Issuance Inspection
Review/
Conditions
Fire/Hazmat
Arch Review
Review/
Resubmittal
Deferred
System permits
Approval and
Issuance
Inspection
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review
ApprovalCEQA Review
↺ ↺
17Building Permit Public Works FireKey: Planning Permit Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Cycles
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The Development Continuum: The Applicant’s Role
Developer
Architect
Civil
Engineer
CEQA
Consultant
Application
Package
Negotiate/
Coordinate
Responses
Go/No-go
Decision
Negotiation
and
Coordination
ApprovalCEQA Review
↺ ↺
MEP +
Fire
Proforma
Analysis
Scope and
Budget
Control
Coordinate
Application
Agreements,
Fees and
Bonds
Changes/
Draws/ CoO
Site/Access
Package
Review
Comments/
Respond
Support
Decision
Making
Review
Comments/
Respond
Utilities/
Storm
Analysis
Grading and
Utility Plans
Grading and
Imp. Plan
Submittal
Gain Approval As-builts
Support
Conceptual
Design Set
Review
Comments/
Respond
Support
Decision
Making
Review
Comments/
Respond
Test Fit and
Code
Analysis
Coordinate
CD’s
Building
Package
Submittal
Gain Approval RFIs +
Submittals
Scope and
Study
Submittal
Review
Comments/
Respond
MMRPInitial
Screening
Review
Comments/
Respond
Feasibility
Input
Calcs and
Plans
RFIs and
Special
Inspections
Review
Comments/
Respond
Feasibility
Input
Systems
and Energy
Inputs
Fire Ach.
Package
Submittal
Deferred
System Permit
Gain Approval
Commission
+ Close Out
Inspections
Engage/
Contract
Constructability
Assessment
Preconstruction
and long leads
Mobilization
Readiness
Build and
Inspections
Structural
Engineer
General
Contractor
18Building Permit Public Works FireKey: Planning Permit Name: Samida Thakral
Company: Prologis
What’s working well?
What's not working well?
What are other City’s doing better than us that
we should consider?
Customer Voice:
Industrial/Commercial
3. Enhanced Service Pathways:
Case Study on Affordable
Housing
20 • San José processes many different types of projects - do not all need the same permitting pathway.
• Level of service is matched to the size, complexity, and impact of the project.
• Simpler projects can move through faster, more streamlined pathways.
• More complex projects need deeper review, coordination, and sometimes public process.
• Focus and prioritization helps improve service, focus resources, and support timely project delivery.
Using Service Pathways to Manage
Volume and Diversity
21 Other enhanced Service Pathways:
Service Pathway: Customer Segment
ADU Ally Homeowners
Over-the-Counter
(OTC)
Homeowners/Contractor/Designers
Residential Express Contractor/Designers
Special Tenant
Alteration Review (STAR)
Office and Industrial Tenant Improvements
Small Business Ally Small Business Owners
Streamlined Restaurant
Program
Restaurant Owners
Best Prepared Designer
(BPD)
Designers and Architects/Engineers
22 Prioritizing Affordable Housing
• Affordable projects using tax credits operate on tight external financing deadlines, so delays between approval and permit issuance can put the project’s funding and delivery at risk. • Prioritizing these projects to advance the Building More Housing Focus Area and Housing Element Goals.
• Involve multiple departments and technical disciplines, so enhanced coordination helps resolve issues earlier and keep review moving on a shared timeline.
• A coordinated pathway gives affordable housing teams clearer milestones, faster problem solving, and a more predictable route from entitlement to building permit.
• Focused resource on these projects supports faster delivery of deed- restricted affordable homes, which is directly aligned with the City’s broader housing production goals.
23 Case Study: Gateway Towers (15-story, 220 units)
Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Cycles
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
↺ ↺
Entitlement Permitting
Permitting
Estimated Average Timeline: 6-24 months
Jul 2025 Aug 2025Jun 2025 Sep 2025 Oct 2025 Nov 2025 Dec 2025 Jan 2026 212 calendar days
City Team
Design Team
Entitlement
Estimated Average Timeline: 6-24 months
294 calendar days
Entitlement
06/20/2024 - 04/09/2025
24 Customer Voice: Affordable Housing
Name: Chris Neale
Company: CORE Companies
Recent Project: Gateway Towers
What’s working well?
What's not working well?
What are other City’s doing better than us that
we should consider?
4. What Drives Time to Completion:
Where Time is Added and Where Time is
Reduced
26 • They drive project feasibility: Timelines directly affect financing, carrying costs, and whether a project moves forward at all.
• They shape coordination across teams: Designers, contractors, lenders, and owners all plan around when approvals are expected.
• They influence cost and risk: Delays can increase construction costs, extend schedules, and introduce uncertainty.
• They affect delivery of housing and services: Timelines determine how quickly homes, businesses, and community-serving projects come online. • They impact the public as well as the applicant: Projects deliver infrastructure, safety improvements, and community benefits over time.
• They operate within a structured but complex system: State law sets expectations, but timelines ultimately reflect project complexity and coordination across multiple requirements.
Why Permitting Timelines Matter:
27 Where time gets reduced:
• Better applications on the front end
• Early issue identification
• Parallel review where possible
• Clear correction comments and disciplined
resubmittals
• Standardization
• Technology and transparency
• Triage and differentiated services
28 Where time is added:
• Project complexity
• Land use and environmental requirements
• Application quality and readiness
• Review cycles and redesign
• Public outreach and engagement
• Multi-agency and multi-discipline coordination
• Capacity and workflow constraints
• Construction-phase realities
29 Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
State laws dictating permitting timelines,
including for housing:
AB 253: Allows project to
use third-party review if
local building dept.
review takes longer
than 30 days
Permit Streamlining Act:
Once deemed
complete, must act
within 60/90/180 days
Permit Streamlining Act:
Determine application
complete within 30 days
AB 2234: requires
project review to be
complete within 30
days for projects 25
units or fewer, and 60
days for projects 26
units or more
AB 2234: Determine
application complete
within 15 days
AB130/SB131: Tribal
consultation process
(14/60/45-day
timelines)
30 Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance
Construction
+ Closeout
(CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The impact of regulatory and programmatic
changes – removing steps in the process:
• Multifamily
Incentive
• Cost of
Development
• Development
Fee
Framework
• Housing Site
Explorer
• Prelim
Process
• SB1333 – GP/Zoning Alignment
• SB35/423 – Permit Streamlining
• AB130/131 – CEQA Reform
• City Ministerial Processes
• Standardizing Conditions and CEQA
Thresholds
• Tiering of Environmental Documents
• Coordinated Review
• SJePlans
• STAR
• Best Prepared Designer
• Streamlined Restaurant
• SB937 –
Fees to
Occupancy
31 Three types of time with any project:
Category 1: Time required
by law or policy
• State housing laws
• CEQA
• Noticing and hearings
• Appeals
• Regulatory steps
• Entitlement
conformance review
• Life safety review
Category 2: Time driven
by project-specific
choices
• Applicant
redesign/scope creep
• Incomplete
plans/submittals
• Complex site
constraints
• Financing-driven
revisions
• Consultant coordination
issues
Category 3: Time the City
can improve
• Intake quality control
• Review coordination
• Comment consistency
• Queue management
• Staffing deployment
• Service pathways
• Digital workflow
improvements
32 Continued Focus on Category 3 Time:
Areas to Improve: Work in Progress
Intake quality control Website updates
Review coordination Ongoing interdepartmental
meetings
Comment consistency Onboarding and training
Queue management Project prioritization
Staffing deployment Improved development
forecasting
Service pathways Special programs, including
Development Facilitation
Digital workflow improvements Technology investments
33 Customer Voice: Market Rate Housing
Name: Ryan McNamara
Company: Summerhill Homes
Recent Project: 210 Baypointe Parkway
What’s working well?
What's not working well?
What are other City’s doing better than us that
we should consider?
5. Fees and Requirements:
Understanding Cost Recovery and Project
Obligations
35 How Private Development Shapes the
Public Realm:
• Streets and Sidewalks
• Utilities and Infrastructure
• Public Safety and Access
• Environmental Performance (CEQA Mitigations)
• Neighborhood Character and Quality
• Public Amenities and Community Benefits
36 How Development Invests in the Community:
Three Types of Costs
Policy-Driven Investments
• Inclusionary Housing
• Parks
• Construction Taxes – major
transportation infrastructure
• Commercial Linkage
• Impact Fees
Established by Council Policy
Applied broadly or
geographically
Cost of Service
(Cost Recovery)
• Staff time for review
• Service cost scales with
complexity and time added
Established by Council through
the budget process
Same hourly rate applied
across all customers
Project Requirements
• Development Standards
• Minimum Safety Standards
• CEQA Mitigations
• City Right-of-Way Standards
• External regulatory
requirements
Established by Ordinance or
Resolution
Applied to all projects
Requirements
37 Fees
Fees &
Requirements
Regulatory Environment
Feasibility Entitlement
Submittal
Entitlement
Review
Entitlement
Approval
Design +
Construction
Development
Permit
Submittal
Permit
Review
Cycles
Issuance Construction +
Closeout (CoO)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Where these requirements show up in the process:
General Plan
Zoning
CEQA Mitigations
Design Guidelines
Grading and Drainage
Ingress/Egress
Street and Utility Improvements
Stormwater Compliance
Early Identification of Potential Building Code
Challenges
California Fire Code
Fire Access, Hydrants, Water Flow
Consistency with entitlements
Final design of physical improvements
Encroachment into the Right of Way
Subdivision and Mapping
Bonding for public improvements
California Building Code
California Fire Code
Applicable Standards
Hazmat Storage Ordinance
Consistency with IHO
Consistency with PDO/PIO
Complete Streets/TDM
Stormwater Requirements/Waste Management
Affordable Housing Plan
Parks Agreement
Planning
Building
Public
Works
Fire
Housing
Parks
DOT
ESD
Fire Protection
and Hazmat
System Permits 38
How decisions get made:
Department Director
City Regulatory
Framework
City Commission
City Council
State and Federal Regulatory Framework • Projects and permits that are consistent with the City’s Regulatory
Framework are reviewed and approved
by staff (vast majority of permits)
• Projects that are inconsistent or require
discretionary approvals add time and
complexity
• Clearly defined regulatory framework
provides transparency and
predictability for development
39 Customer Voice: Small Business
Name: Dave Mulvehill
Company: Nuvo Hospitality
Recent Project: Pressroom
What’s working well?
What's not working well?
What are other City’s doing better than us that
we should consider?
6. Tools and Technology
Supporting the Work
41 How We Manage a High-Volume, Multi-Department
System
SJPermits
Application intake, simple
permit issuance, project
status, permit search,
schedule inspections, fee
payment
AMANDA
Permit system, fee
calculation, file
repository, process &
requirement
management
SJePlans
Plan upload, plan review
markups and comments,
resubmittal file
management
Core
Systems
Plans Permits Inspection
Digitized
Processes
42 Customers Digital Front Door
Online
Permits 56 Types of
Permits
Available for online permit issuance in
~15 minutes
Self-
Start
Permits
~80% Permits Of the remaining permits, about 80% can be self- started online without CSJ Staff
Transparency
Online Permit Status
Customer Service
Dashboards
Process Expectations
44 Customer Centric Dashboards
Future State –
Continued Enhancement of the Customer Experience
45 Technology Vision
Modern Digital Experience
Operational Efficiencies
Process Navigation
Sample Initiatives
Application Wizard
Fee Estimator Tool
Pre-Submittal Instructions
Helping Customers Navigate Our System:
New! Building Permit Pages launched this month
46 OLD: Pick from our menu of forms. NEW: What are you trying to do? Let's help get you there! Easy printing, automatic translation, AI-proofing accuracy
Emerging Tools: AI and Guided Self-Service
47 Modern Digital
Experience
Operational
Efficiencies Process Navigation
SJPermits Upgrade Inspection Module Fee Estimator
Integrated Forms &
File Upload/Mgmt
AI Assisted
Pre-Screen Application Wizard
Full Digital
Integration
Align Department
Processes
SJPermits
Process/Project
Management
Now
Next
Later
Customer Voice: Industrial
Name: Jennifer Freedman
Company: Overton Moore Properties
Recent Project: 2334 LUNDY PLACE
What’s working well?
What's not working well?
What are other City’s doing better than us that
we should consider?
7. Continuous Improvement:
What’s Underway and What’s
Next
49 What Cities Are Doing Across California
• Improve application quality (AI pre-checks, better
portals, standard plans)
• Reduce review time (parallel processing, priority
lanes for housing)
• Improve coordination (one-stop centers,
consolidated departments)
• Focus on transparency and predictability for
customers
50 Where San José Is Strong Today
• Coordinated review for affordable housing with
structured timelines
• Development Facilitation Team provides single point
of contact
• Early design feedback reduces late-stage redesign
• Development Tracker improves internal visibility of
major projects
• Strong foundation for coordinated delivery system
51 Where the Gaps Are
• Best practices not consistently applied across all
projects
• Limited customer visibility into process and status
• Coordination across departments not always visible
to applicants
• Gap between internal performance and external
perception
52 Continuous Improvement: What’s
Underway and What’s Next
• Strategic realignment centered on strengthening
coordination across departments
• Making it easier to understand our requirements and
submit a complete application, first time
• Continue to improve the time we control
• Improve visibility, predictability for applicants
53 Questions?
54 A Guide to Building in San José,
Permitting, Timelines, and
Coordination
April 20, 2026
From Ideation to
Occupancy:
Development Services Partners
PBCE | Public Works | Fire
55