Residential Permitting for the Bay Area
Expertise in Residential Permitting Across the Bay
As a full service residential design firm, we create detailed construction drawings for homeowners and contractors as part of our full service design package that are permit ready. Our experience working with the wide variety of Bay Area jurisdictions gives us unique insights into potential pitfalls and permitting snags that your residential project might run into.
As part of our permitting process, we handle everything that will be needed to get your project through. This may involve in-person visits to permit offices or pushing for an “over the counter” permit submittal should it be deemed necessary. We also handle any plan check comments and often work with permit technicians directly to help get your project approved.
While we do not offer stand-alone permitting services, we’re happy to provide a stand-alone Building Feasibility Study to investigate the potential of your property and how to best navigate your local jurisdiction. This study may include a detailed analysis on any permitting issues that may arise and suggestions on how to navigate them for your property.
Featured Projects
“Without Sam’s guidance around permitting and Sonoma’s rules and regulations we would have been lost! Sam is very savvy about the permitting process and a master at getting everything necessary in order so your project can move along smoothly.”
— BETH B. - CLIENT
FAQ
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Not all permits or jurisdictions are created equal, so depending on the type of project you may wait a couple of weeks for an over-the-counter permit, vs months for a new-build home. However that time is valuable; during that period we produce many details and dial in specifications so that your contractor can hit the ground running once your permit is approved.
Some jurisdictions offer expedited permit approval service for certain projects. For example, Sonoma City has adopted an expedited permit approval process that fast tracks permits for certain kitchen and bath remodels that do not affect walls. In such cases, your permit might be approved within just a few weeks.
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The design phase to permit varies greatly depending on the type of project. For example, for a new build single family home the design process can take up to 6-9 months, while a small remodel project might take 2-4 months until we are ready to permit. Speed largely depends on the decisiveness of the client, the availability of specialists like structural/ geotechnical engineers, and how quickly a contractor is chosen.
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2024 saw the adoption of state-wide regulations that aimed to ease the housing crisis by making the construction and use of Accessory Dwelling Units more flexible. This included expedited timelines for permit review, and relaxed building setback, height and parking requirements. However there are still site-specific constraints that may make an ADU untenable, so before design begins we would advise using a Building Feasibility Study to outline design parameters.
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We certainly do! Before we embark on any project we will always offer a free consultation so that we can get to know each other and see if we’ll be a good fit. If so, we’ll be happy to provide design services, including consultation, for projects big or small.
Service Areas
…and throughout the Bay Area.