Checklists · Before the application is submitted
Permit documents
Everything a Santa Clara County city typically asks for in an ADU application, and who produces each piece.
From the owner
- Completed application form and owner authorisation (we prepare, you sign)
- Proof of ownership (a recent tax bill or the deed)
- HOA approval letter if applicable
- Utility will-serve letters where the city requires them (we request, you may need to sign)
From the architect and engineer
- Site plan showing the lot, setbacks, existing structures, the new unit, and utilities
- Floor plans, elevations, and sections
- Structural calculations and framing plans, stamped
- Title 24 energy compliance forms
- Truss or manufactured-component drawings, if used
Often required, city by city
- A survey or boundary verification where setbacks are tight
- Arborist report if protected trees are near the build
- Geotechnical report on hillside or expansive-soil lots
- Fire sprinkler determination (an ADU only needs them if the main house does)
- School district fee certification for units over 500 sq ft
- Grading and drainage plan where the lot slopes
The clocks the city is on
- 15 business days to tell you in writing whether the application is complete
- 60 days to approve or deny a complete application (30 days on a pre-approved plan)
- Corrections stop neither clock from restarting — clearing them fast is what decides your timeline