San Jose, CA
San Jose ADU Permit Fee Calculator (2026)
Instant fee breakdown for San Jose, California. Total range: $6,200–$17,500.
San Jose, California ADU Permit Fees
Total estimated range: $6,200–$17,500
Plan Check
$1,200–$3,000
Building Permit
$2,000–$5,500
Impact Fees
Waived (< 750 sf)
School Fees
$3–$5/sf
Utility Hookups
$3,000–$9,000
Source: City permitting schedules and FeeBuilder surveys, updated April 2026.
San Jose permit process at a glance
Permitting office: San Jose Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE)
Typical plan review: 12-20 weeks
Fee waivers: ADUs under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees per AB 681 (2023).
San Jose runs the largest pre-approved ADU master plan program in the South Bay — using one of the city's pre-approved designs cuts plan check to 4-6 weeks instead of the standard 12-20 week PBCE review. The labor market here is competitive enough that mid-range framing crews are routinely booked out 4-6 months in advance, and impact-fee waivers under AB 681 still apply for builds under 750 sq ft.
Sample real-world fee example
Scenario: 700 sq ft detached ADU on a typical San Jose lot
| Plan check (mid) | $1,400 |
| Building permit (mid) | $2,300 |
| Utility connection (low end) | $3,000 |
| Misc fees (records, inspections) | $1,500 |
| TOTAL (rough mid example) | ~$7,700 |
Common San Jose ADU permit mistakes
- Skipping the Title 24 energy compliance docs at submittal — adds 4-6 weeks of correction cycles.
- Confusing the AB 681 impact-fee waiver — it only applies to ADUs strictly under 750 sq ft of conditioned floor area.
- Missing the separate water-meter and sewer-capacity applications, which run on a parallel track from the building permit.
- Not checking the San Jose master plan catalog before commissioning custom plans — master plan submittals review in 4-6 weeks vs 12-20 for custom.
How San Jose compares nearby
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