Daly City | Permits and fees

Daly City, California Permits and Fees: Who Decides, How Long Approvals Last, Building Permits, the FY 2027 Fee Schedule and Impact Fees

In Daly City the City Council makes the final decision on most planning permits. A use permit, a variance, a subdivision map and a coastal permit all go to the Planning Commission for a hearing and then to the Council. Projects that match the zoning and the objective design standards need none of those hearings and go to building permit. This page sets out the steps, how long approvals last after a 2026 change, the building permit rules, and the fees in the City's Master Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2027. The Daly City overview has the summary.

Who Decides What

Sources: City of Daly City, 2023-2031 Housing Element, Table HE 72; Daly City Municipal Code 17.44.030, 17.44.080, 17.45.120, 17.49.030 and 17.49.040 (Supplement 38).

The times are the City's own estimates, published in 2024. The Housing Element adds a record of results: "of the 18 projects processed by the Planning Division, the Planning Commission and City Council have approved 100 percent," and of those "approximately 39 percent have either been constructed or are under construction." It also reports review times for those 18 projects that run from 14 to 149 weeks from intake to approval.

Starting a Planning Application

The Planning Division is on the second floor of City Hall, 333 90th Street, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with cashier service from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Its counter phone is 650-991-8033. The City's Applications page describes two forms.

• Minor Development Project Application. It "includes Administrative Use Permits, Design Reviews, Use Permits, and Variances."
• Major Development Project Application. It "includes General Plan Amendments, Rezonings, and Subdivisions." For a residential project of five or more new units the form asks for an "Affordable Housing Agreement."
• Signatures and files. "All application forms must be notarized if the applicant is not the property owner. E-signatures are acceptable." The Planning Division "accepts only digital material for all applications."
• Fees. "Because the Planning Division fees are updated annually, please contact the Planning Division at 650-991-8033 for an invoice."
• First meeting. The project goes to "a Development Coordinating Committee (DCC) meeting, which involves the applicant and all the City's departments responsible for providing permits or infrastructure to the project," held "the following Wednesday, at 9:00 A.M." after the materials and fees are in.
• Next steps. Staff tell the applicant what else is needed to schedule hearings "within 30 calendar days after all the aforesaid materials are received." Rezonings and General Plan amendments are outside that promise.
• The City's time estimates. "Most Minor Development Applications are processed within eight to 12 weeks, although Administrative Design Review permits are typically processed within two weeks. Major Development Applications are typically processed within four to eight months, with applications involving advanced environmental review taking eight to 12 months."
• Before applying. The fee schedule lists a "Pre-application Review Fee" of $2,043. The Housing Element says the City also offers "feedback from a two-member ad hoc City Council Committee prior to committing to the entitlement process."

Use Permits

A use permit, sometimes called a conditional use permit, allows a use that the district lists as conditional, such as dwellings in C-1 or a group of houses on an R-1 lot. Chapter 17.44 sets the steps.

• Hearing. Section 17.44.030: "The planning commission shall hold one public hearing in conformance with Section 2.18.080 within ninety days after the filing of the application." Notice is published in a newspaper "at least ten days prior to such hearing," and "not less than three notices of the public hearing shall be posted along the street."
• Commission action. "Within ninety days after the close of the public hearing, the planning commission shall approve, conditionally approve or disapprove the application." It then sends "a written report including its written findings to the city council."
• Council action. Section 17.44.080: "the city council may in its discretion affirm or deny the recommendation of the planning commission," and may set conditions "different from less than or in addition to those suggested by the planning commission."
• Finding. Under Section 17.44.050 the Council must find that the use "will not, under the circumstances of the particular case, be detrimental to the health, safety, morals, comfort and general welfare of the persons residing or working in the neighborhood."
• No approval by silence. "failure of the city council to act upon any application for a use permit shall not under any circumstance constitute an approval of such application."
• Administrative use permits. For the few uses that need only this permit, such as a large family day care home, the Planning Division decides and gives notice "Within fifteen days after the filing of an application" to "all property owners of record within a three hundred-foot radius." An appeal to the City Council must be filed "no more than ten days after an action by the planning division."

Design Review, Variances and Rezoning

• Design review tiers. Section 17.45.120 names three: major design review by a design review committee, minor design review "in conjunction with the additional entitlements by the city council," and administrative design review "approved by the director of economic and community development." New houses and additions that meet ten listed requirements are exempt.
• Objective standards. Since November 2024, projects of two or more homes that meet the City's objective design standards need no further design review under the chapter. See the three or more homes page.
• Appeal of a design denial on a building permit. Under Section 17.35.050, a building permit denied for not meeting design guidelines "may be appealed by the applicant to the design review committee" within thirty days.
• Variances. Chapter 17.46 uses the same two steps as a use permit: a Planning Commission hearing within ninety days, then the City Council. See the parking, setbacks and height page.
• Rezoning. Under Chapter 17.48 an owner may apply to change a district boundary. The Planning Commission holds a hearing and "shall file its report with the city council within ninety days from the original date of hearing." If it does not, that "shall be deemed to be an approval of the proposed amendment by the planning commission," and the Council then holds its own hearing.
• Planning Commission. Chapter 2.18 creates a commission of "five members, all of whom shall be residents of the city," that meets "on the first Tuesday of each month at seven p.m." The City Council's regular meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays, by the names on its meeting calendar.

How Long an Approval Lasts

Ordinance No. 1489, adopted by a unanimous roll call vote on April 13, 2026, changed two expiration sections. The Housing Element had promised the change as "a new task amending the automatic expiration for all discretionary land use approvals."

• Use permits. New Section 17.44.100: "A use permit granted in accordance with the terms of this title shall be automatically terminated if not used within three years from the date of approval." A permit is used when the holder "has actually obtained a building permit and commenced construction thereunder or has actually commenced the permitted use on the premises." The Council may extend it "for a maximum of two years."
• Design review permits. New Section 17.45.150 gives the same three years and the same two-year extension.
• What Municode still shows. The Supplement 38 text of Section 17.44.100 and Section 17.45.150 says "one year from the date of approval" with an extension of "six months." The ordinance took effect thirty days after April 13, 2026, and is the current rule.
• Variances. Ordinance No. 1489 left Section 17.46.100 unchanged: a variance still ends "if not used within one year from the date of approval," with a six-month extension.
• Administrative use permits. They "automatically expire one year from the date approved" unless renewal is requested first.
• Maps. A vesting tentative map lasts two years. See the lot size and subdivisions page.

State Deadlines the City Says It Follows

State law limits how long a city may take. The Housing Element states the City's practice: "In accordance with Government Code section 65943, the City provides a determination in writing of application completeness within 30 days of submission." For a project exempt from environmental review the City decides "within 60 days of determination of exemption." Two gaps are named in the same document: "The City does not currently have a process in place to address SB 330," the state law that fixes the rules and fees on the day a preliminary application is filed, and the same for SB 35, the state law for staff-level approval of projects with affordable homes. The City committed to set up both under its Task 11.4. No later City document on those two processes was found. The statutes apply whether or not the City has a form; see the CEQA and permit streamlining page.

Building Permits

• Codes in force. Ordinance No. 1484 of November 24, 2025 replaced twelve chapters of Title 15. Section 15.08.010: "The city adopts the California Building Code, 2025 Edition," and "This adoption is effective January 1, 2026." Houses and duplexes follow the California Residential Code, 2025 Edition, under Section 15.10.010.
• How to submit. The City's Permits Involving Plans page says applications and plans are emailed to the Building Division, and "Initially submitted plans are generally reviewed within 15-working days from the date of routing."
• Application life. Section 15.00.030: an application "for which no permit has been issued within one hundred and eighty calendar days from the date of receipt of the application shall expire by limitation." The Building Official may extend it by 180 days, in most cases no more than twice.
• Permit life. A permit becomes void "if the work authorized by the permit is not commenced within one year from the date of issuance," or if work stops for one year. Extensions run "not more than one hundred and eighty calendar days each," and "No more than three extensions shall be granted" in most cases.
• Appeals. Section 15.00.040: an appeal goes to the City Council "within ten calendar days of the date of the decision."
• Drawings. Plans need "a minimum sheet size of eleven inches by seventeen inches," and "Electronic plans (PDF) are accepted."
• Who may pull a permit. A licensed contractor with a Daly City business license, or "A bona fide owner of a single-family dwelling" as an owner-builder.
• Fire sprinklers. Section 15.10.060 deletes the Residential Code's sprinkler sections and says sprinkler rules "shall be governed by Daly City Municipal Code Chapter 15.32 and the California Fire Code," with plan review by the North County Fire Authority.
• Roofs. Section 15.10.110: "All roof coverings shall be a minimum Class B."
• Copper. Section 15.00.100: "On and after January 1, 2026, the installation of copper metal roofing, copper gutters, copper downspouts, and asphalt shingles containing copper granules shall be prohibited."
• Garage-level conversions. Section 15.10.040, headed "Fire Protection Retrofits," says "When existing unconditioned space is converted to conditioned space in non-sprinklered buildings, the private garage shall comply with R302.6" of the Residential Code.

Construction Hours and Site Rules

Ordinance No. 1491, adopted on May 11, 2026, adds Chapter 15.09 on hours of construction. It was not yet in the Municode text on October 10, 2026.

• Weekdays. Outdoor work on projects that need a building permit "shall be limited to weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. during Standard Time, and from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. during Day Light Savings Time."
• Weekends. On Saturdays and Sundays work starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m. during standard time; the ordinance gives 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for daylight saving time.
• Holidays. On federal holidays "construction work shall be prohibited unless exemptions are granted" by the Building Official.
• Indoor work. "These hours do not apply to construction work that takes place inside a completely enclosed building and does not exceed the exterior ambient noise level as measured ten feet from the exterior property lines."
• Deliveries and setup. "no deliveries of materials or equipment are permitted outside these hours," and the contractor may prepare the site "up to one hour before the permitted hours of construction provided that no construction equipment is in use."
• Sign. A construction hours sign "shall be posted five (5) feet above ground level and shall be visible to the street at all entrances to the construction site."
• Debris deposit. The fee schedule lists a refundable construction and demolition security deposit of 3 percent of valuation for "New residential construction more than $25,000."
• Work in the street. The City's Engineering permits page says work within state routes, including "Mission Street (between San Pedro Road and San Jose Avenue)" and Skyline Boulevard, needs an encroachment permit from Caltrans, the state transportation department.

Planning Fees, FY 2027

Source: City of Daly City, Master Fee Schedule, 2026-2027, section 7, Planning. The schedule says its fees are "pursuant to Resolutions: #26-59 on Apr 13, 2026 #26-118 on Jun 22, 2026 unless otherwise noted."

Planning fees are flat amounts or deposits. The schedule marks environmental studies beyond an exemption, such as an initial study or an environmental impact report, at "Actual + 20%," which means the consultant's cost plus one-fifth. The Council adopted the schedule after a public hearing on April 13, 2026, as Resolution 26-59, by unanimous roll call vote.

Building, Impact and Connection Fees

Source: City of Daly City, Master Fee Schedule, 2026-2027, sections 3 (Building) and 11 (Water and Wastewater Resources). The AB 1600 fees carry the note "(11/25/24, Resolution #24-175)," and the sewer fees the note "North San Mateo County Sanitation District, 8/25/03, Ordinance #89."

• A worked example. For a project valued at $400,000 the building permit fee is $3,828 (VanPlex arithmetic: $1,974 plus 300 times $6.18). On that base, Building plan review is $3,024.12, Planning plan review $765.60, Engineering plan review $1,492.92 and the technology fee $344.52. The General Plan Maintenance Fee at 1 percent of valuation is $4,000. Ask the Building Division to confirm which of these lines apply to your permit.
• The AB 1600 fee. The City uses the name AB 1600 for its development impact fees, which its impact fee page says are set to comply with "Section 66000 et seq of the Government Code." Section 3.36.020 says the fee pays for "city administrative facilities, fire facilities and equipment, libraries, police facilities and equipment, community recreation centers, street improvements and water and sewage facilities." At $16.10 per square foot, a new 1,200 square foot home owes $19,320 (VanPlex arithmetic: 1,200 times $16.10).
• How the fee changed. The City's impact fee page says the fees "were last updated in 1999 and updated with slight revisions in 2002," and that the Council would hold a hearing on an increase on November 25, 2024. The Housing Element, adopted on November 12, 2024, still lists the 1999 rates, from $2.35 to $9.36 per square foot in eleven benefit zones. The City's Fee Schedule page still posts the "AB 1600 Fees Zone Map." The FY 2027 schedule shows one residential rate.
• Asking for a lower fee. Section 3.36.040 lets a developer apply to the City Council "for a reduction or adjustment to that fee, or a waiver of that fee, based upon the absence of any reasonable relationship or nexus between the impacts of that development and the amount of the fee charged."
• ADUs. State law bars impact fees on an ADU of 750 square feet or less. See the ADUs and SB 9 page.
• School fees. The City's Fee Schedule page says "Local elementary and high school districts collect fees according to their individually adopted fee schedule," on new habitable residential space of 500 square feet and above. The Jefferson Union High School District collects for itself and for the Bayshore, Brisbane, Jefferson Elementary and Pacifica districts, and the page also lists the South San Francisco School District.
• Affordable housing fees. Projects of five or more homes owe inclusionary homes or in-lieu fees. Resolution No. 18-174 set $35 per livable square foot for rental projects and $45 for ownership projects. See the three or more homes page.
• Park fees. A subdivision pays a park in-lieu fee based on land value. See the lot size and subdivisions page.
• Sewer. The schedule lists $3,485 for a "New single family residence with secondary unit" and $550 for conversion of a house to one with a secondary unit, under the sanitation district's 2003 ordinance.

The Housing Element compared total fees across San Mateo County in 2022 for two test projects. Daly City's total was $24,202 for a 2,600 square foot house, against a county median of $58,209, and $325,583 for a ten-unit condominium building, against a median of $345,742. Those totals were computed before the 2024 increase in the AB 1600 fee. The California impact fees page explains the state rules on when fees are paid.

Before a Sale: the 3R Report

Section 15.44.030: "Prior to entering into an 'agreement of sale' or exchange of any residential building, the owner or his authorized representative shall obtain from the city a report of the residential building record showing the regularly authorized use, occupancy, and zoning classification of such property." The report "shall be valid for a period not to exceed six months." It lists the permits on file, the original use and whether the property has been condemned, so a buyer can compare that record with the building as it stands. The chapter covers houses and small buildings; it leaves out "apartments or hotels containing three or more of guest rooms." The first sale of a home in a subdivision recorded within the last two years is exempt.

Where the Code and City Documents Differ

• Permit life. Municode shows one year for use permits and design review permits. Ordinance No. 1489 made it three years in April 2026.
• Condominium maps. Both new expiration sections still say that a permit tied to a condominium tentative map ends "one year after the approval of the final subdivision map." The same ordinance removed the use permit for new condominiums.
• Design review section number. Section 17.45.020 says the committee's decision may be appealed "pursuant to the provisions of Section 17.45.130." Section 17.45.130 is now the objective design standards section and has no appeal text.
• Weekend hours. Ordinance No. 1491 starts weekend work at 9:00 a.m. in standard time and at 8:00 a.m. in daylight saving time, and it spells the second season "Daly Light Savings Time."
• How fees are set. Section 15.00.020 says building fees are in the master fee schedule "as established and amended by ordinance of the city council." The FY 2027 schedule was adopted by resolution.
• AB 1600 zones. The Housing Element and the City's fee page show eleven fee zones. The FY 2027 schedule shows one residential rate of $16.10 per square foot.

Limits of This Page

The code text is Municode's Supplement 38, which lists ordinances through No. 1488 of March 9, 2026 as included. Ordinance No. 1489 was read from the ordinance bank and Ordinance No. 1491 from the Council agenda file. Resolution 24-175 and the 2024 fee study behind the AB 1600 rate were not read in full, so this page does not say which floor area the $16.10 is applied to or whether credits exist for homes that are replaced. School district fees, water connection charges and the Bayshore Sanitary District's fees were not read. The fee schedule changes each fiscal year. Ask the Planning Division, 650-991-8033, for an invoice and the Building Division, 650-991-8061, for a fee estimate before you set a budget.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Daly City overview, the California impact fees page and the CEQA and permit streamlining page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)