Daly City separates quick permits from jobs with plans

For work at a Daly City property, the first fork is simple. Is this an eligible quick permit, or does the job need plan review? That difference matters more than the size of the city.

Quick permits can be handled through the online permit portal for eligible work. The portal can also handle permit invoices, permit records, and eligible inspection scheduling. Jobs with plans use a different path. For plan review, the Building Division asks for the application, payment form, drawings or supporting papers, and later resubmittals by email.

The “Is a Permit Required?” page is useful early. Repairs, remodels, additions, demolition, electrical work, plumbing work, and other changes may need a permit. The work itself decides whether a permit is needed. In Daly City’s older hillside neighborhoods and postwar blocks, two homes can look similar from the street but have very different needs.

Before you apply, name the work clearly. Decide whether drawings are part of it. If no plans are needed, the quick permit route may fit. If plans are needed, treat the email package like the project record from day one.