San Mateo County planning starts with unincorporated areas

San Mateo County’s Current Planning staff handles land-use work on unincorporated county land, which means land outside a city. If the address is inside a city, start with that city’s planning office.

For county land, use the Planning and Building site. It has links for zoning, rules, permits, maps, records, and visits with staff. Current Planning checks new work against county plans and rules. Staff can also tell you which planning permit may be needed.

Start with the address and zone. Do not stop at the map label. An area plan, design review, or other local limit may also apply. Write down the zone result, then tell staff what you want to build or change. The map tells you which rulebook to open. Staff and the permit review tell you how those rules fit the work.