This page is a quick summary of resources for a homeowner in Santa Clara County who may need to do a plumbing project within the County. In most cases, residents in Santa Clara County want to go to their City-Specific pages (see below). The County takes over responsibility in areas where water, sewer or the streets are maintained by the County. They also provide permits and building codes for private water tanks and septic systems. Note that there are some residents in San Jose whose septic systems are under the City’s jurisdiction.
Santa Clara County Plumbing Services and Project Types
Generally, we provide the same types of services that we provide to City Residents. Most of our Septic and Water tank projects are under the County jurisdiction.
| Water | Sewer | Electrical Conduit | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Leak Repairs (typically no permit) Water Line Replacements and Upgrades Backflows | New Cleanouts Adding new connections to existing sewer line Backwater Valves New connections to the main | Installing new conduit, usually as part of an electrical upgrade | Includes septic systems, sewage pumps, water pumps, storm drains, French drains, foundation waterproof protection, water storage tanks, water wells |
| Permits: For County projects, their Building Dept handles the majority of permits, Encroachment permits may be required tbd, but you start with the Building Dept. Utilities will be involved when a project involves their assets (from property line cleanout to main). | Permits: Building or no permit | ||
Permits
A permit is an official document issued by local governments and utility providers that grants permission to construct or alter a property. Its primary purpose is to ensure that construction projects comply with local building codes, zoning laws, and safety regulations.
As the property owner, you usually have the option to obtain a permit for projects solely on your private property. While getting a permit may add to the cost and timeline of your project, it also provides peace of mind, knowing that your project has been reviewed by an expert in local building codes.
Anytime your project involves a public or utility-owned asset, you must obtain a permit.
If you hire us to assist with your project, we will file for any necessary permits. Typically, our clients pay the cost of the permit directly to the issuer, but they save on the time and expense of filing, which is part of our service.
There are three types of permits we generally work with.
| Building | Public Works (aka Encroachment Permits) | Utility Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Generally easy to file for and not very expensive for the types of projects we do. They cover projects on private property. | Public Works Permits can be a lengthy and time-consuming task to obtain. We are experienced in filing for these types of permits and recommend you allow us to provide that service to you. | When the City/Town provides the utility service, it is included with a building or public works permit. If the utility is managed separately, the property owner must obtain permission and adhere to the utility’s building codes. |
As a licensed contractor in California with significant experience delivering projects in the local communities of the San Francisco Bay Area, our construction practices and materials comply with the California Building Code (CBC). We encourage our clients to get permits but doing so is not required.
County of Santa Clara Links
| Santa Clara County Building Dept The County of Santa Clara Building Department does a good job of providing information to the property owner on when a Building Permit should be pulled and how to apply. Unlike the cities where building and public works are often separate departments and permits, you only need to work with the building department for most permits. For projects that impact a public road, you will then also need an encroachment permit from the Roads and Airport Department. | https://plandev.sccgov.org/building-permit |
| County of Santa Clara Roads and Airport Dept The County of Santa Clara Roads and Airport Dept only gets involved if a project impacts a County Road — or the airport but that is out of our scope :). If you have a project in the County, start with the Building Department. | https://roads.santaclaracounty.gov/services/apply-permits |
| Water Utility While most county residents will get their water from a city-managed service or a private well-water tank system, for those that do not have that service, multiple water providers cover different parts of the County of Santa Clara. Each water provider will have their own permit process. | https://valleywater.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0f05e5c2956b49da940b62b0313ae142 |
| Sewer Utility The residents of the County of Santa Clara not served by city sewer systems or private septic systems receive service from one of the County Sanitation Districts. To find your service provider, use the links provided to access a County level for each district. Each of these pages has a map of their service area. Sewer Districts: Burbank Sanitary District County Sanitation District 2-3 Cupertino Sanitary District West Bay Sanitary District West Valley Sanitation District Each district has its permit process for sewer projects. Visit the linked district pages to find permit information. We have worked in every one of these districts and can help you navigate the process. | County Districts Page https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles Burbank Sanitary District https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles/burbank-sanitary-district County Sanitation District 2-3 https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles/county-sanitation-district-2-3 Cupertino Sanitary District https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles/cupertino-sanitary-district West Bay Sanitary District https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles/west-bay-sanitary-district West Valley Sanitation District https://santaclaralafco.org/cities-and-special-districts/special-district-profiles/west-valley-sanitation-district |
Note that some homes in the County may have their water service from www.calwater.com.
We created City-Specific pages for the following cities in Santa Clara County: