Homeowners Guide to Remodel / Addition Projects

At some point, nearly every homeowner will consider improvement projects. Most of these are relatively minor: painting, landscaping, updating finish materials, etc. At some point, however, a project crosses the line into one that requires a building permit and/or other type of approval from a city, county or other jurisdiction. That's the point where homeowners and contractors can benefit from the help of someone with experience in dealing with those matters. It helps to ask and answer a few questions:

1. What is the project? This is harder than it sounds, and is usually partly dependent on the next question...
2. What's my budget? For many basic DIY projects, this is not too hard to determine. You make a list of items needed, then go to the retailers (now much easier online), see what things cost and add it up. It gets harder with the next question...
3. Do I need design help? If so, that's another item for the budget. Depending on the nature of the project, appropriate people to talk to may include various stripes of contractors, designers, engineering consultants, retailers, manufacturers and others. The good news is that most of these people will give you some free time and opinions at the beginning of a project. For them, it's called marketing, so be aware that at least part of what you hear will probably be a sales pitch.  
4. Do I need a permit? Many property owners head over to the city/county planning department to ask this question. Without sufficient knowledge of the laws/codes/regulation/policies and lingo, however, you may leave a meeting more confused than before. If that happens, you probably need to hire someone with experience in these areas. A related question...
5. Who's in charge? The location of a property can have a big impact on permitting requirements and costs. Also, be aware that a typical building permit involves reviews by a number of different departments, agencies and jurisdictions (sometimes overlapping and contradictory, which can create a whole new category of problems). 

Where do I start? 

Thanks to the internet, you can find out a lot about your property without going anywhere. For most residents, the best place to start is the Santa Cruz County Planning Dept. website. From the main page (as it appears in April 2024), starting in the "Quick Links" list on the left:

• "CZU & '23 Storm Recovery". "CZU" refers to the 2020 wildfires. The County set up a separate permitting pipeline to help fire victims. 2023 storm victims were added to this pipeline.
• "Building Permit Dashboard" takes you to the "Permit Center", which tries to help users navigate the various permit processes.
• "ePermit". A guide to over-the-counter (OTC) permits (those that don't require review).
• "ePlan Review". Since 2020, most permit applications require review, which is done online.
• "Discretionary Permits". Most building permits are "statutory", meaning that if an applicant designs a project according to a set of written rules, the reviewing agency is required to grant the permit. A "discretionary" application, on the other hand, is one that asks for permission to "bend" the rules in some way. 
• "Accessory Dwelling Units". A special kind of "dwelling unit" built as an "accessory" to an existing single-family home, sharing a lot.
• "Measure J Affordable Housing Program". "Measure J is the name of the 1978 voter initiative that created Santa Cruz County’s Below Market Rate housing program."
• "Records Research & Free Parcel Info Report". This is the place for deeper research on a parcel's permit history.
• "Vacation Rentals". For homeowners wanting to rent their entire house to vacationers.
• "Hosted Rentals".  For homeowners wanting to turn an extra bedroom into an Air BnB rental.
• "Pending Public Notice Projects". Info on development permit applications (discretionary) that are required to post a public notice at the site.
• "Initial Studies/EIRs". Individual homeowners rarely have to deal with this level of review. 
• "Cannabis". Info on licensing.
• "County Job Opportunities", "Sustainability Update", "2023 Housing Element". These last 3 items are not of concern to individual homeowners.

On the right is another list of links, labeled "FAQ". The list includes:

• "What’s my parcel number?" County parcel information is filed by the property's "Assessors Parcel Number" (APN). Both the APN and the street address must be included in all permit applications.
• "Is my parcel buildable?" Those wanting to build on raw land should start here.
• "What’s my zoning?" Answering this question now requires use of the County "Geographic Information System" (GIS), a separate website. GIS links are here, or there's a "Mapping & GIS" link farther down the page.
• "What are the site standards for my parcel?" Once zoning is known, these links provide more direct access to portions of the County Code that answer this question. For complete County Code viewing, there's a link farther down the page.
• "How do I get a building permit?" A 10-step guide to the building permit process. 

The big buttons in the middle of the page access information commonly needed during the building permit and construction processes. There's also a "Report a Code Violation" link, if you want to report what seems to be illegal building or vacation rental activity.