Application
SJPermits
The City directs applicants to begin the application online after identifying the correct path.
San Jose ADU permits · 2026
San José uses a defined ADU workflow: confirm the property and development-standard path, prepare the plan package, start the application in SJPermits, upload through SJePlans, resolve agency comments, pay required fees, and move through construction inspections.
Quick answers
Application
SJPermits
The City directs applicants to begin the application online after identifying the correct path.
Plan review
SJePlans
The ePlan Applicant uploads plans and responds to review comments.
Address form
Form 302
San José requires a separate address for ADUs and JADUs.
Owner declaration
Form 312
The ADU Property Owner Declaration is part of the submittal package.
Detailed San Jose guide
01
Use the City’s ADU Universal Checklist to confirm that the property is in San José jurisdiction and to identify conditions such as flood zones, geologic or seismic hazards, historic resources, Wildland-Urban Interface status, easements and other nonbuildable areas.
This first step reduces the risk of designing around assumptions that later require expensive revisions.
02
For single-family properties, San José’s checklist provides both City Development Standards and State Development Standards. The City explicitly says the two sets cannot be mixed.
The selected path affects maximum size, setbacks, height, siting and other design decisions, so it should be resolved before the architecture is locked.
03
The City permit-process guidance identifies Bulletin 211 building-plan requirements, Title 24 and CalGreen documentation, fire requirements, a water-flow letter, Form 302 address request, Form 312 owner declaration and other property-specific materials such as geotechnical information when applicable.
Incomplete or inaccurate packages can delay prescreen and plan review. The goal is to resolve known requirements before upload rather than using the first review cycle as a discovery exercise.
04
The application starts in SJPermits. The assigned ePlan Applicant then receives the SJePlans workflow for plan upload and review comments. Prescreen, fee invoicing, discipline reviews and correction cycles continue until the project is approvable.
After approvals and required fees, the permit can be issued. Construction then proceeds through the applicable inspections and final sign-offs.
Primary sources
These City resources are the primary references for the local claims on this page. Recheck them before submitting or relying on a specific rule.
San Jose ADU FAQ
San José directs applicants to begin through SJPermits after reviewing the applicable ADU process. SJePlans is then used for the plan set and review workflow.
The City repeatedly flags the water-flow letter and complete site-specific documentation. Form 302, Form 312, plan requirements, energy documents and applicable technical reports should be prepared before intake.
Yes. The City’s ADU Service instructions state that ADUs and JADUs require a separate address, with Form 302 used for the address assignment request.
No. Prescreen quality, corrections, Fire or Public Works review, property hazards, utility issues and agency workload can change timing. A timeline should be treated as a planning range until the actual review path is known.
San Jose topic cluster
Property-specific next step
Start with the address, identify the unknowns, compare the closest model, and then define the design, permit and construction scope.