Mountain View, CA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit validity
- Void until fees are paid
- Amendment work
- Not authorized until amendment fee paid
- Fee source
- City council's master fee schedule
- Responsible agency
- Building division, community development dept
- Zoning conditions
- Must be satisfied before permit issues
Summary
A Mountain View building permit is not valid until the fees set by the city's master fee schedule are paid, under City Code Sec. 8.28.30. The same rule applies to permit amendments: no added work is authorized until the extra fee for that amendment is paid, and a separate fee is charged for every permit the project needs.
109.1 Payment of fees. A permit shall not be valid until the fees prescribed by law, city code, or the city master fee schedule have been paid, nor shall an amendment to a permit be released until the additional fee, if any has been paid.
109.2 Schedule of permit fees. Where a permit is required, a fee for each permit shall be paid as required, in accordance with the city code and the city's master fee schedule as adopted by the city council, which may be amended from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
2 for Mountain View. Sec. 30 makes clear a permit issued by the building division of the community development department 'shall not be valid until the fees prescribed by law, city code, or the city master fee schedule have been paid,' and an amendment to an existing permit is not released until its additional fee is paid. Fees for every required permit are set by the city council's master fee schedule and can change from year to year. Related sections in the same Division round out the permit-issuance framework: Sec.
15 designates the building division as the 'responsible agency' charged with implementing, administering and enforcing the Building Code, with the building official as the officer in charge. Sec. 20 blocks issuance of any building permit on a lot subject to an approved zoning permit or other entitlement conditions until those conditions of approval are satisfied or the city accepts adequate guarantees. Sec. 35 extends the fee-payment rule to related work performed concurrently with a permitted project, such as demolition tied to new construction, and Sec.
40 lets the building official waive or reduce fees under the city's master fee schedule or for accessibility improvements for a resident with a qualifying disability. Together these sections mean an applicant cannot treat a building permit as effective, and cannot begin authorized work, until both the underlying entitlement conditions and the applicable fees are cleared.
Violations & Fines
Starting or continuing work under a permit whose fees, including amendment fees, have not been paid means the permit is not legally valid, exposing the property owner to the same enforcement the Building Code applies to unpermitted work, including stop-work orders and required correction before any inspection will be scheduled. Sec. 8.28.20 similarly blocks final permit issuance until unresolved zoning conditions of approval are satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Mountain View building permit valid before I pay the fee?
Who sets Mountain View's building permit fees?
Can I get a building permit while my zoning conditions are unresolved?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
California rules heatmap·Compare Mountain View to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Building Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle building permits.