Coastal Development: Daly City vs South San Francisco

Is my Daly City property in the Coastal Zone?

Only properties along the Pacific bluff west of Skyline Boulevard near Mussel Rock and Thornton State Beach are within the Coastal Zone. Inland Daly City (Westlake, Top of the Hill, Bayshore, Original Daly City) is not. Verify your parcel on the Coastal Commission's official Coastal Zone Boundary map.

Do I need a Coastal Development Permit for a remodel?

If the property is in the Coastal Zone, even interior remodels can be exempt under PRC §30610 but additions, demolition, grading, or removal of major vegetation generally require a CDP. Confirm with Daly City Planning and the California Coastal Commission's North Central Coast District office.

Can I build a seawall to protect my coastal bluff?

Cal. PRC §30253 requires new development to be sited so that future shoreline protective devices are NOT needed. Retroactive seawalls are heavily restricted; the Coastal Commission has been increasingly denying or conditioning armoring of single-family homes built after January 1, 1977.

Do I need a Coastal Development Permit to remodel my kitchen?

Interior remodels and repairs that don't change the building envelope or intensify use are typically categorically excluded from CDP requirements. But additions, exterior changes, and any increase in footprint or height will require at minimum a CDP application — often processed alongside your building permit. Check with Planning at (650) 363-4161.

How do I find out if my property is in the Coastal Zone?

Use the San Mateo County GIS map (smcgov.org/planning/gis-map-zoning-and-other-info-0) and enable the Coastal Zone boundary layer, or check the California Coastal Commission's Coastal Zone Viewer. If your parcel is on the ocean side of Highway 1 or anywhere west of the ridge from Devil's Slide south, assume you are in the Coastal Zone until confirmed otherwise.