Fremont, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

070 makes an encroachment permit mandatory: a permittee "shall obtain an encroachment permit prior to encroaching in the public right-of-way and shall pay all fees required by this chapter," on top of any other license, permit or franchise the code requires. 050 sets the specific scope: a permittee may apply for a limited encroachment permit to perform "driveway or sidewalk repair or reconstruction, irrigation lines crossing sidewalks and mailboxes" in the right-of-way immediately adjacent to their property. 060 requires that application to include a detailed work description, the applicant's identity, and a council-resolution fee, and directs the city engineer to issue the permit once those conditions are met, provided the work does not interfere with the public's customary use of the right-of-way and the area is restored to a safe condition afterward.

080 exempts specific activities from the permit requirement altogether, including emergency work (with a permit application required within 24 hours after the department reopens), private landscaping and irrigation installed between the curb and a city easement so long as no tree or paving is placed there, and lawful fences within a public service easement. 090 must include engineering plans, a construction work plan, a traffic control plan and, for aboveground facilities, a graffiti mitigation plan. 100(f), any issued permit becomes void if work has not begun within 90 calendar days of the specified start date or is not diligently completed, though the city engineer can grant extensions for good cause.