If you have a question or issue that can be briefly addressed (within about 15 minutes), our Planning staff will speak with you by phone. When you need a deeper level of guidance, consider a Preliminary Review. If you need planning guidance for a small business, our Small Business Ally team provides no-cost assistance in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

• Brief Consultation
• Preliminary Review
• Small Business Consultation

Brief Phone Consultation

No fee. Just call us. We speak your language.

Our website contains handouts and webpages that may answer many questions; see the resource list below. But if you need more help, you can speak with a City Planner. Due to a high volume of customers, Brief Consultations are limited to about 15 minutes.

• By Phone - Call 408-535-3555 and Press 1, then Press 1 again during these Planning hours. 

Here are resources to help you: 

• ADU, Secondary Unit Info
• Fence Regulations         
• General Plan and Zoning maps to check your property's designations
• Historic Preservation Projects
• SB 9 Subdivision or Duplex
• Tree Removal Permits
• Zoning Ordinance outlines the allowed uses, heights, setbacks, and parking requirements for Residential and other zoning districts
• Planning Applications and Appointments
• Building Permit Services (Building Division) and Building Bulletins
• How to use SJPermits for Building Permit Status, Inspections, and more

Preliminary Review Consultation

Fee based. Requires submitting the Preliminary Review Request form (which outlines fees) in person at the Development Services Permit Center.

Preliminary Review is an optional consultation for complex or large-scale projects that have evolved to having a general site layout and design concept, but the applicant has not yet formalized plans and submitted them to the City.

For this consultation, you will select the participation of staff from various departments through the Preliminary Review Request form. These staff will provide you with detailed feedback on the proposed site layout and architecture concept, and will identify issues that might arise during the plan review process. This helps applicants make final design decisions that enable the project to go through the plan review and public hearing processes more smoothly. The need for plan iterations are reduced, thus saving time and costs for the applicant. The analyses generated from a Preliminary Review are generally valid for six months.

To initiate a Preliminary Review:

• Download the Preliminary Review Request form.
• Submit the completed Preliminary Review Request form along with conceptual plans and documents (see the form for submittal requirements, processing time, and base fees).

Small Business Consultation

Consultations and guidance for small businesses. No fee. We speak English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Our Small Business Allies will advise you on how to start a business, find a location, and obtain building permits to improve your business location.

• Learn more at the Business Coaching Center web page.
• Schedule a meeting with juan.borrelli@sanjoseca.gov or xuan.ha@sanjoseca.gov.