Santa Clara Building Permit Search & History
Look up 595 recent Santa Clara building permits — addresses, permit types, contractors, and valuations, updated multiple times a day from the city's official records, with history back to February 21, 2026. Free email alerts when new permits match your filters.
Recent Santa Clara Permits
Showing 20 of 595 recent permits.
Sign up to see all permits and set alertsSanta Clara Permit Filing Trends
Weekly filing volume from the last 12 weeks of Santa Clara permit data:
| Week | Permits filed | Declared value |
|---|---|---|
| July 20, 2026 | 26 | — |
| July 13, 2026 | 178 | — |
| July 6, 2026 | 157 | — |
| June 29, 2026 | 138 | — |
| June 22, 2026 | 96 | — |
| June 15, 2026 | 160 | — |
| June 8, 2026 | 168 | — |
| June 1, 2026 | 190 | — |
| May 25, 2026 | 113 | — |
| May 18, 2026 | 145 | — |
| May 11, 2026 | 142 | — |
| May 4, 2026 | 144 | — |
Most common permit types in the last 90 days: Regular Building Permit (1416) · Building Revision (168) · Residential Re-Roof (90) · Residential Sewer or Water (47) · Residential HVAC (46) · Residential Water Heater (43)
Santa Clara Building Permit History
Building permits are public records: every filing leaves a permanent paper trail of what was built, altered, or repaired at an address. The Permit Sheet's Santa Clara feed currently covers 2,951 permits going back to February 21, 2026, refreshed multiple times a day from the city's official database.
Not officially stated; the portal includes permits migrated from the City's previous system (BLD records created before the Aug 23, 2021 migration use an older numbering format), and older plans/permit documents are kept by the Building Division, some on microfiche.
For older permits and plans not visible online, submit a California Public Records Act request through the City's NextRequest portal (santaclara.nextrequest.com) — the Building Division requires all CPRA requests for permitting documents to go through it. Older plan records are stored on microfiche and can only be duplicated by City-approved firms after the current owner signs a Health & Safety Code 19851 declaration, with regular requests taking 30–40 days to process (Permit Center: 408-615-2420, permitcenter@santaclaraca.gov).
To research a specific property, start with the address search on Permitting Online Portal (POP) — Accela Citizen Access, then use our free permit lookup to see recent filings, contractors, and valuations side by side.
Each weekly Santa Clara digest also lists the biggest projects filed that week by address.
Santa Clara Building Department
City of Santa Clara Community Development Department, Building Division (Permit Center)
Go to the Permitting Online Portal at santaclaraca.gov/permits (no login needed for basic searches) and click "Search for Permits," then "Search Building Permits." Enter the street number and street name — or a parcel number in ###-##-### format, or a BLD permit number — and click Search. You can also type an address or permit number into the Global Search bar at the top right of the portal.
Which Santa Clara permit tool do I use?
The city runs several official tools; each answers a different question:
Weekly Santa Clara Permit Digests
Free weekly reports on the biggest Santa Clara projects filed, with addresses and valuations:
About Santa Clara Building Permits
Building permits in Santa Clara are public records administered by the City of Santa Clara Community Development Department, Building Division (Permit Center). They cover new construction, renovations, demolitions, electrical work, plumbing, roofing, solar installations, and more. Every permit includes the property address, type of work, estimated valuation, and the applicant and contractor on record.
The Permit Sheet monitors Santa Clara's official permit records multiple times per day, so you can search recent filings on this page without paging through the city portal — and get an email the moment a new permit matches your trade, neighborhood, or valuation filters. Contractors use it to be first to new projects; investors and neighbors use it to see what's being built nearby.
How to search Santa Clara permits
- Browse the live feed above — the 20 newest filings with addresses, types, and valuations, refreshed all day.
- Look up a specific address — use the free permit lookup or the city's official Permitting Online Portal (POP) — Accela Citizen Access to pull filings for one property.
- Set an alert — create a free account and get new Santa Clara permits matching your filters by email within minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up building permits in Santa Clara?
Two ways: search the city's official portal, Permitting Online Portal (POP) — Accela Citizen Access (Go to the Permitting Online Portal at santaclaraca.gov/permits (no login needed for basic searches) and click "Search for Permits," then "Search Building Permits." Enter the street number and street name — or a parcel number in ###-##-### format, or a BLD permit number — and click Search. You can also type an address or permit number into the Global Search bar at the top right of the portal.) — or browse the live feed on this page, which tracks Santa Clara filings continuously and adds contractor and valuation details.
How do I find the permit history of a Santa Clara address?
Search the address on Permitting Online Portal (POP) — Accela Citizen Access for the city's official record. The Permit Sheet's Santa Clara feed goes back to February 21, 2026 with 2,951 permits tracked — each weekly digest also lists the biggest filings by address. For older permits and plans not visible online, submit a California Public Records Act request through the City's NextRequest portal (santaclara.nextrequest.com) — the Building Division requires all CPRA requests for permitting documents to go through it. Older plan records are stored on microfiche and can only be duplicated by City-approved firms after the current owner signs a Health & Safety Code 19851 declaration, with regular requests taking 30–40 days to process (Permit Center: 408-615-2420, permitcenter@santaclaraca.gov).
How many building permits were filed in Santa Clara this month?
595 building permits appear in our Santa Clara feed for the last 30 days. The most common type is Regular Building Permit.
Can I get email alerts for new Santa Clara building permits?
Yes. The Permit Sheet sends real-time email alerts within minutes of new permits being filed. Filter by permit type (roofing, electrical, solar, HVAC), valuation range, and neighborhood. Free tier available.
Where is the Santa Clara building department?
City of Santa Clara Community Development Department, Building Division (Permit Center), Permit Center, City Hall – West Wing, 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050, 408-615-2420. Permit Center open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; appointments strongly recommended for in-person service.