This page puts every San José code compliance guide on this site in the order homeowners usually need them: what the paperwork means, what it can cost, how to fix the problem, and what changes when you sell. Each guide links the City code, bulletin or state law behind every point.
- Code Enforcement: 408-535-7770, Monday to Friday, 8 am to noon and 1 pm to 5 pm, or CodeEnforcementInformation@sanjoseca.gov.1, 2
- Permit records: search the address at SJPermits.org.3
- ADU and garage unit eligibility: the City's ADU Ally team, adu.ally@sanjoseca.gov.4
- Before you hire anyone: check the license at the CSLB.5
1. You got something from the City
- Code enforcement notice: what to do next. How to read the notice, contact the inspector, and look up the case.
- Stop work order. What it stops, what it can cost, and how work resumes.
- Red tag. The City's unsafe-to-occupy notice, disaster placards, and tenant relocation rules.
2. Understand the violation and the cost
- San José code violations and building code guide. The common violations, which code applies, and how to check a property's record.
- Fines and appeals. How citations and fines work, and the deadlines to contest them.
- Report a violation or look up a case. Code Enforcement or 311, what happens after a complaint, and the two-year case search.
3. Fix it with permits
San José adopts the California building codes as its own,6 and its legalization bulletin says construction done without permits must meet current zoning, building and energy codes.7
- San José building code. The 2025 codes the City enforces, its local amendments, and what is exempt from a permit.
- When a San José remodel needs a permit.
- Legalize an unpermitted addition. Records first, then as-built plans, corrections and inspection.
- Unpermitted garage conversion. The four paths: AB 2533 amnesty, a new ADU, a legal room, or restoring the garage.
- Legalize an illegal unit as an ADU. San José's AB 2533 program for units built before 2020.
- Water heater, HVAC, panel and solar permits. Which equipment swaps need a permit, and what to do if one was skipped.
- Sheds, fences, decks and retaining walls. When they need a permit, and the zoning limits.
4. Selling a home with open issues
- Sell a house with code violations in San José. Confirm what is on record, the construction options, and a realistic schedule before you list.
- Buying a house with unpermitted work. Seller disclosures, permit and case lookups, lender rules and legalizing after you buy.
5. Rental properties
- Rental inspections and repair complaints. The City's apartment inspection tiers, balcony inspections, habitability and tenant repair rules.
6. Get the construction done
We are a licensed general contractor, CSLB #1050108, and we do the construction side: assessment, plans, permits, corrections and inspections. See code violation and permit resolution, or call or text (408) 667-4946.
Sources
- 1. City of San José: Code Enforcement
- 2. City of San José: Legalizing Construction
- 3. SJPermits.org: San José permit records
- 4. City of San José: AB 2533 ADU and JADU Legalization Program
- 5. CSLB: check a contractor's license
- 6. San José Municipal Code 24.03.100 to 24.03.130: adoption of the California Building Code
- 7. City of San José: Bulletin #202, How to Legalize Unpermitted Work
This page explains the construction side of San José's rules. It is not legal advice. The City and its inspectors decide what applies to your property.