Permit guides

ADU Permits in Burlingame: a Homeowner's Guide

Burlingame's review includes a neighbor-notification step most Peninsula cities don't have — here's how it works.

Last updated October 2026. Rules change; always confirm current requirements with the city before you build.

Who handles your permit

ADU permits in Burlingame run through the Community Development Department. Certain projects go through the city's Minor Use Permit review procedure first — an administrative process with a built-in neighbor notification that shapes the timeline.

What you can build

1,200 sq ftMax for a detached ADU under state law

300 ftNeighbors within 300 feet get mailed notice of the project

10 daysReview period before the permit can be approved administratively

2 yearsA granted Minor Use Permit is valid for two years — the building permit must issue before it expires

4 ftMinimum side and rear setbacks for detached ADUs

60 daysState deadline for the city to act on a complete ADU application

The 300-foot rule

Here's Burlingame's distinctive step: once your application is complete, the city mails a cover letter and your plans to every property owner within 300 feet, opening a 10-day review period. If nobody calls the project up for a Planning Commission hearing within those 10 days, the Minor Use Permit is approved administratively and you move on to the building permit. If someone does call it up, the project goes to a public hearing — scheduled by appeal date, with no additional fee.

Watch the two-year clock. A granted Minor Use Permit is valid for two years, and the building permit must be issued before it expires. Don't let the approval sit while you finalize contractors.

What goes into the submittal

Application form plus site plan, floor plan, and building elevations (electronic format accepted)
Filing fee, calculated by Planning staff before you submit — confirm the amount in advance
Standard plan set: site plan, floor plans, elevations, structural details, and Title 24 energy compliance
Utility connection plans showing how the ADU ties into water, sewer, and electrical service

Where applications usually get stuck

Neighbor call-ups. The 300-foot notice is the wildcard — a concerned neighbor can push the project into a Planning Commission hearing and add weeks.
The two-year expiry. Approvals that sit idle while owners line up financing or contractors can lapse.
Fee timing. The filing fee is set by staff before submittal — showing up without confirming it first wastes a trip.

Not sure where to start? That's the part we do. We check your property against the requirements, coordinate the plans and specialists, and manage the submittal and corrections — one point of contact.

Tell us what you need help with.

Not sure where to start? That's what we're here for.

Send your project

Erik — (916) 540-8960 · Vall — (916) 956-8106
office@pcg-engineering.pro