Whatever type of project you may have undertaken, the permit(s) associated with your project need to be closed-out or finalized. This is a final, but very important, part of the development process. Unless permits are finalized, the Town does not consider the project as completed.

In order to find out what departments need to final your permit(s), take a look on the bottom, right corner of your permit card, or contact one of the Project Managers and they will assist you. All departments that 'signed on' to the permit need to 'sign off' on the permit. There are a total of seven departments that may have 'signed on' to the permit, including Recycling, Planning, Geology, Engineering, Fire, Health, and Building. All departments need to sign off, or final the permit, prior to you scheduling a final inspection with the Building Department. A building inspector will issue the final sign off on your building permits.

The finals from each department ensure the project was constructed per the plans and that any conditions of approval have been satisfied. For example, for main residence construction, a landscape plan is usually required to be installed prior to final. Sometimes, landscaping is not installed when the Planning Department conducts a final inspection. In those cases, the Planning Department will usually accept a performance bond to be posted equal to the amount of labor and materials associated with the required landscaping, in order to "sign off" on the permit(s).

Building Permits:

Call 650-851-6796 or 650-851-6790 to schedule final inspections with every department that 'signed on' to the permit(s) (identified at the bottom right hand corner of the permit face under the "Plans Approved By" column).

• Geology Department - a final inspection by the Town Geologist is not required, but rather submittal of a final construction/observation letter from the project geotechnical engineer.
• Fire Department - contact the Woodside Fire Protection District at 650-851-1594.
• County Health Department - contact Steve Hartsell at the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department at 650-363-4798.

  A completed subcontractors list needs to be submitted and approved by the Town. This is to ensure that all subcontractors working in the Town have a Town business license. If the subcontractor does not have a business license he/she will need to receive one prior to a final Building Department inspection. In other words, a final inspection cannot be scheduled unless the sub list is approved.

  Once all other departments have signed off on the permit(s) and the subcontractor's list has been approved, call 650-851-6796 to schedule a Building Department final. Note that all other departments must sign off on the building permit(s) before the Building Department inspector finalizes the permit.

Site Development Permits:

Any departments that 'signed on' to a site development permit need to 'sign off' on it. Usually, a majority of review is done by the Engineering and Planning Departments, but sometimes the Geology and Fire Departments review the proposal. In order to final your site development permit, call to schedule a final inspection with one of the Town's engineers (Contact an Engineer) and with one of the Town's planners (Contact a Planner). For those site development permits that required review and approval by the Town Geologist, please submit a final construction/observation letter from your geotechnical engineer of record.

A deposit was collected when the permit applicationwas submitted. The deposit is used by the Town's engineers to bill against time for review of the project. Any deposit balance remaining when the project is finalized is refundable.

Encroachment Permits:

The Engineering Department is the only department that is required to final an encroachment permit. Please call and schedule a final inspection with one of the Town's engineers (Contact an Engineer). A deposit and a bond were collected when the permit application was submitted. The deposit is used by the Town's engineers to bill against time for review of the project. Any deposit balance remaining when the project is finalized is refundable. Also, as long as the Engineering Department finals the encroachment permit, the entire bond amount can be refunded.

Septic Permits:

In order to finalize a septic system, call and schedule a final inspection with Steve Hartsell, at the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department, at 650-363-4798. (The Town of Woodside staff members do not conduct inspections on septic systems.)