Planning a Saratoga remodel? New city guide explains where to start

Saratoga homeowners considering a remodel, a new house or an accessory dwelling unit have a new city guide to consult before paying for detailed plans.

The Fall 2026 Community Development newsletter, posted Oct. 19, walks readers through early property research, conversations with city staff, design review, building permits and inspections. Its central warning is practical: planning approval and permission to start construction are not the same thing.

The city recommends checking a property’s zoning and development standards first, along with potential constraints involving trees, drainage, geology and fire hazards. Those issues can affect the design and the professionals a project needs.

A separate ADU section encourages owners to speak with Planning and Building staff before submitting plans. The newsletter also distinguishes their roles: Planning addresses what can be built and where, while Building reviews construction plans and issues building permits.

The guide is a starting point, not a project approval. For property-specific questions, the city lists its Planner of the Day at planning@saratoga.ca.us or 408-868-1222. The Building Division number is 408-868-1240.

City's first council met 70 years ago Thursday; planners' fall newsletter looks back and flags CEQA exemptions for builder's remedy homes

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Knox AbbottOctober 20, 20262 min read

Saratoga

Assessed value of Saratoga property tops $23.6 billion, up 5.7%, outpacing the county

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Sasha LoweryOctober 20, 20262 min read

Saratoga

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Sasha LoweryOctober 19, 20262 min read

Prop. 37 would let the state borrow $25 billion for second mortgages on new homes; Bay Area price cap near $1.5 million

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California

Prop. 38 would borrow $8.4 billion for immune-system research, with half reserved for a single institute

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California

State audit finds 57 California dams in poor shape and says regulators have never penalized an owner who failed to fix one

Released Monday as an El Niño winter approaches, the State Auditor's report says the riskiest dams cluster near coastal cities, including the Bay Area. Repairs could cost about $28 billion, and the water department disputes some findings.

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