Contacts
Get help with your ADU project
We are here to help you through your ADU building process!
If your community is a member of the ADU Resource Center, you can contact the Center for expert advice on your ADU project:
Option A: Ready to talk about a specific ADU project? Sign up for a free in-depth feasibility consult to discuss what options exist for your property and next steps for getting your project off the ground.
Option B: Need help troubleshooting an issue with your current ADU project? Access our Help Line for a free 20-minute call with an ADU expert by signing up here.
Option C: Have a quick question that you’d like answered over email? Send your question in through the Contact Us form below.
ADU Resource Center Member Communities
- Atherton
- Belmont
- Brisbane
- Burlingame
- East Palo Alto
- Foster City
- Hillsborough
- Menlo Park
- Pacifica
- Portola Valley
- Redwood City
- San Bruno
- San Carlos
- San Mateo City
- San Mateo County
- South San Francisco
- Woodside
Feasibility Consults
Wondering what kind of ADU you can build on your property? Or what your first steps should be?
Residents of the member jurisdictions listed above can sign up for a free one-hour virtual consult with an ADU specialist. These personalized sessions are designed to provide you with insights and guidance on the viability of your potential project. Our team will assess your property’s unique characteristics and provide tailored information on the steps you can take to bring your ADU vision to life.
Consults are sponsored by the ADU Resource Center of San Mateo County and are provided by our partner, Hello Housing.
Step 1: Fill out the sign-up form here. Once you submit the form, you will be placed on a waitlist and the team will reach out by email to set up the consult. We’ll do some background research on your property to prepare for the consult.
Step 2: Meet with an ADU expert to discuss your project goals and constraints. The meeting will be virtual or over the phone and will last up to an hour.
Step 3: Receive a custom report. We will summarize your options, recommendations discussed, best practices and more.
FAQs
How do I know if a feasibility consult is right for me?
If you’re a property owner and thinking of building or legalizing an ADU, getting a feasibility consult as early in the process as possible can help you gain an understanding of the options available to you and what makes sense given your parameters, goals and budget. During the consult, an ADU specialist will answer questions around the feasibility of a potential project, how to navigate the ADU development process as well as discuss potential costs based on the information discussed during the session.
Who is eligible for a free consult?
Anyone who owns a property where ADUs or JADUs can be built, and who lives in one of the ADU Resource Center’s member jurisdictions. You can also sign up for a consult if you’re looking to legalize an unpermitted ADU. You must fill out the sign-up form to be considered for a free consult. We will get in touch with you once you’ve submitted the form.
What happens after the consult is over?
You’ll receive a comprehensive report summarizing recommendations and next steps from the ADU expert that you meet with. The report will also outline the steps of a typical ADU project so you know what to do next.
What’s the catch? Is this really free?
There’s no catch! The ADU Resource Center is a non-profit and is sponsoring this service for residents of San Mateo County in order to encourage ADU development across the county. We are not affiliated with any vendors and do not have a financial interest in your project. We only ask that you fill out a survey after you complete your consult to let us know if you’ve moved forward with your ADU project and how it’s going.
Local Contacts
Local Planning and Building staff are the best resource for up-to-date information about ADU rules in your jurisdiction and your property. Contact them directly using the information below:
Local ADU Contacts
Atherton
Brittany Bendix
Email: bbendix@ci.atherton.ca.us
Phone: 408.688.2432
Belmont
Planner on Duty
Phone: 650.595.7478
Brisbane
Community Development Department
Email: planning@brisbaneca.org
Phone: 415.508.2120
Burlingame
Planning Department
Email: planningdept@burlingame.org
Phone: 650.558.7250
Colma
Planning Department
Phone: 650.757.8888
Daly City
Daly City Planning Division
Phone: 650.991.8033
Planning Counter: open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:00am to 5:00pm
East Palo Alto
Planning Staff: planning@cityofepa.org
Building Staff: building@cityofepa.org
Foster City
Email Building Department: Building@fostercity.org
Email Planning Department: Planning@fostercity.org
Half Moon Bay
Community Development Department – 650.726.8270
Hillsborough
Planning Division – 650.375.7422
Menlo Park
650.330.6702 – planning@menlopark.org
Millbrae
Planning Division – 650-259-2341, planning@ci.millbrae.ca.us
Pacifica
Brianne Harkousha: 650. 738.7341 – bharkousha@pacifica.gov
Katie Snodgrass: KSnodgrass@pacifica.gov
Portola Valley
planbuild@portolavalley.net
Redwood City
planning@redwoodcity.org — 650.780.7236
San Bruno
Community Development Department, (650) 616-7074
For permitting procedure questions, reach out to building@sanbruno.ca.gov
For development standards, reach out to planning@sanbruno.ca.gov
San Carlos
Deanna Skaggs – dskaggs@cityofsancarlos.org; planning@cityofsancarlos.org
San Mateo City
650.522.7212 – planning@cityofsanmateo.org
San Mateo County
William Gibson – 628.222.3082
South San Francisco
Planning@ssf.net
Woodside
Contact Planning Department: (650) 851-6796
San Mateo County Assessor's Office
Contact for property information and tax assessment: smcacre.gov/assessor
Help Line
You’ve embarked on your ADU project but you’re coming up against an unforeseen issue or an unexpected question.
Call our Help Line for a free 20-minute call to troubleshoot your question with an ADU expert.
Sign up for a Help Line call here.
Contact Us
Have a quick question that you’d like answered over email? Send your question in through the Contact Us form below or email us at info@smcadu.org. You can also call 650.241.8336 and leave a voice message with your question.
