Bolthole Index

Contra Costa County, California

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Town of Danville, California

Town of Danville, California requires a building permit for most construction and repair projects through the Town Permit Center.1 Danville administers its own zoning ordinance; Contra Costa Health handles septic-system approvals in Contra Costa County, including inside town limits.23

At a glance

Building permits
Required for most construction and repairs; Town Permit Center1
Zoning
Town zoning applies inside Danville town limits2
Septic systems
Contra Costa Health approval and OWTS construction permits34
Owner-builder
Town acknowledgment form must be completed before permit issuance5
Water and sewer
Utility or Environmental Health approvals depend on the project6
Private wells
County Environmental Health water-well permit process applies7

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Danville Permit Center

Town building-permit applications, submittal requirements and project questions

925-314-3330

[email protected]

500 La Gonda Way Danville, CA 94526

Online permits →

Zoning

Town of Danville Planning Division

Parcel zoning and setback questions inside Town limits

925-314-3310

Septic permits

Contra Costa Health - Environmental Health Division

Septic-system and water-well approvals through the Land Use Program

925-608-5500

2120 Diamond Boulevard, Suite 100 Concord, CA 94520

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Danville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Town of Danville, CA?

Danville requires a building permit for most construction and repair projects; begin with the Town Permit Center rather than the county building counter for a site inside town limits.1 Danville’s current California building codes took effect in January 2026.8 Building-permit fees vary by application type, are determined after initial review and are collected before issuance; the Town publishes a Master Fee Schedule for fee ranges.9 An owner-builder must read, initial, sign and return the Town’s acknowledgment form before Danville issues the building permit.5

Who handles building permits and zoning in Town of Danville?

The Danville Permit Center accepts application materials and plans in person or through the online permit portal.1 Call the Permit Center at 925-314-3330 for project submittal questions, and the Town Planning Division at 925-314-3310 for zoning and setback questions.110 Verify the job-site boundary before choosing a building-permit office: the Town says an address outside its boundaries falls under Contra Costa County jurisdiction.1 For land outside town limits, use the Contra Costa County guide for the county’s building-permit and zoning answers.1

Does Town of Danville have zoning, and what can you build?

Danville’s zoning ordinance establishes residential, commercial, agricultural, office and other land-use zones inside town limits.2 Determine a parcel’s district from the Town zoning maps and GIS resources, then ask the Planning Division for the applicable setbacks before drawing a building footprint.1110 A zoning designation alone does not resolve a proposed water or sewage arrangement: development under a planning application approval must also obtain the applicable approvals from EBMUD, Contra Costa Health Environmental Health and/or Central Contra Costa Sanitary District.6

How do septic permits and private wells work in Town of Danville?

Contra Costa Health Environmental Health serves properties with septic systems and wells, including properties inside Danville; projects involving these systems require Environmental Health-approved plans at application submittal.3 County OWTS construction permits cover new conventional and alternative systems, alterations, replacements, abandonment and tank replacement; submitting the application is not itself a permit.4 Private water-well work follows the county permit process, which requires a plot plan and an application signed by a licensed well driller.7 Arrange these reviews alongside Town planning rather than assuming a Town building permit approves the wastewater or water supply.63

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Danville?

We could not confirm a Danville rule allowing RV living, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on a private parcel; ask the Town Planning Division to identify the allowed use and approval path for the specific address.10 Danville has its own zoning ordinance, so a county rule for unincorporated land does not establish the Town’s answer.2 If the proposal is an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit, Danville requires rental terms longer than 30 days.12 That rental restriction does not establish permission to occupy an RV or a tiny home; resolve the proposed use with Town Planning before buying for that purpose.10

Building a home in Town of Danville: what are the steps?

  1. Verify that the job site is inside Danville’s town boundary with the Permit Center.1
  2. Review the parcel’s zoning and setback requirements with the Planning Division.10
  3. Arrange applicable water, sewer or Environmental Health approvals; the Town requires sanitary-district plan review before submittal for some projects.61
  4. Review the Town Permit Directory and Outside Agency Checklist, then submit the building application and plans in person or online.1
  5. Complete the owner-builder acknowledgment if applying as an owner-builder, and pay the assessed fees before building-permit issuance.59

Watch-outs

  • A Danville mailing address is not enough to choose a building-permit office: verify the Town boundary with the Permit Center.1
  • Septic-system additions require Environmental Health plan review before building-permit application submittal.13
  • We could not confirm the parcel-specific floodplain or driveway approval requirements for Danville; ask the Town Permit Center which additional reviews apply before buying or designing.1

Sources

  1. Town of Danville Permit Center (danville.ca.gov)
  2. Zoning Ordinance & Map (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  3. contracosta.ca.gov, quoted and re-checked
  4. OWTS Construction Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  5. Permit Addendum for Owner-Builders (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  6. 32-1.10 Water and Sewer Requirements (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Water Well Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  8. Current Building Codes & Design Criteria (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Permit Center (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Town of Danville Planning Division (danville.ca.gov)
  11. 32-20.3 Districts Established (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  12. 32-76.16 Short Term Rentals (Town of Danville), quoted and re-checked
  13. contracosta.ca.gov, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Danville

Town of Danville’s own rules

  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owner-builders applying for building permits inside Danville town limits.

    • The permit is not issued until the owner reads, initials, signs, and returns the Town's acknowledgment form.
    • Owner-builder status does not apply when a licensed contractor assumes responsibility.
    “We will not issue a building permit until you have read, initialed your understanding of each provision, signed, and returned this form to us at our official address indicated.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Danville town limits; the Town states that jurisdictions must adopt and enforce the current California building standards codes.

    • The listed current codes have an effective date of January 1, 2026.

    effective date: 2026-01-01

    “The New 2025 California Building Code went into effect on January 1, 2026.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Danville town limits; the Town administers a zoning ordinance establishing residential, commercial, agricultural, office, and other zones.

    “The Zoning Ordinance defines different categories of land within a community into "zones" (residential, commercial, agricultural, office, etc.) to establish general development and land use requirements to promote and protect the public safety, health, peace, comfort, and general welfare of the community as well as protect the character, social, and economic vitality of neighborhood districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Land inside Danville town limits.

    • The code lists R-6 through R-100, D-1, multifamily, agricultural, office, commercial, industrial, and planned-unit districts.
    • Specific parcel zoning is determined from the Town's zoning maps and GIS resources.
    “The land use districts as set forth in this section are established for all the Town, and the land use districts designated on the maps adopted by Section 3220 are established and classified in this Article.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Water and sewage facilities for uses, construction, structures, or development established under a Danville planning application approval.

    • Approval must be obtained from EBMUD, Contra Costa Health Environmental Health Division, and/or Central Contra Costa Sanitary District as applicable.
    • The reviewed provision does not state a distance threshold or universal mandatory connection rule.
    “Water supply and sewage systems and/or facilities required for any use, construction, structure, or other development to be established under a planning application approval issued pursuant to this Chapter shall comply with the Danville Municipal Code and obtain the approval of the East Bay Municipal Utility District, Contra Costa Health -Environmental Health Division, and/or the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of parcels inside Danville town limits.

    • A Major Subdivision application is required before subdividing into five or more lots and/or parcels.
    • Minimum development standards are established under Article VI and Chapter XXXI.

    major subdivision threshold: >= 5 lots or parcels

    “Approval of a Major Subdivision application is required prior to the subdivision of any parcel(s) of land into five or more lots and/or parcels, as established under Chapter XXXI. Minimum development standards for the creation of new lots and/or parcels are established under this Article VI.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units rented inside Danville town limits.

    • Such units must be rented for terms longer than 30 days.

    minimum rental term: > 30 days

    “If an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit is rented, it shall be rented for terms longer than thirty (30) days.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Danville permit applications inside town limits.

    • Fees vary by application type.
    • Fees are determined after initial review and collected before permit issuance.
    • The Town directs applicants to the Master Fee Schedule for ranges.
    “Permit fees vary based on application type. Fees will be determined after the application is initially reviewed and collected before permit issuance. For a range of fees based on application type, please view our Master Fee Schedule (PDF).”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Danville or Contra Costa County directly.

  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Danville town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Danville town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Danville town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Danville town limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on land inside Danville town limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Danville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Contra Costa County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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