We’re making permitting easier in Santa Cruz County – have you noticed?

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Permits are meant to move projects forward — not hold them back.

Whether it’s applying for permits to rebuild after a disaster, opening a new business or improving a home, getting a permit can cost time and money and be intimidating.

At the Santa Cruz County Planning Division, we’ve heard the community’s frustrations. 

That is why we have redesigned how customers move through the permitting process and, over the past few years, created the unified permit center to expand online services and centralize the permit process.

Building codes, environmental regulations, health and safety requirements and land-use rules all play an important role in protecting our community. We also believe people should not have to become experts in county regulations just to move a project through the permitting process. 

We’ve made a sustained effort to make the permitting process easier to understand, easier to access and more responsive to customer needs. While permitting will never be simple, the goal is straightforward: help applicants successfully navigate the process while continuing to protect public safety, environmental resources and community character. 

In the past 24 months, the county has issued more than 10,000 over-the-counter permits, and approximately 550 more complex permits. The county’s dashboard offers details on the type of permits in each category.

The role of the planning division is not simply to enforce regulations, it is also to help applicants understand those regulations and move projects forward successfully. 

Increasingly, that means providing clear information, predictable processes, responsive customer service and multiple ways for customers to access assistance. 

So how will the process be simpler? 

The biggest change is the creation of the unified permit center, which we launched and developed significantly over the past three years. 

The center means applicants no longer have to navigate multiple offices independently. They now find planning, building, zoning and related permit services in a single place. Before this, customers had to navigate between the public works and planning divisions.  

Now, whether customers are pursuing a major development project or simply replacing a water heater, they have a clearer path to information, assistance and project coordination. 

The county has also expanded customer access through improved public counter services, online scheduling tools and multiple options for obtaining assistance in person, by phone or electronically. We have several new positions, including a permit center manager, to improve customer service. 

For example, if you’re planning to build a new home, you start in the permit center either in person or online. There, staff will explain the permitting process and what approvals you might need. You can then schedule appointments. 

And you can do all of this in-person or online. 

Likewise, if you’re planning a home improvement project, such as building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or replacing a water heater, the permit center staff will help you understand the requirements, determine which permits are needed and guide you through each step of the permitting process. 

For many applicants, one of the most noticeable changes has been the shift from paper-based processes to online services. 

This has eliminated the need for multiple trips to county offices. Customers can also track project status, communicate with reviewers and access permit information remotely. 

Additional improvements include: 

• An interactive online platform (the Camino online permit guide launched in July 2025) that helps applicants identify permit requirements before they apply. 
• A redesigned website with easier access to permitting information and resources. 
• Online appointment scheduling with permit reviewers and technical staff. 
• Mobile inspection technology that improves communication and inspection scheduling. 
• Public dashboards and online tools that provide greater transparency throughout the review process. 

What will all this change? 

We know permitting isn’t anyone’s favorite part of a project.

That’s why we’ve spent years working to make the process easier, more efficient and more user-friendly. Technology is an important part of the solution, but it doesn’t create a better permitting process on its own. We also recognize the importance of listening to our customers and continuously improving the way we deliver services.

To help identify opportunities for improvement, we’ve launched a customer experience survey that gives applicants a direct voice in shaping our services. Early feedback suggests these efforts are making a positive difference, and we’ll continue using customer input to guide future improvements.

Since May 2025, more than 1,000 customers have completed our survey, and we’re proud to have earned a 96.5% satisfaction rating, with an average score of 4.8 out of 5 stars, with customers frequently praising staff’s helpfulness, professionalism and communications throughout the permitting process.

These results place our planning division among the highest-performing public service departments in the state and reflect our commitment to providing responsive, customer-focused service.

Improving the permitting process is not a one-time effort, and permitting will never be as simple as clicking a button. But it can be clearer, more predictable and easier to navigate.

That’s why we’re committed to continuous improvement, listening to our customers, refining our processes and investing in tools and services that make permitting more efficient for everyone.

Matt Machado serves as the deputy county executive officer and director of community development & infrastructure.