My shop is outside San Bruno. What does the city charge me to work there?
A contractor with no fixed place of business in San Bruno pays a flat yearly license tax under the city's Schedule of Taxes, rather than the gross-receipts scale used for businesses based in town. The city's FAQ lists outside contractors working on a project in town among those who need a city license. The tax is due on application and each July 1, and the Master Fee Schedule, updated every fiscal year, has the current amounts.
Can I lay new shingles over the old roof in San Bruno?
Over one existing layer, yes; the ridge caps and valleys come off so the inspector can confirm there is only one underneath. The new covering must be a Class A assembly, the city's local minimum for every type of construction. A roof that needs open torches requires a Hot Works permit with two fire extinguishers on the roof, and the final inspection checks roof access, an illuminated address and the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Do I need a survey to build a retaining wall in San Bruno?
If it sits within five feet of a property line, or within three inches of a required setback or easement, yes. The 2026 survey policy calls for a boundary survey by a licensed surveyor, stamped, signed and recorded with the San Mateo County Recorder, and it covers additions and accessory structures with foundations in the same positions. You may defer the survey, but no building permit issues until it is submitted.
Does a San Bruno window replacement need carbon monoxide alarms?
Smoke alarms yes, carbon monoxide alarms no. The window handout requires smoke alarms with 10-year batteries in sleeping rooms, the adjacent hallways, each level and basements, and it notes that the residential code's exception does not require CO alarms for window replacements. A replaced bedroom window must also meet egress: 20 inches clear width, 24 inches clear height, 5.7 square feet open and a sill no higher than 44 inches.
Does the hot list send me San Bruno jobs only?
It sends every new Bay Area job by text, whatever the trade or city, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so a repair off El Camino Real reaches you the same way as one across the bay. Each text names the work and the area and carries a link, where the job details and price show before you pay. You pay for the jobs you pick and nothing else, with no subscription and no bidding, and STOP ends the texts.
