Will our Cupertino kitchen remodel require fire sprinklers?
Not if it stays a remodel. Cupertino's comparison matrix applies fire sprinklers to rebuilds and new construction, and a project becomes a rebuild when more than 75 percent of the conditioned floor area is remodeled or half or more of the exterior wall perimeter or roof structure is removed. A kitchen alone rarely crosses that line; a kitchen plus most of the house can.
Do new cabinets and countertops need a permit in Cupertino?
No. Cabinets and counter tops are on the Building Division's list of finish work exempt from permits, alongside painting, tiling and carpeting. Replacing the sink, changing the plumbing or adding outlets and lights is different and needs plumbing or electrical permits.
Does a Cupertino kitchen remodel have to switch to an induction range?
Cupertino has no local rule forcing it. The city stopped enforcing its all-electric building chapter on May 15, 2024, its replacement energy code, enacted on October 1, 2024, is aimed at new buildings, and the ordinance says its heat pump space-heating amendment does not apply to additions or alterations. Ask the designer which state energy code items the remodel itself triggers.
Our Fairgrove Eichler kitchen needs a new window. What does the city expect?
Fairgrove is zoned R1-e, and the city's Eichler handbook describes Eichler glazing as large panes of glass without grids, which is the look a replacement window should follow. Any change that adds roof area keeps the slope at 3:12 or less. The remodel itself goes through a standard permit, since kitchens are not on the city's instant permit list.
Do we need a recycling plan for the old kitchen?
Only if the project is a covered one. The Building Division's notice counts a residential alteration as covered when it increases the building's square footage, so a kitchen bump-out files a Debris Recovery Plan in Green Halo, while a remodel inside the existing walls does not.
