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Using Translation

The County of San Mateo has added a translation feature developed by Google Translate to assist web visitors in understanding information on this website in a variety of foreign languages. Please be aware that Google Translate, a free third party service which the County does not control, provides automated computer translations that may not give you an exact translation. The County cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate so translations should not be considered exact and only used as a rough guide. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. The County disclaims and will not accept any liability for damages or losses of any kind caused by the use of the Google Translate feature.

two San Mateo County residents deconstructing the side of a home
CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION
Cutting down on landfill waste.

Construction and Demolition

Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste can be generated as a result of new construction, addition, remodel, or demolition projects. To minimize this waste, the County requires that certain projects in unincorporated San Mateo County submit a Waste Management Plan to the Sustainability Department.

If your project is located in an incorporated city within San Mateo County, please refer to pages 2 and 3 of the Construction, Deconstruction, and Demolition Guide (PDF) for the relevant requirements.

Do I need a Waste Management Plan?

In accordance with the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) and County Building Regulations, covered projects must salvage, reuse, or recycle all inert solids and a minimum of 65% of the construction and demolition debris generated by the project.

A Waste Management Plan is required to demonstrate compliance with these requirements if the project includes one or more of the following:

Project Type Notes / Clarifications
New permitted buildings Includes manufactured homes and permitted sheds
Additions or alterations to existing permitted buildings that increase conditioned area, volume, or size Not required for seismic retrofits, waterproofing, soundproofing, or work solely to bring a structure up to code
Alterations to kitchens  
Alterations to existing buildings where work exceeds 500 sq ft  
Demolition of existing permitted buildings For single-family residential whole building demolitions only: a deconstruction survey is required. Click on the “Deconstruction Survey Requirements” dropdown for more information
All commercial projects Includes new construction, additions, alterations, and demolitions

If any of these apply to your project, you are required to submit a Waste Management Plan through Green Halo, the County’s online system for tracking and processing plans.

How do I prepare the Waste Management Plan?

Through Green Halo, applicants can submit and receive approval for their plan, upload all recycling receipts and supporting documents, and track submissions- all from the convenience of their home or office, 24/7.

For projects requiring a Waste Management Plan, a project will be automatically created in Green Halo and assigned to the permit applicant. Do not create your own project, as duplicates will be deleted. The applicant should receive an automatic email from Green Halo with instructions for accessing the system.

If you need assistance or would like to assign the project to someone else, please contact us at sustainability@smcgov.org or 888-442-2666 x0. First-time users will need to register before using the system.

Fees and Fines: A $95 administrative fee will be added electronically to Accela when Section One of the plan is completed. The County’s Building Department collects this fee before the permit is issued. Projects that fail to provide required recycling receipts or documentation, or do not meet the 65% minimum recycling rate, may be fined up to $1,000.

Deconstruction

Deconstruction is a cost-effective and environmentally responsible alternative to conventional building demolition, where hazardous materials are removed, reusable appliances, flooring, and other building materials are salvaged and non-reusable materials are recycled.

Watch this video on the benefits of deconstruction!

The Latest News & Events

Fixit Clinic @ Foster City Library
Apr
4

Fixit Clinics are fun community-based workshops where neighbors, friends, and families work collectively to learn how to repair broken items. We’ll provide a workspace, specialty tools, and volunteer Fixit Coaches to help you troubleshoot and provide routine maintenance to your household items and appliances!

Register at https://bit.ly/itemcheckin.

Interested in being a Fixit Coach?
It’s easy! Provide participants with 1) guidance on tools and 2) encouragement to investigate their broken item. Let them talk about how they used it and how it broke. That often provides valuable hints as to what’s wrong. See how much you can do without actually handling the item. Empower the item’s owner to do the troubleshooting and disassembly. Register to be a Fixit Coach here.

This event is hosted in partnership with the San Mateo County Libraries.

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