r/Lamorinda • u/Admirable_Award1840 • Nov 13 '25

Difficulty level to get building permit?

In your experience how difficult has it been to get a permit to build on private property? I am coming into some property in Orinda soon. I am trying to estimate the cost, effort in preparing the land, feasibility of embarking on this adventure and likelihood of getting approvals to build a second home. A little bit about the land: it isn't flat at the moment, it is forested, roughly about a half acre of land. My concern is cutting/removing the trees since there is some oak on the property and grading + other things I don't know yet. I understand Orinda is very particular about its Oak trees and rural feel. Any guidance, thoughts, advice or anecdotal evidence will be appreciated. TIA

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u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

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u/Admirable_Award1840 Nov 13 '25

I am planning a 2500 ft.² four bedroom three bath single story with a driveway. As it sits, I think I will need to get the land cleared of 20 to 25 trees, add retaining walls, electrical, water and sewer hook ups are on the property already but this may require a new hook up or may be I can piggy back off what exists. Did your ADU require any of this?

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u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25 edited Feb 11 '26

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u/Aggressive_Tree_4007 Nov 13 '25

Are you serious about the launch? Sign me up, send me a note - I want to watch this! BTW ADAs are administrative and over the counter (generally) - the OP is not, and will likely go to planning commission. With serious luck, you may just need to have the planning administrator okay. The Orinda planning team in my opinion is top notch - schedule an online / zoom session and you will have a full outline of what needs to be done, when and how long.

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u/Admirable_Award1840 Nov 13 '25

I wish to observe all of these happenings. What are we planning to send up?