Permit history is where a pretty remodel can get awkward. South Valley buyers should check jurisdiction and records before they inherit the problem.
A listing can say remodeled kitchen, bonus room, converted garage, detached office, or ADU-ready. That does not mean the paper trail agrees. In Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Martin, the first question is not always what was built. It is who had jurisdiction when it was built.
This is the buyer checklist we would use before treating square footage, bedrooms, additions, or future ADU plans as clean.
First, confirm the jurisdiction
Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and unincorporated Santa Clara County do not all use the same records path. San Martin is usually the county conversation. Some rural-feeling properties near city edges can surprise buyers too, so do not assume based on mailing city alone.
Santa Clara County's Property Explorer can show jurisdiction, zoning, development activity, and development constraints by address or APN. The county notes that it provides only limited information for parcels inside city limits, and city properties should be checked with that city's planning department.
County source: Start with Santa Clara County's Research a Property page when jurisdiction is unclear.
Morgan Hill: check eTRAKiT and ask about older paper trails
Morgan Hill's permit information page directs users to the city's eTRAKiT citizen portal to check plan review status. That is the right starting point for current city permit records and active review questions.
For buyers, the key is not just whether a permit exists. It is whether the permit was finaled, whether the scope matches what you are seeing, and whether older work predates the easiest online lookup. If a house has an addition, converted garage, old patio enclosure, second kitchen, or detached structure, ask your agent to help request the record early.
Morgan Hill source: Use the city's Permit Information page as the starting point.
Gilroy: GO Permit is the current portal
Gilroy's GO Permit page says the portal covers residential and commercial projects and gives customers online access for permits, plan review status, inspections, and records. The city says for new permits issued after June 19, 2023, GO Permit gives 24-hour online permit access.
Gilroy's building inspection page also explains that permits beginning with BLDR or BLDNR use the GO Permit portal for inspection requests, while older eight-digit permits use the older scheduling path. That split is a hint for buyers: if the remodel is older, ask how far the online record goes and whether staff need to pull anything else.
Gilroy sources: Start with GO Permit and the city's Building Inspections page.
San Martin and rural parcels: county records matter more
For properties outside city limits, Santa Clara County says a Building Permit Record Search can be requested in person at the front counter. That matters in San Martin because wells, septic systems, outbuildings, agricultural uses, lot legality, and older additions can all change the buyer's risk picture.
If the property has a detached structure, shop, barn, second unit, converted space, or anything that looks lived-in but not fully described in the listing, do not wait for the appraisal to surface the issue. Ask for county records, septic records, well records, and any finaled permits before you build your offer around that space.
The five red flags buyers should not ignore
Finished space that is missing from county square footage
Sometimes the explanation is simple. Sometimes it is an unpermitted conversion. Ask before you treat that space as value.
Permit pulled, but no final inspection
A permit application is not the same as completed, approved work. Ask whether the permit was finaled and whether the final matches the work you see.
Garage, patio, or outbuilding that quietly became living space
This can affect insurance, financing, future resale, and whether you can legally rent or use the space the way the listing implies.
ADU dreams built on bad assumptions
If your plan depends on adding an ADU, use the South Valley ADU Cost Calculator and confirm the existing site conditions before assuming the lot can carry your plan.
Seller credit offered instead of clean records
Credits can be useful. They can also make a messy issue feel smaller than it is. Get contractor input before you trade a record problem for a discount.
FAQ
Can I rely on the seller disclosure for permit history?
Use it as a starting point, not the whole file. Sellers may not know every detail, especially on older homes with prior owners. Pull city or county records when the space or value depends on past work being legal.
Does a permit prove the work was finaled?
No. A permit record and a final inspection are different things. Ask for finaled status, scope, and any open corrections before you close.
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Found a South Valley permit-record trap we should explain next? Email [email protected].