Cupertino / Bathroom remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling in Cupertino
Nearly half of Cupertino homes were built in the 1960s and 70s. So were their bathrooms.
Cupertino's housing boom left 47 percent of homes from 1960 to 1979, many with original plumbing behind the tile. We remodel bathrooms here with the city's own bathroom plan template, its counter review for small jobs and SVCE rebates lined up before demolition.
THREE PERMIT PATHS
How Cupertino reviews remodel permits.
Cupertino uses an instant online permit for simple replacements, a same-day counter review for small projects and plan check for the rest. Most bathrooms land in one of the last two.
| Instant permit | Counter review | Plan check | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to apply | Licensed contractor in Accela | At the counter, complete plans | Email to the Permit Center |
| Typical scope | Water heater, panel, re-pipe | Small projects | Remodels, layout changes |
| Time to permit | Same day | Same day | 15 day target, 20 to 30 business days now |
| Excluded | HOA, historic, heat pump water heaters | Larger scopes | None |
WHAT WE PLAN IN A CUPERTINO BATHROOM
Counter review, or full plan check?
Cupertino's counter plan review can issue a permit the same day for a small project with complete plans. A remodel that goes to plan check is targeted at 15 days, but the city's own notice says initial reviews currently average 20 to 30 business days. Keeping the layout simple and the drawings complete decides which path you get.
Shower and tub
A shower needs at least 1,024 square inches and room for a 30 inch circle, waterproofing 72 inches above the drain, a 22 inch clear exit and a 2 inch drain.
Plans the city wants
Dimensioned existing and proposed floor plans, a ceiling plan, electrical and ventilation plans and the CF1R-ALT energy form. Cupertino publishes a bathroom template to fill in.
Ventilation
A fan of at least 50 CFM, or 20 CFM running continuously, ducted 3 feet from openings and switched separately from the lights.
Electrical
GFCI and tamper-resistant receptacles, a dedicated 20 amp circuit, an outlet within 3 feet of each basin and one light on a vacancy sensor.
Water heater
Every water heater replacement needs a plumbing permit. A heat pump model is not on the instant permit list, so it is planned into the remodel permit.
Eichler and 1960s homes
Slab floors limit where drains can move, and original 1960s and 70s supply lines are often due for replacement, so layouts and piping are checked first.
CUPERTINO AT A GLANCE
What is different about remodeling in Cupertino.
Cupertino's housing stock is one of the most uniform in the valley, built mostly in two decades, and the city runs its own permit and inspection system. Both shape a bathroom plan.
- 47%
- of homes built from 1960 to 1979
- 1973
- median year a Cupertino home was built
- 58,566
- residents, 2024 Census estimate
Permits
Cupertino Permit Center
Permit Center at City Hall, 10300 Torre Avenue. In-person counter Monday to Thursday, virtual counter on Friday. Applications by email to permitcenter@cupertino.gov; fees, instant permits and inspections through the Accela Citizen Access portal.
(408) 777-3228Building permits ↗Inspections
Booked online or by phone
Inspections are scheduled in the Accela portal or at (408) 777-3228, and the city posts a daily list of scheduled inspections. Inspection hours start at 7:30am or 9am depending on the weekday.
Building inspections ↗Utilities
PG&E plus Silicon Valley Clean Energy
PG&E delivers gas and electricity, and Silicon Valley Clean Energy supplies the power. SVCE pays rebates when gas appliances are replaced with electric ones in existing homes.
(877) 743-7782SVCE home rebates ↗Eichlers
Instant permits exclude Eichlers
Cupertino's instant permit list excludes Eichler homes for re-roofs, siding and solar, and excludes HOA and historic properties for most items. Those jobs go through standard review.
Instant permits ↗CUPERTINO REMODEL POLICY
What the city checks in a bathroom.
From Cupertino's Residential Kitchen, Bathroom and Laundry Remodel Policy, revised February 2026 for the 2025 codes.
Plans to submit
- Building permit application
- Existing and proposed floor plans with smoke and CO alarms
- Ceiling plan and electrical and ventilation plan
- Structural framing plan if a wall is removed or moved
- CF1R-ALT residential energy form
Fixtures and safety
- Toilets 1.28 gpf, showerheads 1.8 gpm, faucets 1.2 gpm
- 15 inches each side of a toilet, 24 inches in front
- Tempered or laminated glass near tubs and showers
- Shower water limited to 120 degrees F
No permit needed when
- Only cabinets are installed
- Only countertops are replaced
- No electrical, plumbing, mechanical or wall changes
Planning the work
How a Cupertino bathroom project runs.
Site visit
Free visit. Slab or crawlspace, existing plumbing, the panel and whether the layout can stay.
Plans and permit
City template or full plans, submitted to the Permit Center. Small jobs go to counter review, Monday to Thursday, 10am to noon.
Demolition and rough-in
Plumbing, electrical and waterproofing inspected before tile. Inspections are booked through Accela or by phone.
Finishes and final
Fixtures, glass and lighting, then the water-conserving fixture and smoke alarm certificates at final.
SILICON VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY
Rebates that fit a Cupertino bathroom.
Cupertino has no city rebate on top of SVCE, so SVCE's amounts are the ones to plan on. Reservations are made before installation and hold for 120 days.
SVCE
Gas to heat pump water heater
$2,500, or $3,500 income-qualified
Replacement in an existing home, ADU or building of 4 units or fewer.
SVCE
Electric to heat pump water heater
$1,000, or $2,000 income-qualified
Replacing an electric-resistance unit.
SVCE
New circuits
$500 per circuit, up to $2,000
For prewiring, wiring or a circuit splitter.
SVCE
Panel upgrade add-on
$1,000
Paired with at least one core appliance rebate.
Amounts from svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates, October 2026. SVCE's $500 fall water heater bonus has expired.
WHAT TRIPS UP CUPERTINO REMODELS
Problems Cupertino homeowners run into, and how we plan around them.
From Cupertino residents' posts and the city's own permit pages and notices.
Plan review takes longer than normal, and the city says so on its own website.
Small bathrooms are prepared for same-day counter review; larger ones are submitted complete so the 20 to 30 day first review is not repeated.
A previous owner's unpermitted work turns up, and as-built drawings are needed to legalize it.
Existing conditions are documented at the site visit, and unpermitted work is drawn into the permit set instead of hidden behind new tile.
Emails demanding permit fees turn out to be a phishing scam the city has warned about.
Fees are paid only through the city's Accela portal or at the Permit Center, and you see every official invoice.
Original 1960s and 70s plumbing fails once walls are open.
Supply and drain lines are inspected before the quote, and a re-pipe is priced as an option rather than a surprise.
Eichler slabs make moving a shower or toilet drain disruptive.
Keeping drains in place is drawn as the first option, and slab work is planned only where the layout needs it.
Sources: r/Cupertino threads, 2025 to 2026; cupertino.gov building permit pages and phishing notice.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Cupertino?
Yes. Cupertino requires a building permit for every bathroom remodel unless the work is only new cabinets or countertops, with no change to electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems or walls. The application needs dimensioned existing and proposed floor plans signed by the person who prepared them.
How long does a bathroom permit take in Cupertino?
Same day for a small project at the counter, or 20 to 30 business days for an initial plan review, according to the city's current notice. Its published target for a remodel is 15 days, with 10 days for each resubmittal. Counter review runs Monday to Thursday, 10am to noon.
What documents does Cupertino need before a bathroom final inspection?
Two certificates in most cases: the Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixture Certificate of Compliance and the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Certificate of Compliance. Plans also need the CF1R-ALT energy form at submittal.
Can I replace a water heater with an instant permit in Cupertino?
Only a standard gas tank. Cupertino's instant permit covers a like-for-like gas tank water heater with the same BTUs or less, not tankless and not a heat pump model, and not in an HOA. A heat pump water heater needs a standard plumbing permit.
Does a remodeled bathroom in Cupertino need a vacancy sensor?
Yes. Cupertino's remodel policy, revised for the 2025 codes, requires at least one light in a remodeled bathroom to be on a vacancy sensor (manual-on, automatic-off), all lighting to be high efficacy, and the exhaust fan to be switched separately from the lights unless a humidistat controls it.
Is there a rebate for a heat pump water heater in Cupertino?
Yes. Silicon Valley Clean Energy pays $2,500 for replacing a gas water heater with a heat pump model, or $3,500 income-qualified, and $1,000 for replacing an electric one. The rebate must be reserved before installation.
