Cupertino / Kitchen remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling in Cupertino
Cupertino's 2025 code changed kitchen wiring. The city spells it out on one page.
Cupertino adopted the 2025 California codes on January 1, 2026, and its kitchen remodel template now asks for GFCI on ranges and ovens and island outlet provisions. We remodel kitchens here with those rules, the city's plan review queue and SVCE rebates planned before demolition.
WHAT WE PLAN IN A CUPERTINO KITCHEN
Cabinets only, or a real remodel?
Cupertino does not require a permit when the work is only new cabinets or countertops and leaves electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems and walls alone. Anything more needs plans: floor, ceiling, electrical and, if walls move, structural framing. The city warns that new circuits may require a main panel upgrade after field verification.
Cabinets and counters
No permit when only cabinets go in or countertops are replaced, with no system or wall changes. Moving a sink or adding circuits brings a permit.
Appliance circuits
Under the 2025 code, GFCI protection extends to dishwashers, electric ranges, wall ovens, cooktops and microwaves, plus AFCI on 15 and 20 amp kitchen circuits.
Islands
An island needs a receptacle or a provision for a future one, and an island sink needs special venting under CPC 909, which affects slab homes.
Range hood
Hood ducts must be smooth metal. Replacing a hood with an outside vent needs a mechanical permit, with the vent 3 feet from openings.
Panel capacity
Cupertino notes the main panel may need an upgrade once new circuits are verified. A same-location upgrade up to 200 amps can be an instant permit.
Walls and Eichlers
Removing a wall requires a structural framing plan. In Eichler post-and-beam homes, beams and slab routes are checked before an open layout is drawn.
PERMIT OR NOT
What Cupertino exempts, and what it does not.
Cupertino's remodel policy draws the line at systems and walls. The same new cabinets can be exempt or not depending on what moves with them.
| No permit | Permit and plans | |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | Installed with no other changes | Installed with a moved sink or new outlets |
| Countertops | Replaced in place | Replaced with a new island or cooktop |
| Electrical | No changes | Any new circuit or outlet |
| Walls | No changes | Removed or moved, with a framing plan |
| Range hood | Recirculating, replaced in place | Mechanical permit for an outside vent |
Source: Cupertino Residential Kitchen, Bathroom and Laundry Remodel Policy, revised 2/2026 ↗
DESIGN IDEAS
Kitchens to start the conversation.
Drag the divider to compare before and after, or open an image for a closer look.
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Planning the work
How a Cupertino kitchen gets built.
Site visit
Free visit. Walls, beams, panel, gas and slab or crawlspace.
Design and plans
Floor, ceiling, electrical and framing plans plus the CF1R-ALT energy form, using the city kitchen template where it fits.
Permit
Submitted to the Permit Center by email. Initial plan review currently averages 20 to 30 business days.
Build and final
Rough-in inspections, cabinets, counters and appliances, final inspection and rebate claims.
CUPERTINO AT A GLANCE
Who you deal with for a Cupertino kitchen.
The permit and inspections come from Cupertino's Building Division, gas and wires from PG&E, and the electricity from Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Each one touches a kitchen remodel.
- 47%
- of Cupertino homes built from 1960 to 1979
- 20 to 30
- business days for an initial plan review, per the city
- Jan 2026
- 2025 California codes took effect in Cupertino
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 ↗Counter review
Same day for small projects
Over-the-counter plan review runs Monday to Thursday, 10am to noon. If plans are complete, a permit for a small project can be issued the same day.
Building Division ↗Utilities
PG&E plus Silicon Valley Clean Energy
PG&E delivers gas and electricity; SVCE supplies the power and pays rebates when a gas range is replaced with induction in an existing home.
(877) 743-7782SVCE home rebates ↗2025 CODE, CUPERTINO TEMPLATE
What Cupertino checks in a kitchen.
From the city's kitchen remodel template and remodel policy, both updated in 2026.
Electrical
- Two 20 amp small-appliance circuits for counters and the refrigerator
- Dedicated circuits for disposal, microwave, compactor and dishwasher
- Outlets so no point on a counter wall is over 24 inches from one
- GFCI on counters and listed appliances, AFCI on kitchen circuits
Plumbing and mechanical
- Dishwasher air gap above the sink rim
- Faucet 1.8 gpm or less
- Hot water and 3/4 inch pipes insulated 1 inch
- Smooth metal hood duct, 3 feet from openings
Expect a longer path when
- A wall comes out and needs a framing plan
- An island sink needs CPC 909 venting
- New circuits push the panel to an upgrade
- Eichler re-roof or siding work, which is excluded from instant permits
SILICON VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY
Rebates for an electric Cupertino kitchen.
Cupertino is an SVCE community without its own city adder. Rebates apply to replacements in existing homes and are reserved before installation.
SVCE
Induction range or cooktop
$500, or $750 income-qualified
Replacing a gas range or cooktop.
SVCE
Induction cookware
up to $250
Add-on with a core appliance rebate.
SVCE
New circuits
$500 per circuit, up to $2,000
Or $750 per circuit, up to $3,000, income-qualified.
SVCE
All-electric bonus
$500
When the gas meter is removed after going all-electric.
Amounts from svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates, October 2026. Reservations hold for 120 days.
WHAT SLOWS CUPERTINO KITCHENS
Problems Cupertino homeowners run into, and how we plan around them.
From Cupertino residents' posts and the city's own permit pages, templates and notices.
Plan review is running longer than normal because of volume and staffing, by the city's own account.
Plans go in complete on the first submittal, following the city template, so no review cycle is lost to missing sheets.
Work done without permits by a previous owner surfaces during the remodel.
Existing conditions are documented first, and legalizing older work is folded into the same permit where possible.
Fake emails ask permit applicants to pay fees.
Fees are paid only in the Accela portal or at the Permit Center; we forward each real invoice so you can check it.
New kitchen circuits trigger a panel upgrade at inspection.
A load calculation is done before design, so any panel work is permitted up front, often as an instant permit.
Sources: r/Cupertino threads, 2025 to 2026; cupertino.gov permits page, kitchen template and phishing notice.
Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in Cupertino?
Yes, unless the work is only installing cabinets or replacing countertops. Cupertino exempts that work under 2025 CRC Section 105.2 when no electrical, plumbing, mechanical system or wall is altered. Anything beyond it needs a building permit with floor, ceiling and electrical plans.
How long does a kitchen permit take in Cupertino?
20 to 30 business days for the initial plan review, according to the city's current notice, and 10 to 20 business days for each later review. Small projects with complete plans can get same-day counter review, Monday to Thursday from 10am to noon.
What changed for kitchen wiring under Cupertino's 2025 code?
GFCI protection now applies to the circuits for dishwashers, electric ranges, wall ovens, counter-mounted cooking units and microwaves rated 150 volts or less to ground and 60 amps or less, per CEC 210.8(D). Islands without a receptacle need a provision for adding one later.
Does a new kitchen island need special plumbing in Cupertino?
Yes, if it has a sink. Cupertino's kitchen template requires special venting for a new island sink under CPC 909, because a standard vent cannot rise through the counter. In slab homes this is planned before the island is placed.
Will a kitchen remodel require a panel upgrade in Cupertino?
Sometimes. Cupertino's kitchen template warns that additional required circuits may mean a main panel upgrade after field verification. A load calculation shows it early, and a same-location upgrade up to 200 amps qualifies for an instant permit outside HOAs.
Is there a rebate for switching to induction in Cupertino?
Yes. Silicon Valley Clean Energy pays $500 for replacing a gas range or cooktop with induction, or $750 income-qualified, plus up to $250 for induction cookware and $500 per new circuit. Rebates are reserved before installation.
