Encroachment Permit

An Encroachment Permit must be obtained whenever a property owner or a contractor needs to perform work within the public right-of-way, pursuant to East Palo Alto Municipal Code Sections 13.06.200 and 13.06.280.

The public right-of-way (ROW) refers to City-owned streets and/or easements. The public ROW generally consists of the full width from the back edge of the sidewalk, the road, and the back edge of the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. 

Encroachment Permit Applications

Signed encroachment permit application packages can be submitted directly to the Public Works Engineering Division for review and approval. Turnaround times for review depend primarily on the current workload of the Engineering Division, and applications will be prioritized in the order in which they are received. 

Please review closely the list of required documents on the Encroachment Permit - Application Form document below. Applications lacking one or more of the documents listed will be deemed incomplete, ultimately delaying permit issuance. 

Street Moratorium Restrictions

If the proposed scope of work under an encroachment permit involves open trenching or cutting into the street pavement, please confirm whether or not the street is currently under moratorium restrictions using the Street Moratorium List below. If the street is currently under moratorium restrictions, please review Section XI of the Encroachment Permit - Standard Conditions document below.