Development projects: preliminary estimate of required improvements: onsite and offsite improvements

The law gives housing applicants advance estimates and itemized permit-stage requirements, improving predictability around project infrastructure obligations. It applies statewide, including in charter cities.

What the law does ​

• Requires cities and counties to provide, within 30 business days, a good-faith preliminary estimate of potentially required onsite and offsite improvements when requested with a qualifying housing application.
• Requires the estimate to identify likely improvement types and current estimated costs for improvements the city or county would build or install.
• Lets applicants request improvement-type lists from other public agencies, utilities, and special districts, which must respond within 30 business days.
• Requires cities and counties to give an itemized improvement list within 30 business days after deeming a postentitlement permit application complete.
• Generally bars cities and counties from later requiring improvements absent from that permit-stage list, subject to public-health-or-safety, project-change, and environmental-mitigation exceptions.
• Makes preliminary estimates informational only and not legally binding.

Who it affects ​

• Housing developers and applicants, including applicants for related parcel and subdivision maps.
• Cities, counties, and city and county governments reviewing housing projects and postentitlement permits.
• Utilities, special districts, and other public agencies that may require project-related improvements.

Context ​

The law treats housing-production predictability and transparency as a statewide concern.