Coastal Commission and Coastal Development Permits: what Monterey County coastal homeowners need
From Pebble Beach and Carmel Point to Carmel Highlands and Big Sur, much of the Peninsula sits in California’s coastal zone. Development usually needs a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from Monterey County—or a documented exemption—under the county’s certified Local Coastal Program, with the California Coastal Commission keeping appeal and original jurisdiction in specific cases.
The short version: After Monterey County’s Local Coastal Program was certified, most coastal development permits are issued by the county under Title 20 Chapter 20.70, not by the Coastal Commission in the first instance. “Development” is defined broadly. Many routine single-family improvements are exempt, but work on a beach or bluff, large additions between the sea and the first public road, new wells or septics, and other listed classes still need a CDP. Projects seaward of the first public road are often appealable to the Commission. Always get a written county determination before you remodel.
County coastal zoning
Chapter 20.70 covers CDPs.
Local Coastal Program
County issues most CDPs after certification.
Many shoreline projects
Especially seaward of the first public road.
Staff determination
Get it in writing before you build.
What a Coastal Development Permit is for
State coastal law plus the local plan.
Broad definition of development
The Coastal Act treats “development” broadly: not only new buildings, but also changes in intensity of use of land or water, even without construction.
Local Coastal Program
Monterey County’s coastal plan and Title 20 implement the Coastal Act locally. A CDP must be found consistent with the Local Coastal Program, and where applicable with Coastal Act public-access and recreation policies.
Findings
Among other findings, the decision maker must conclude the project will not be detrimental to health, safety and neighborhood welfare, that the property complies with zoning, and that the project conforms to the Local Coastal Program.
Not the same as a building permit
You may need both a CDP (or exemption) and a construction permit. See Monterey County building permits.
Who decides: county first, Commission on appeal or original jurisdiction
County issues most CDPs
Once an LCP is certified, most applications go to the local government. In Monterey County that is Housing and Community Development under Title 20.
Coastal Commission still matters
The Commission retains original permit jurisdiction over specified lands such as tidelands and public trust lands, and appellate authority over specified categories of local CDP decisions.
Appealable areas
County Title 20 notes that for projects seaward of the first public road, conformity with Coastal Act public-access and recreation policies must be addressed. In the Del Monte Forest, the county’s Land Use Plan treats county coastal permits as appealable because the Forest lies seaward of the first through public road. See Pebble Beach oceanfront homes.
Hearing bodies
Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission, depending on the use; public hearing required; appeal paths under Title 20.
Improvements that may not need a CDP—and the exceptions
Never assume. Ask for a written determination.
Single-family maintenance and small accessories
Title 20.70.120 generally exempts maintenance, alteration or addition to existing single-family dwellings, including non-habitable accessories not over 1,000 square feet, with important carve-outs.
Still needs a CDP near the water
Examples that still need a permit: improvements on a beach, wetland or seaward of mean high tide; work within 50 feet of a coastal bluff edge; significant landform or vegetation change on beach, wetland, dune or within 50 feet of a bluff; expansion or construction of wells or septics; and, between the sea and the first public road (or within 300 feet of a beach / mean high tide), additions of 10% or more floor area, an extra story, or certain large non-attached structures.
Disaster replacement
Replacement of a structure destroyed by natural disaster can be exempt if it is the same use, same location, and does not exceed floor area, height or bulk by more than 10% (with special language for Carmel Meadows and Carmel Point).
Get it in writing
Section 20.70.115 lets staff determine whether a project is exempt and whether any required CDP is appealable. That letter is what lenders, buyers and contractors should see.
Peninsula places where coastal permits shape the deal
Pebble Beach / Del Monte Forest
Ocean setbacks, bluff geology, 17-Mile Drive views and appealable CDPs. Pair with Pebble Beach oceanfront homes and building or remodeling in Pebble Beach.
Carmel Point and Carmel Meadows
County coastal rules plus special disaster-rebuild language in Title 20. See Southwest Carmel and Carmel Point.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
The entire city is in the coastal zone and has its own coastal program and building process. See Carmel-by-the-Sea oceanfront homes and Carmel-by-the-Sea building permits.
Carmel Highlands and Big Sur
Steep lots, visual sensitivity and limited access make early coastal scoping essential.
Vacation rentals in the coastal zone
County vacation-rental rules for the coastal unincorporated area took effect October 24, 2025, and commercial vacation rentals need a CDP or use permit. See Carmel Valley short-term rental rules and Pebble Beach short-term rentals.
How a county CDP typically moves
Summarized from Title 20.70 and the county’s permit-types page.
Application
Plans, elevations and supporting studies on forms prescribed by HCD.
Completeness
County aims to deem the application complete or incomplete within 30 calendar days of submittal.
Hearing and notice
Public hearing; notice to the applicant, owner, interested parties and the Coastal Commission.
Effective date
Building permits generally wait until after the local appeal period; for CDPs appealable to the Commission, effectiveness waits for the Commission’s appeal window or resolution of an appeal.
Expiration
If no other date is stated, permits that authorize construction stay valid if actual construction begins within two years; use-only permits often expire in two years if the use has not begun.
Buying or remodeling on the coast?
I help buyers read coastal risk into the offer: prior CDPs, exemptions on file, bluff and access conditions, and whether your remodel plans are realistic before contingencies expire.
I represented the buyer of 1424 Oleada Road in Pebble Beach in 2025. I represented the buyers of San Antonio 2 SW of 10th ($7M) and Lincoln 3 NE of 5th ($4.4M), and both sides of Torres 2 SE of 10th ($5.54M).
Pebble Beach oceanfrontCarmel-by-the-Sea oceanfrontPebble Beach buyer’s guide
Let’s review the coastal file
Call or text 831-747-0310, or book a 30-minute call.
Before you rely on this
- Coastal rules are summarized from Monterey County Title 20 Chapter 20.70, the county Permit Fees & Types coastal section, and the California Coastal Commission CDP overview, checked Nov 5, 2026. Application to a specific parcel requires county (and sometimes Commission) review.
- This is general information, not legal advice.
Coastal development permits: quick questions
Do I need a Coastal Development Permit to remodel a Pebble Beach home?
Often yes for exterior or shoreline-sensitive work; some routine single-family improvements are exempt with carve-outs. Get a written exemption or CDP determination from Monterey County before you start.
Does the Coastal Commission issue every coastal permit here?
No. With a certified Local Coastal Program, Monterey County issues most CDPs. The Commission keeps original jurisdiction on certain lands and hears specified appeals.
What makes a project appealable?
Categories set in the Coastal Act and local LCP. Shoreline and seaward-of-first-public-road projects are commonly appealable; Del Monte Forest coastal permits are treated as appealable in the county’s forest land use plan.
Is a coastal exemption the same as permission to skip building permits?
No. An exemption only addresses the CDP requirement. Construction permits, design approval and water rules can still apply.
How long is a CDP good for?
If no expiration is stated, construction generally must begin within two years; use-only permits often expire in two years if the use has not begun. Extensions may be available under Title 20.
Can disaster rebuilds skip a CDP?
Title 20 provides a limited exemption for replacing a structure destroyed by natural disaster if size and location limits are met, with special language for Carmel Meadows and Carmel Point. Confirm with the county.
Updated November 2026 · Facts checked Nov 5, 2026 against Monterey County Title 20 and the California Coastal Commission
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