How San Diego's Discretionary Permit Process Works: A Contractor's Guide to DSD

In the window from January 13 to June 5, 2026, PermitPursuit tracked an average of 13 discretionary and planning permit filings per week in San Diego, CA, filed with the City of San Diego Development Services Department.

How San Diego's Discretionary Permit Process Works

Major commercial and multifamily projects in San Diego go through discretionary review at the City of San Diego Development Services Department, usually called DSD. The records PermitPursuit tracks for San Diego are these discretionary and planning permits, the entitlement step that comes before a ministerial building permit. If you are a general contractor or a sub trying to get ahead of a project, this is where it first becomes visible. You can reach DSD and its online services through the City of San Diego Development Services Department portal, which is also where applications, plan review, and fee payment are handled.

The pace is steady rather than overwhelming. Across this window we saw about 13 discretionary and planning permit filings per week, which works out to roughly 676 a year at that rate. That is a manageable number to monitor, which matters if you want to catch projects early instead of fighting for the last open slot on a build team.

The General Sequence

Every discretionary permit in San Diego moves through the same broad stages, even though the time each stage takes varies a lot by project scope and by how complete the submission is. The sequence looks like this:

• Application: The owner, architect, or contractor submits an application and supporting documents to DSD. From the moment it is filed, the record becomes public.
• Plan review: DSD staff and the relevant disciplines review the drawings against the building code, zoning, and any discretionary conditions that apply.
• Corrections: Reviewers almost always return comments. The applicant revises the plans and resubmits, and this back and forth can repeat more than once on a larger project.
• Issuance: Once review is cleared and fees are paid, DSD issues the permit and work can begin.
• Inspections: As construction proceeds, inspectors verify the work at set milestones, ending with a final inspection.

How long each stage runs depends on the size and complexity of the project, the completeness of the submittal, and current DSD workload. Because those timelines shift over time and vary by project, check the official DSD portal for current review and processing expectations rather than relying on a fixed number.

Kinds of Discretionary Permits Issued in San Diego

San Diego issues several categories of discretionary and planning permits. Over the window we tracked, the mix broke down like this:

• Discretionary Project: The largest share, about 7 of the 13 weekly filings, roughly 54 percent. These are the projects that require case-by-case review and approval.
• Coastal Development Permit: About 2 per week. Required for work within San Diego's coastal zone.
• Site Development Permit: About 1 per week, tied to how a site is developed and laid out.
• Neighborhood Development Permit: About 1 per week, covering certain neighborhood-level discretionary actions.
• Conditional Use Permit: About 1 per week, for uses that are allowed only under specified conditions.

At 13 filings per week, that pace annualizes to roughly 676 discretionary and planning permit filings a year. Which category you file under depends on the project, its location, and what the zoning allows, so confirm the right path with DSD before you submit.

Documents You Will Typically Need

The exact submittal package depends on the permit type and scope, but a discretionary filing in San Diego generally calls for the following:

• Site plan: A drawing showing the property, the building footprint, setbacks, parking, and how the project sits on the lot.
• Construction drawings: Architectural, structural, and relevant trade plans detailing what is being built.
• Contractor information: License and identifying details for the contractor performing the work.
• Owner information: The property owner or applicant of record responsible for the project.

Fees vary by project scope and change over time, so do not assume a flat figure. Confirm the current fee schedule and any additional document requirements directly through the DSD portal when you prepare your submission.

How to Track New Filings

Because every DSD filing is a public record, new projects are visible from the day they are submitted. The hard part is catching them early, while the owner is still assembling the build team, rather than after a general contractor has already locked in subs.

PermitPursuit pulls San Diego permit filings daily and delivers the ones that match your trade and geography. A discretionary filing that lands on a Tuesday is in your inbox while most contractors are still waiting for the same project to surface through referrals or an aggregator. See what is filing now in San Diego, or start tracking permits across your markets at PermitPursuit.