R&B Master Construction Inc. / Portola Valley
In Portola Valley, the site sets the rules before the floor plan does.
The Town's Housing Element describes Portola Valley as a "rural, low-density town" with steep slopes, unstable soils, landslide hazards, wildfire risk and the San Andreas fault, and says its development rules are built on those facts. In 2020, 81.1% of its homes were single-family detached. R&B Master Construction Inc. (CSLB #1158657) serves the Town from our San Mateo office. We remodel kitchens and bathrooms, install flooring, paint, renovate whole homes, build additions and pour concrete driveways, and every service includes design, drawings and Town permits.
Portola Valley / Local guide
The Town refers projects to the Town Geologist for all site development permits, foundation repair or replacement over 35 lineal feet, pools, sites in fault or flood zones, and new homes or additions over 500 sq ft. Allowed floor area and impervious surface depend on acreage, average slope and geologic or flood zones, and Town staff can calculate both for your parcel. Basements meeting the zoning definition do not count toward floor area.
The Town says all of Portola Valley and the entire Woodside Fire Protection District are in the wildland-urban interface, rated Moderate and High by CAL FIRE. The Town has required Chapter 7A WUI construction Town-wide since 2009 and now follows the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code. For new and significant construction, its summary lists Class A roofs, 1-hour exterior siding, noncombustible gutters, ember-resistant vents, enclosed eaves, multipane windows and Class A deck surfaces.
A Site Development Permit is required when a significant tree would be removed or harmed, including by fill within its dripline. Separately, the Town counts concrete, asphalt, pavers, compacted gravel and pools as impervious surface, and each parcel has a limit.
Portola Valley / Local guide
Most interior kitchen and bath remodels never reach the ASCC. Additions and exterior changes often do.
Portola Valley / Local guide
Hillside kitchens often face the view, so window and structural changes need careful design. The Town publishes its own kitchen remodel application checklist. Kitchen design, drawings and the Town submittal come with the service.
Waterproofing, ventilation and fixtures, filed with the Town's bathroom remodel checklist. Includes design and permit filing.
Larger homes with level changes need flooring thresholds and stair transitions planned. Coordinated with the plan set whenever flooring is part of a permitted remodel.
When exterior walls, the roof or the foundation change, WUI hardening and possibly Town Geologist review join the scope. Design, drawings and permits included, with architecture from our in-house licensed architect.
Portola Valley / Local guide
The Town's wildfire summary says paints, coatings and stains are not an approved method of fire protection. Exterior paint is a finish, not a substitute for required ignition-resistant materials. Painting needs no building permit, but the Town says all work must still conform to its Zoning Ordinance and Design Guidelines. We write the exterior scope with this in mind.
An addition of 400 sq ft or more goes to the ASCC, and one over 500 sq ft is referred to the Town Geologist. Architectural plans by our in-house licensed architect, geotechnical coordination, and ASCC and Building filings by our team.
Portola Valley / Design & permits
Every R&B service in Portola Valley includes design, construction drawings and permitting. The Town of Portola Valley Planning & Building Department, Town Hall, 765 Portola Road (650-851-1700), accepts building applications by email at planbuild@portolavalley.net, with every submittal accompanied by the Applications Submittal Checklist. In-person permit counter hours are Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM–noon. The Town encourages talking to staff early, either on site or at the office, and we set up that meeting before design is final. Learn how we approach permits in Portola Valley.
Portola Valley / Energy code
The state's 2025 Energy Code governs 2026 permits for additions and alterations. It emphasizes heat pumps and pairs them with solar and battery storage. In Portola Valley, those choices meet the WUI code on the same walls and roof: new windows need both a U-factor that satisfies Title 24 and multipane construction for WUI, and roof work affects both PV layout and the Class A requirement. We coordinate the energy and WUI requirements in one set of drawings so they don't conflict at plan check.
Portola Valley / Roofing
Because all of Portola Valley is in the wildland-urban interface, the Town's wildfire summary lists Class A roofs and noncombustible gutters among the requirements for new and significant construction, and roof work affects both the Class A requirement and any solar layout. We plan the roof covering, gutters and vents with the WUI and energy requirements in one set of drawings.
Explore roof repair & replacementPortola Valley / Driveways
A driveway here can trigger three separate Town rules:
The fire district also requires vegetation along driveways to be cleared 13.5 feet up and 10 feet out from the edges.
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Interior-only work generally doesn't. Additions of 400 sq ft or more, two-story buildings, projects on arterial-road parcels and grading of 100 to 1,000 cubic yards do.
For site development permits, foundation work over 35 lineal feet, pools, fault- or flood-zone sites, and new homes or additions over 500 sq ft, among other cases.
The Town applies the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Town-wide to new and significant construction. Its summary also suggests owners of pre-2008 homes consider upgrading to the current hardening standards.
By email to planbuild@portolavalley.net, with the Applications Submittal Checklist. The Town has separate checklists for kitchen and bathroom remodels. We prepare and send the package as part of our service.
No. We serve the Town from our San Mateo office at 1900 S Norfolk St. Our headquarters is in San Jose.
Portola Valley / Next step
Call (650) 800-9661, 7:00 AM–5:00 PM daily, or send a short enquiry. Your city and an idea of the project are enough to start.
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You don’t need to have it all figured out. Tell us where you are with your project, and we can discuss the next step.
(650) 800-9661info@rbmasterconstruction.comDiscuss your Portola Valley project. Availability is confirmed for your scope and schedule.