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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →First establish which jurisdiction contains the parcel and which office handles the specific approval you need. A city and county can both have a role in one project, and neither website alone necessarily identifies the office with authority over every permit. Ask the responsible agency to reconcile the conflicting instructions in writing for your address and project; save the webpages and correspondence. If you receive a formal decision, follow the appeal route and deadline stated for that decision.
There is no nationwide rule that city guidance always overrides county guidance, or vice versa. The answer can depend on location, permit type, local law, and service agreements.
1. Confirm which jurisdiction contains the parcel
Check the address using an official city or county parcel or jurisdiction map, or ask the local planning counter. Determine whether the property is inside incorporated city limits or in unincorporated county territory. Do not rely on a mailing address or the order in which search results appear.
Local government boundaries matter because responsibilities differ. Contra Costa County, for example, describes distinct arrangements for unincorporated territory, contract cities, and other cities. Cook County directs owners of property in incorporated municipalities to the relevant municipal authority. These are examples of local arrangements, not rules that apply everywhere:
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- Contra Costa County’s jurisdiction and service information
- Cook County building and zoning information
In Snohomish County, code enforcement says it may not enforce the same issues as cities and that codes may differ between cities and counties. That guidance concerns Snohomish County’s enforcement role; it does not establish which permit rule controls in another location: Snohomish County Code Enforcement guidance.
2. Identify the exact approval that is in dispute
Write down each approval or clearance the project may require. A single project can involve separate decisions, such as:
- Planning or zoning approval
- A building permit or other construction-code review
- Public works or encroachment approval
- Fire, septic, well, or another agency clearance
Do not frame the question only as “Which website is right?” State the permit or decision at issue. Planning and zoning staff may handle a different part of the project from building staff, while another agency may have its own approval. Contra Costa County describes multiple agency roles and provides separate contacts for planning, building, and public works.
3. Find the office responsible for that approval
Contact the official permit counter or assigned reviewer for the project type and ask which agency issues the decision in question. Responsibility may be divided: a county may administer one service for a city while the city retains another approval. Contra Costa County describes five contract cities where county building services coexist with city planning entitlements. So the responsible office is not always simply “the city” or “the county.”
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Use the agency’s official directory or permit portal to reach the relevant department. Contra Costa County’s planning information, for example, directs applicants to planning or building staff depending on the topic and asks them to include an application number or project address when asking about an application: Contra Costa County Planning.
4. Ask the agency to reconcile the conflicting instructions
Send a concise written request to the office that handles the approval. Include enough detail for staff to address your actual project rather than respond with another general webpage.
- Parcel address and a short project description
- Permit or application number, if available
- Both webpage URLs and the passages that conflict
- Screenshots or saved copies showing when you accessed each page
- The question you need answered: which requirement applies to this parcel and permit?
Ask the agency to identify the applicable ordinance or code section and version, explain whether it applies to your parcel and approval, and provide a written project-specific determination. If that office is not responsible, ask it to route the question to the right department or name the correct contact. Keep the response with the application record.
5. Preserve the webpages and decision record
Save copies of the published requirements, application materials, plan revisions, emails, meeting notes, and any written determination or notice. A dated screenshot or saved webpage helps show precisely which instructions you relied on and when. This is practical record-keeping advice; it is not a claim that every locality requires applicants to keep these particular records.
6. If there is a formal denial, check its appeal instructions promptly
An inconsistent webpage is not the same thing as a formal denial or other appealable decision. If the agency issues a written decision, notice, or denial, read the appeal instructions on that document and confirm the filing method and deadline with the clerk or appeal body. Do not assume that an informal request for clarification pauses an appeal deadline.
Appeal routes depend on both locality and decision type. Philadelphia assigns zoning matters to its Zoning Board of Adjustment and identifies separate boards for other decisions. Contra Costa County describes a ten-calendar-day appeal period for certain hearing-body decisions. Those examples illustrate why there is no universal appeal route or deadline; they do not determine the process for another place or permit:
- Philadelphia Board of Licenses and Inspections Review
- Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment
- Contra Costa County Planning and appeal information
When to get local professional help
If a filing deadline is close, a denial could trigger substantial construction costs or stop-work risk, or the agencies will not clarify their positions, consider consulting a locally qualified land-use professional. Bring the written decision, permit materials, and record of the conflicting instructions. Without the location and permit details, it is not possible to identify the controlling code, delegated service arrangement, responsible agency, or deadline.
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