Three single-family homes closed in Monte Sereno in September 2026, according to MLSListings. The median one sold after a single day on market, and the group closed at 107% of list price. At that pace, a buyer usually decides on a house in less time than it takes to read the Town's permit handouts.
The addition, the second story or the rebuild that buyer has in mind runs on a much slower schedule. In Monte Sereno, the Town's Site Development Permit handout says larger residential projects need that permit before a building permit can even be submitted, and the Site and Architectural Commission acts on it at a public hearing. The commission meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Whether a project needs that hearing depends on one detail many buyers never look up: the parcel's zoning district.
The district on the parcel sets the hearing threshold
The City Council adopted Ordinance NS-247 on November 4, 2025. It rewrote the list of projects that need a Site Development Permit "prior to the issuance of a building permit or a demolition permit." The size that triggers a hearing changes with the district:
| Project | R-1-8 | R-1-20 and R-1-44 |
|---|---|---|
| Addition to an existing building | 500 sq ft or more | 750 sq ft or more |
| Addition to the second story of an existing two-story home | 250 sq ft or more | 500 sq ft or more |
| Adding a second story to a single-story home | Always | Always |
| Raising the overall roof height | More than 24 inches | More than 24 inches |
| New main house | Always | Always |
So two buyers can plan the same 600-square-foot family room and face different processes. On an R-1-8 lot, that project goes to a public hearing. On an R-1-20 or R-1-44 lot, it falls under the threshold. A ranch-house buyer who plans to add a second story always goes to the commission, whatever the district. The ordinance changed the permit triggers. According to Citizen Portal's report on the October 2025 Council meeting, a separate proposal on eucalyptus removal was taken out of the package for more outreach and study.
What September's median does and does not say about price
MLSListings reported a September 2026 median sale price of $4,802,000, down 23.5% from a year earlier. The average sale price for the same month was $7,167,333, and total volume was $21,502,000 across three closings. When the average is nearly $2.4 million above the median in a three-sale month, one sale sat far above the other two. The 23.5% figure tells you which homes happened to close that month. It is weak evidence of a broad drop in value. The 1.2 months of inventory and 107% sale-to-list ratio point to a market where buyers still compete for what comes up.
Much of that price spread comes down to what each parcel is allowed to become. The Town's development standards set lot sizes and the maximum size of the main house in each district:
- R-1-8: 8,000-square-foot minimum net lot, a main dwelling of up to 3,300 square feet single-story or 3,000 square feet two-story, and a 30-foot overall height limit for two-story homes.
- R-1-20: 21,780-square-foot minimum net lot, a main dwelling of up to 4,950 square feet single-story or 4,500 square feet two-story, and the same 30-foot two-story limit.
- R-1-44: 43,560-square-foot minimum lot, with a main dwelling of up to 6,600 square feet single-story or 6,000 square feet two-story.
The 2026 General Plan shows how the land divides. The town has 692 acres of R-1-44 within city limits, 55 acres of R-1-20 and 134 acres of R-1-8. Most single-family land in town sits in the largest-lot district, with the highest size ceiling and the more forgiving 750-square-foot hearing threshold. A smaller share sits in R-1-8, where both the ceiling and the threshold are lower.
The General Plan's named planning areas describe character, not zoning. Daves has uniform small lots. Bicknell has large ranch-style homes on flat, converted farmland. Foothill sits on a moderate slope with irregular lots. Hillside, south of Highway 9, has moderate to steeply sloping land and narrow, winding roads. These descriptions hint at what you might find, but the district on a specific parcel is something to confirm with the Town before you price in an expansion.
Reading the 2026 calendar from a late-October closing
The Town publishes its 2026 commission meeting and filing dates as a single calendar. Staff review a first submittal within three weeks and a resubmittal within two. Once staff find an application complete, it goes on the next available agenda, and the Town notes that application volume can push a project to a later meeting.
For a buyer closing this week, the remaining dates look like this:
- The November 4 hearing is already set. Its story-pole deadline passed on October 19.
- The December 2 hearing needs an application deemed complete by November 9 and story poles up by November 16.
- The January 6, 2027 hearing needs an application deemed complete by December 7 and story poles up by December 14.
An application filed in late October reaches December 2 only if staff review it in less than three weeks and find it complete on the first pass. A single round of corrections usually moves it to January. After the commission grants the Site Development Permit, the building permit application comes next.
Story poles put the plan in front of the street first
For a second-story addition, or a structure or addition over 500 square feet, the Town's story pole requirements call for story poles, orange netting along the proposed roofline, the building footprint and floor levels outlined, and the affected trees tagged. All of it must be in place 14 days before the commission meeting, and it stays up after the decision. A registered land surveyor or civil engineer must certify the poles and submit that certification two weeks before the hearing. The posted handout dates from 2013, so ask Planning whether its specifications still apply before you schedule a surveyor.
The netting shows the commission's review questions in physical form. The Site and Architectural Commission considers:
- compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood
- visual impact from how the buildings are oriented and placed
- consistency with the Town's design guidelines
- minimal grading and keeping the land's natural contours
- retention of significant trees and preservation of solar access, where those apply
- native materials in the landscaping
The commission can attach conditions on setbacks, architecture, landscaping, drainage and timing. A design that fits the zoning maximums can still return from the hearing with conditions that change it.
The fee schedule follows the same logic
Under the master fee schedule effective August 17, 2026, Site Development Permit fees rise with the scale of the change and with the slope of the land:
| Permit type | Fee |
|---|---|
| New house, demo-rebuild, or remodel/addition of 50% or more of existing square footage | $3,751 |
| Remodel/addition under 50% of existing square footage | $2,542 |
| Hillside development, average slope 10% or greater | $4,158 |
| Accessory building or fence height | $666 |
| Permit amendment | $1,740 |
| Significant tree removal referred to the commission | $100 |
| Appeal | $360 |
The Town fees are the smaller part of the cost. The schedule also lists a community planning fee of $0.0020 per dollar of project valuation, paid when the building permit is issued, which comes to $2,000 on a $1 million project. Arborist reports, geotechnical reports, newspaper noticing and consultant costs are separate and fall to the applicant. On a sloped lot in the Foothill or Hillside areas, the hillside fee and a geotechnical report are both worth asking about before you set a renovation budget.
Questions that come up before an offer
Does a small addition skip the commission entirely? NS-247's list of triggers does not include an addition below its district's threshold that adds no second story and raises no roof more than 24 inches. Planning staff can confirm how a specific project is classified. It still goes through building permit review, which carries its own $197 planning review fee.
Can a buyer start the process before closing? The Town's online planning permit form asks for both applicant and owner details. Whether a buyer in escrow can file is a question for Planning, which is reached through Town Hall at 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road.
Where do I find a parcel's district? The General Plan's land-use map shows designations townwide. For a specific address, the Town's Planning staff can confirm it.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Please confirm the rules for your specific property with the Town and the right professionals.
If you have a Monte Sereno home in mind and an addition in your plans, Shannon Ray can help you confirm the parcel's district, compare the plan against the hearing threshold and line up the commission calendar before you write the offer. If you're thinking of selling, she can also show what your lot's permit path is worth to buyers, starting with a free home valuation.