Building a Custom Home in Woodside: Zoning, ASRB Review, Septic, and Cost

Last updated: October 2026

Short answer: A custom home in Woodside is shaped by lot size, slope, and the town's rural character. In the SR district, a one-acre minimum lot allows a 4,000-square-foot main residence as a standard, and total floor area of up to 18 percent of lot area. [Source: Town of Woodside 2024] Every new home goes through Architectural and Site Review Board review, a geotechnical report, and usually a septic permit. Woodside homes sold for a median of $4.6 million in the three months ending August 2026. [Source: Redfin 2026]

Woodside is not a suburb with big lots. It is a rural town with horses, open hillsides, two active faults, and design guidelines built around "subordinating development to the land." [Source: Town of Woodside 2016] This guide covers how much house you can build, how review works, and what the land itself requires.

What should you know before building a custom home in Woodside?

Start with the market and the land. Woodside's median sale price was $4.6 million for the three months ending August 2026, about $1,420 per square foot, and homes sold in 41 days on average. [Source: Redfin 2026] Most buyers pay for acreage, privacy, and setting, so the site plan matters as much as the floor plan.

The town's Residential Design Guidelines, adopted in 2012 and revised in 2016, guide Planning, the review board, and the Planning Commission. They aim to maintain "the character of the community and the natural setting." [Source: Town of Woodside 2016] In practice, that favors homes that sit low, follow the terrain, and keep large trees and open views.

Confirm utilities early too. Whether a lot has sewer service or needs a septic system changes the site plan and the schedule.

How large can a custom home in Woodside be?

Woodside limits both the main residence and total floor area on the lot. Both rise with lot size, and each district has a standard size plus a larger size available by exception. [Source: Town of Woodside 2024]

Source: Town of Woodside Zoning District Development Standards, 2024 (Woodside Municipal Code 153.205 and 153.206).

Slope and setbacks narrow it further. On lots with a net average slope of 12.5 percent or more, part of the lot must stay in its natural state, and that share grows with slope. [Source: Woodside Municipal Code 153.005] In the RR and SCP districts, buildings under 17 feet tall need 50-foot setbacks, plus two more feet for each foot of height above 17. [Source: Town of Woodside 2024] An attached garage of up to 440 square feet in SR, or 660 square feet in RR and SCP, is deducted from floor area. [Source: Town of Woodside 2025]

How does review work for a new Woodside home?

Every new home goes through the Architectural and Site Review Board, or ASRB. The five-member board reviews residential applications for community character, site planning, and building design, and makes recommendations to the Planning Director or Planning Commission. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026] The ASRB meets on the first and third Mondays of each month.

Story poles come first. Applicants must install story poles showing the new structure at least ten days before the ASRB or Planning Commission meeting. [Source: Town of Woodside 2025] After a decision, appeals are due within ten calendar days, and approvals last two years with one one-year extension available. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026]

Plan the design for the board, not just the code. Homes that step with the land, use natural materials, and keep mature trees tend to move through review with fewer rounds. Our comparison of contractors and design-build firms explains why one team owning design and review helps here.

How do trees and septic systems shape a Woodside site plan?

Woodside protects trees at smaller sizes than most Peninsula cities. A significant tree is measured by trunk circumference 48 inches above natural grade. Slower-growing natives such as blue oak and madrone qualify at 24 inches, and faster-growing natives such as coast live oak, valley oak, and coast redwood at 30 inches. All other trees qualify at 36 inches. [Source: Woodside Municipal Code 153.005] The Planning Director may require an arborist report.

Septic is common. Only about 28 percent of developed parcels in town are served by public sewer. [Source: Town of Woodside General Plan 2012] Properties outside the sewer districts must use septic. A new system needs permits from both the town and San Mateo County Environmental Health, plus a percolation test, and must sit 100 feet from wells and 10 feet from property lines. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026]

The septic field often decides where the house goes. It needs suitable soil, the right slope, and room for a replacement area. Test the soil before the architect commits to a footprint.

What does geology mean for building in Woodside?

Woodside sits on active ground. Two active faults cross the town, the San Andreas and the Cañada. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026] The General Plan states that no structure for human occupancy is permitted within active fault zones, with setbacks of 50 feet or 125 feet where a fault's location is less certain. [Source: Town of Woodside General Plan 2012] The same plan estimates that 65 to 75 percent of the western hills are subject to landslide activity.

Every new home needs a geotechnical report. The town also requires one for pools and for grading over 1,500 cubic yards or cuts or fills deeper than five feet. The Town Geologist reviews each report within 20 working days. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026] Our guide to building on a hillside lot covers how slope and soils affect foundations, grading, and cost.

What fire rules apply to new homes in Woodside?

Woodside has applied wildfire construction standards throughout town since its earlier fire map. [Source: Town of Woodside 2025] The State Fire Marshal released updated maps for San Mateo County on February 24, 2025. [Source: Office of the State Fire Marshal 2025] New homes follow the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, in effect since January 1, 2026.

Woodside Fire Protection District's checklist calls for a Class A roof, tempered glass, ember-resistant vents, and defensible space out to 100 feet. [Source: Woodside Fire Protection District 2025] Woodside requires fire sprinklers in any new structure over 1,000 square feet. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026] Our guide to building a wildfire-resistant home explains the code, costs, and insurance side in detail.

What does a custom home in Woodside cost to build?

Plan on the upper tier of Bay Area pricing. Upscale construction in hill towns such as Atherton, Saratoga, and Los Altos Hills runs $600 to $800 or more per square foot, and true luxury finishes $900 to $1,200 or more. [Source: White Palace Construction 2025] A 6,000-square-foot main residence at $600 to $800 per square foot is $3.6 million to $4.8 million before site work, septic, and land.

Site costs vary widely. Steep, hilly parcels can add $150,000 to $400,000 in site work before framing starts. [Source: Custom Home 2026] Septic systems, long driveways, and fire access add to that. Our 2026 custom home cost guide breaks down hard and soft costs.

Allow time as well. A Bay Area custom home typically takes 12 to 24 months from design to move-in. [Source: NAHB 2025] ASRB review, story poles, the geotechnical report, and septic permits all sit in the front half of that schedule, as our custom home timeline guide shows.

How Craftsmen's Guild approaches a Woodside home

Craftsmen's Guild has been a family-owned design-build firm since 1988, with architects, designers, and builders on one team. On a Woodside lot, that means the septic design, geotechnical findings, tree survey, and fire access are worked out in one feasibility study before the design goes to the ASRB. One team carries the project from first sketch through final inspection.

We build across the Peninsula, including Atherton, Palo Alto, and Los Altos. See our custom home construction approach and our single-story Los Altos custom home for the finish level we deliver.

Frequently asked questions

How big a house can I build on a one-acre lot in Woodside?

In the SR district, a 4,000-square-foot main residence as a standard, and up to 5,500 square feet by exception. Total floor area on the lot is capped at 18 percent of lot area, or about 7,840 square feet on one acre. [Source: Town of Woodside 2024] Slope can reduce what you can use.

Is my Woodside lot on sewer or septic?

Probably septic. Only about 28 percent of developed parcels in Woodside are served by public sewer. [Source: Town of Woodside General Plan 2012] Properties outside the town's sewer districts must use septic, which needs permits from the town and San Mateo County plus a percolation test.

Do I need story poles for a new home in Woodside?

Yes. Woodside requires story poles for a new structure, a second-story addition, or a major addition, installed at least ten days before the ASRB or Planning Commission meeting. [Source: Town of Woodside 2025] They must come down within 14 days after the appeal period ends.

Do I need a geotechnical report to build in Woodside?

Yes, for every new home. [Source: Town of Woodside 2026] Reports are also required for pools and for grading over 1,500 cubic yards or cuts or fills deeper than five feet. The Town Geologist reviews each report within 20 working days.

Planning your Woodside home

A custom home in Woodside succeeds when the land leads the design. Slope, soil, septic, trees, and fire access decide where the house can go, and the ASRB rewards homes that respect that. Book a complimentary consultation and we will review your parcel, confirm what it allows, and give you a realistic budget and schedule.