What should an owner-user check before buying a commercial building in San José?

Test the business plan against the address

An owner-user purchase ties the business to a particular property for longer than a typical search for leased space. Begin by describing the intended operation, employees and customers, equipment, deliveries, hours, and future expansion. The City's zoning map and public property tools can establish the parcel's designations and available records, but the proposed use still needs to be checked against the applicable rules.^{1, 2}

San José says new uses must also conform to the General Plan land-use designation. A buyer considering a new operation or major changes should resolve that planning question before assuming ownership will make the use possible.^{1, 3}

Read the public property record

SJPermits lets anyone search a San José property's permit history and zoning. The City also points buyers and project teams to planning maps and code-enforcement information. Compare those records with the seller's description, the actual layout, and the planned business rather than assuming prior use proves current approval.^{2, 3}

• Which permits were issued, finalized, or left open?
• What occupancy is documented, and does it match the intended operation?
• Are there planning conditions or code cases that need investigation?
• Do existing improvements match the available plans and records?

Identify work the purchase price does not include

Have appropriate professionals assess the building's systems, structure, accessibility, fire protection, and the cost of adapting it to the business. San José's design guidance highlights zoning standards, easements, flood and geologic hazard zones, and historic-resource review as possible project constraints. A property with a historic designation may face a different permit path for changes.^{4, 5}

If the buyer plans a change in occupancy or substantial interior work, the City's certificate-of-occupancy and tenant-improvement guidance helps frame the next permit questions. A contractor's price without the approval path is not a complete move-in schedule.^{6, 7}

Screen environmental records, then investigate findings

California's GeoTracker and EnviroStor provide public information about regulated cleanup sites and known or suspected contamination. They are useful screening tools for a commercial purchase, especially when the site or neighboring parcels have an industrial history. A database result—or no result—does not replace a property-specific environmental assessment by a qualified professional.^{8, 9}

Make the investigation part of the transaction

Ask the broker, attorney, lender, title company, inspectors, and relevant City staff to resolve the questions that could change the business case. The title report can provide a more accurate account of easements than a planning map, according to the City. Budget for both the purchase and the approvals or work needed before the business can operate as intended.^{3, 4}

• What must be verified before the purchase becomes unconditional?
• Which repairs, approvals, or environmental issues could change cost or timing?
• Who is responsible for each investigation and when must it be completed?