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1. When do I need an encroachment permit?

Any excavation, modification, construction activity or encroachment within the City’s right-of-way (ROW) or easement requires an encroachment permit from the City. The City’s street ROW most commonly covers streets and sidewalks and often a few feet beyond onto the owner’s property. The City also has various forms of public easements over private certain properties for public sewer, storm drains, utilities, access, view corridors or such other public use. Your property’s Title Report would typical identify such easements. Encroachment permits are required for both temporary and long-term encroachments. Typical activities that usually trigger the need for an encroachment permit include:
- Awnings that reach over sidewalks
- Placement of benches, chairs, or planters
- Sewer, water, or gas repairs or connections
- Sidewalk or driveway repairs
- Temporary debris boxes

Contact the permit technician at 650-712-6660. Please refer to the Street Encroachment section of this website for more information. An amended Heritage Tree Ordinance is in the Municipal Code Section 7.40.

2. How are street light outages reported and to whom?

The City maintains the street lights along Main Street from Highway 1 to Filbert Street and the 300-500 blocks of Seymour Street. Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) maintains all the other street lights. To contact PG&E lights, you may click the link or call them at 800-743-5002, for City Lights call 650-726-7177 or email Public Works. Please provide the following:

- Provide your name and phone number if case additional information is needed

- Street name and address where the light pole is located and if possible, the pole number, and a cross street

- Type of problem with the street light: i.e. burn-out, cycles on and off repeatedly, light burns 24 hours a day, broken glassware

3. Where can I pick up sand bags?

During each rainy season, Half Moon Bay residents can fill up sand bags at the Train Depot 110 Higgins Canyon Road.

4. Who do I call to report the following: potholes, debris in roadway, street sign blockage, fallen tree limbs in the street?

To report a pothole or missing signs, contact the Public Works Department at 650-726-7177 or via email and include the issue, street name, address and location.

5. Who is responsible for street sweeping services and what is the schedule?

For the latest information please visit our Street Sweeping page.

6. Who do I contact for sewer back-up emergencies?

Call a plumber to clean out the sewer lateral as most problems originate there. If it is determined that the problem is not in the property owner’s pipes, you may contact Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) who will clear blockages that occur in sewer lines. In the event of a sewer emergency such as sewage escaping the collection system or a sewage nuisance, call the Authority at 650-726-0124.

7. Who do I contact regarding graffiti removal?

Graffiti Abatement Hotline at 650-712-7310. To report graffiti vandalism in progress, residents should call 911. If you want to report information about “taggers” anonymously, please call the HMB Sheriff Sub Station at 650-726-8288. When reporting graffiti, the following should be included:

- Location: The address, or closest address, of the affected area. If graffiti is located at an intersection, include cross roads and directional clues (NE, SE, SW, NW).

- Type: Include the type of property that received the graffiti, such as a wall, curbside, telephone pole or fence. If graffiti is located on utility poles, boxes and/or phone booths please include the company name (PG&E, Comcast, etc.) and any other identifying information that will help pin-point the location.

- Business Name: Permission must be obtained from the property owner to clean private property.

- Contact Information: name and phone number. Your contact information will not be shared.

- Photos are instrumental.