Starting a Business
Business Approval Process
The business approval process begins at Pleasanton’s one-stop Permit Center where the City’s Planning, Building and Engineering divisions are located. While all businesses have specific elements that make them unique, most will follow this general process
- Zoning Approval
- Development Review
- Plan Check Review
Available Commercial Space
Pleasanton’s progressive commercial environment provides a range of real estate offerings to accommodate a mixture of established and emergent industry clusters and is conveniently located near freeway exits, major roadway arterials and transit.
- Many of Pleasanton’s companies are located in the city’s six commercial centers
- Look for current spaces available through LoopNet
- Visit local commercial brokerage sites
- Contact the Economic Development Department at (925) 931-5042
Leading companies that have made a home in Pleasanton include Safeway, Workday, Oracle, Clorox, Kaiser Permanente, Roche Molecular Systems and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Equally important to the city’s solid economic base are small and medium-sized companies and an expanding entrepreneurial network.
Office
Pleasanton offers more than 13.5 million square feet of Class A, Class B and Flex office space, in a variety of settings that meet the needs of business in many industry clusters. Our premium office space is cost competitive in the Bay Area making Pleasanton a high value location.Industrial
Pleasanton provides business opportunity in more than 2.7 million square feet of industrial space in locations throughout the city.Retail
The city’s 5 million square feet of retail space is located in neighborhood centers:- The region-serving Stoneridge Shopping Center
- A charming historic downtown district
Opening Your Business
As you prepare to open the doors of your business in Pleasanton, we’ve made getting a business license easy. Based on gross receipts, the annual fee is a minimum of $25 and grows as the revenues from a company grow. To obtain a business license, visit the Permit Center or find Business License information and an application online.