After nearly seven decades of working out of a flood-prone firehouse, Pescadero crews are finally getting a serious upgrade. Construction starts next Monday on a new fire station that county leaders say is built to stay online when the coast is underwater or the power is out.
The new facility, planned at 340 Butano Cutoff, will span about 12,000 square feet and replace the county’s 1957-era station. The modern build will feature larger vehicle bays, updated living quarters and on-site backup power, all funded with Measure K dollars and pitched as a way to cut response times and keep crews operating during storms and outages.
According to the County of San Mateo, crews will roll in next Monday, and the county has already shared renderings and project paperwork as part of the announcement. The post directs residents to the staff report and the construction agreement that the Board of Supervisors approved.
NEWS: Construction begins June 15 on a new Pescadero Fire Station, replacing the flood-prone 1957 station. The new 12,000 sq. ft. facility at 340 Butano Cutoff will include a solar microgrid and backup power. Funded by Measure K. Read more: https://t.co/pGAJRfzqK8 pic.twitter.com/y3quLV7XaC
— County of San Mateo (@sanmateoco) June 12, 2026
What the New Station Will Include
The project calls for a roughly 12,000-square-foot station next to Pescadero Middle and High School, replacing Station 59, which the county says is routinely hit by flooding from Butano Creek. As outlined on the project page from San Mateo County, the design keeps the apparatus bay in service while adding modern living quarters, training space and dedicated equipment storage to boost day-to-day readiness.
Contract, Costs and Backup Power
The county awarded the construction contract to Truebeck Construction with a base bid of about $22,974,579 and an authorized construction cap of roughly $25,272,036, according to San Mateo County Legistar. Those documents also spell out a solar-powered backup system, a microgrid that is intended to keep the station running during outages that have in the past stretched for as long as two weeks.
Why It Matters for the Coast
Pescadero Middle/High School has been relying on bottled water because of groundwater contamination, and the county paired the fire station project with a CSA-11 waterline extension to bring potable water to the campus, according to the project information from San Mateo County. County planners say placing the station near the school should cut delays when seasonal flooding isolates the old building and should speed emergency response along the rural coast.
Timeline and Next Steps
The signed construction agreement sets a 518-calendar-day window for completion after the county issues a notice to proceed, which puts major work at roughly a year and a half, assuming no significant change orders or weather setbacks, per contract documents on San Mateo County Legistar. Board papers estimate total project costs at about $34 million, with roughly $25 million in Measure K funds earmarked for construction and the balance covering soft costs and contingencies.
Follow the Project
Measure K, the county half-cent sales tax that voters approved in 2016, is paying for the build and associated soft costs, according to Measure K. For renderings, staff reports and ongoing updates, residents can track the county’s project page and local coverage from Coastside Buzz.
