Pop. 68,153 · Contra Costa County
Amplified music audible beyond the property line after 10:00 PM is prohibited in Brentwood under BMC Chapter 9.32. Outdoor events with amplified sound require a Special Event Permit…
Brentwood's quiet hours run from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM on weekdays and Saturdays, and 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM on Sundays and holidays. During these hours, amplified sound, power tools, and…
Vehicle noise in Brentwood is regulated primarily through California Vehicle Code §27150 (adequate muffler) and §23130 (decibel limits), enforced by Brentwood Police. Modified exhaust…
Powered lawn and gardening equipment in Brentwood may be operated from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays and holidays. Electric and…
Construction activity in Brentwood is permitted Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Construction is prohibited on Sundays and federal…
Barking dogs fall under the Contra Costa County Noisy Animal Ordinance (Code §416-12.202). Noise for 30 continuous minutes or 60 minutes intermittently in 24 hours constitutes a…
California sets statewide airport noise limits under Title 21 CCR, with the state preempting most local aviation noise control because federal FAA authority dominates aircraft…
Brentwood's agricultural heritage is reflected in the Municipal Code: livestock including horses, cattle, sheep, and goats are permitted on parcels zoned A (Agricultural) and in…
Brentwood residential properties are typically limited to 3-4 dogs and similar numbers of cats per household under BMC Chapter 6.04 and Contra Costa County Code. Exceeding the limit…
Brentwood enforces Contra Costa County's behavior-based dangerous and vicious dog ordinance through Animal Services. Any dog that bites, attacks, or threatens a person or animal can be…
Beekeeping is permitted in Brentwood on agricultural and most residential lots, with hive setback requirements from property lines and registration with the Contra Costa County…
Backyard chickens are permitted in Brentwood on most residential lots, with limits commonly of 4-6 hens, no roosters, and coop setbacks from neighboring structures. Agricultural-zoned…
All dogs in Brentwood over 4 months old must be licensed through Contra Costa Animal Services and wear a current rabies tag. Dogs must be leashed in all public areas except designated…
Wildlife in Brentwood (deer, coyotes, turkeys, raccoons, hawks, and mountain lions in nearby Los Vaqueros Watershed) is protected under state law and managed by the California…
California bans most exotic pets statewide under Title 14 CCR §671, which preempts local ordinances. Prohibited species include ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, monkeys, large…
Brentwood fences are limited to 3.5 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards. Fences over 6 feet require a building permit and may need a zoning variance. Corner lots have…
Retaining walls in Brentwood up to 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall generally do not require a building permit if they do not support a…
Brentwood pool barriers must comply with California Health & Safety Code §115920-115929 and the California Building Code. Requirements include a 60-inch minimum barrier…
Brentwood permits a wide range of fence materials including wood, vinyl, wrought iron, masonry, and chain link, subject to zoning and HOA restrictions. Barbed wire, razor wire, and…
Hedges and landscaping used as boundary barriers in Brentwood are subject to the same height limits as fences (3.5 ft front, 6 ft side/rear) when used to enclose a yard. Hedges must…
Building permits are not required for fences up to 7 feet tall in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Taller fences, any concrete or masonry wall, and retaining walls over 3 feet…
Brentwood imposes a 10 percent Transient Occupancy Tax on the rent paid by guests for stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days under Municipal Code Chapter 3.28. Operators must…
Brentwood prohibits short-term rentals citywide under Municipal Code Chapter 17.796 (Ord. 1079, adopted Dec 10, 2024), so STR-specific noise rules do not apply. Any rental of 30 days…
Brentwood does not impose STR liability insurance minimums because the city prohibits short-term rentals entirely under BMC Chapter 17.796 (Ord. 1079, Dec 10, 2024). There is no permit…
Short-term rentals of under 30 consecutive days in Brentwood are subject to the City's Transient Occupancy Tax registration and business license requirements. Operators must register…
Brentwood applies standard residential occupancy limits to short-term rentals. California Building Code and the Uniform Housing Code generally support a 2-persons-per-bedroom-plus-1…
Short-term rental guests in Brentwood must follow the same parking rules as any other residents. On-site parking should accommodate guest vehicles to avoid impacts on neighbors…
Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED in Brentwood. The City Council adopted a citywide STR ban in November 2024 (Chapter 17.796). It is unlawful to advertise, list, or rent any property…
Above-ground pools in Brentwood are regulated by the California Building Standards Code and the Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code 115920-115929). New or remodeled pools…
All residential pools and spas in Brentwood must comply with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act and California Health and Safety Code requirements for…
Residential swimming pools and spas in Brentwood must meet California Health and Safety Code Section 115920 through 115929, which requires at least two of seven enumerated safety…
A building permit from the Contra Costa County Building Inspection Division is required before installing any pool or spa in unincorporated areas. In-ground pools must be at least 5…
Hot tubs and spas fall under California's Swimming Pool Safety Act when capable of holding water deeper than 18 inches, requiring barriers, covers, or other approved safety features.
Brentwood must allow Accessory Dwelling Units on any single-family lot under California Government Code Section 65852.2, as expanded by AB 68, AB 881, and SB 13. Detached ADUs up to…
Brentwood follows the California Building Code exemption allowing detached accessory structures under 120 square feet to be built without a building permit. Sheds must still comply…
Brentwood garages must meet California Residential Code requirements for fire separation, including 5/8-inch Type X drywall on walls and ceilings separating the garage from living…
Carports in unincorporated Contra Costa County are regulated as accessory structures under Title 8 (Zoning) of the County Ordinance Code and as covered structures under the California…
California HCD guidance and Health and Safety Code 18007 classify many tiny homes on wheels as manufactured housing or ADUs, granting statewide siting protections.
Customer visits to Brentwood home-based businesses are strictly limited to preserve residential character. Most home occupation permits allow only by-appointment visits with no more…
Brentwood requires a Home Occupation Permit and city business license for any business operated from a residence. The home business must be clearly incidental to the residential use…
Brentwood home occupation rules prohibit any exterior signage advertising a home-based business. The residence must retain its residential character, meaning no signs, lighted…
Under California Health and Safety Code Section 1597.45, small family day care homes (up to 8 children) and large family day care homes (up to 14 children) are treated as residential…
Unincorporated Contra Costa County requires a Home Occupation Permit (ministerial, issued over the counter) or a Land Use Permit before any business activity may be conducted from a…
The California Homemade Food Act sets uniform rules for cottage food operations, and Government Code 51035 bars local governments from prohibiting them in residential dwellings…
Residential fire pits must comply with California fire code and BAAQMD regulations. Gas and propane fire pits are generally preferred over wood-burning due to air quality restrictions…
Brentwood is one of the few Contra Costa cities that allows State Fire Marshal approved "Safe and Sane" fireworks. Sales and discharge are permitted only from noon June 28 through 10…
Open burning is prohibited in Brentwood year-round. The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) enforces no-burn rules, and BAAQMD Regulation 5 further restricts outdoor…
California Health & Safety Code Section 13113.7 and Title 24 require working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on each floor of all Brentwood dwellings. Units…
California Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility Areas and in any CAL FIRE mapped fire hazard severity…
Backyard burning in unincorporated Contra Costa County is tightly limited: BAAQMD Regulation 5 prohibits burning yard waste, and recreational wood fires aren't among its allowed…
Wildfire rules in unincorporated Contra Costa County combine the state's 100-foot defensible-space requirement (PRC §4291) with the county fire code's hazardous-vegetation standards…
California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.
Brentwood restricts overnight parking of commercial vehicles exceeding 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating in residential zones. Box trucks, semi-trailers, dump trucks, and similar…
Brentwood enforces a 72-hour maximum continuous street parking limit consistent with California Vehicle Code §22651(k), along with posted street sweeping restrictions and permit-only…
Brentwood prohibits long-term RV, boat, trailer, and oversized vehicle parking on public streets and restricts front-yard storage on private residential property. RVs may generally be…
Contra Costa County has no county-wide ordinance prohibiting overnight parking on public roads in unincorporated areas. The general 72-hour limit in Sec. 46-4.004 applies, and…
Contra Costa County's Division 430 establishes an abatement program for abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on public or private property. Code Enforcement may…
California Civil Code sections 4745 and 1947.6, plus Government Code 65850.7, create statewide rights for residents to install EV charging stations and require expedited local…
Brentwood regulates removal of protected and heritage trees, including most native oaks and trees over a threshold trunk diameter on developed residential parcels. A tree removal…
Contra Costa County Agricultural Commissioner maintains the noxious weed list under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 5004. Brentwood property owners must control listed…
Brentwood residents are served by the city's water utility and the East Contra Costa Irrigation District for agricultural users. Permanent statewide water waste rules from the State…
California law strongly encourages drought-tolerant landscaping in Brentwood. HOAs cannot prohibit low-water landscaping under Civil Code Section 4735, and the state's MWELO requires…
Brentwood Municipal Code declares vegetation over 6 inches a public nuisance when it creates a fire hazard or harbors vermin. Weed abatement notices are issued each spring, and uncured…
Unincorporated Contra Costa County protects larger trees under Ordinance Code Chapter 816-6: single-trunk trees 6.5 inches in diameter (at 4.5 feet) and multi-stem trees with combined…
Since SB 676 took effect in 2024, Government Code 53087.7 protects only drought-tolerant living landscaping from local bans, so cities may again prohibit artificial turf. Civil Code…
SB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.
The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local…
Brentwood's zoning and development standards include outdoor lighting requirements aimed at minimizing light pollution and glare into neighboring properties and the night sky. Fixtures…
Brentwood's code prohibits outdoor lighting that produces excessive glare or spills onto neighboring properties at levels high enough to disturb use and enjoyment. Typical standards…
Brentwood requires single-stream recycling via the blue cart and organics via the green cart under California SB 1383. Acceptable recyclables include paper, cardboard, rigid plastics…
Brentwood residents must use the city-issued carts provided by Brentwood Disposal Service and keep them in good repair. Overfilled carts, bagged waste left outside carts, and damaged…
Brentwood Disposal Service provides weekly curbside collection for trash, recycling, and organics throughout Brentwood. Collection days are assigned by neighborhood route, and carts…
Brentwood residential customers receive complimentary bulk pickups each year for items too large for the cart, such as furniture, mattresses, and appliances. Additional pickups can be…
Illegal dumping in Brentwood is a misdemeanor and civil violation under Municipal Code Chapter 8.12 and California Penal Code 374.3. Fines start at 100 dollars for first offenses and…
Brentwood does not maintain a municipal No Knock registry, but residents can rely on No Soliciting signs and the state Do Not Call Registry. California's Home Solicitation Sales Act…
Door-to-door commercial solicitors in Brentwood must obtain a Solicitor Permit from the Police Department and carry photo ID while soliciting. Solicitation hours are limited to 9 AM to…
California Civil Code §714 (the Solar Rights Act) overrides HOA restrictions that would prohibit residential solar panels or make them significantly more expensive or less efficient…
Brentwood issues solar photovoltaic permits under the streamlined 3-business-day turnaround mandated by CA AB 2188 and the California Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714). Most standard…
California Civil Code 1708.8 makes it a civil tort to use a drone to capture images or recordings of someone in a private setting. Brentwood also enforces trespass and peeping laws…
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401…
Brentwood prohibits commercial cannabis operations including medical dispensaries under Municipal Code Chapter 17. Patients may possess medical cannabis under Proposition 215 and…
Health and Safety Code section 11362.2 grants every adult 21 or older the statewide right to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors, and bars local governments from completely…
Brentwood enforces a juvenile curfew prohibiting minors under 18 from being in public places between 10 PM and 5 AM, with common exceptions for employment, emergencies, and…
Brentwood parks are closed from 10 PM to 6 AM under Municipal Code Chapter 12.08, and entering during closure is an infraction. Special-event permits can extend hours for approved…
Brentwood does not require a permit for residential garage sales of personal household items. Signs must follow the yard-sign rules (private property only, removed after sale)…
Brentwood limits residential garage sales to a small number per year (commonly three or four) of a limited duration each (often two or three consecutive days). Sales exceeding these…
Brentwood allows temporary garage sale signs on private property during the sale weekend only. Signs in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or attached to street-sign posts are…
Political signs on private property in Brentwood are treated the same as other non-commercial yard signs under the city's content-neutral sign ordinance. State law limits the city's…
Brentwood requires plumbing permits for water heater replacements, repipes, sewer lateral work, gas line modifications, and most fixture relocations under the 2022 California Plumbing…
California Health and Safety Code 17926 requires carbon monoxide alarms in all dwelling units that have a fossil fuel appliance, fireplace, or attached garage. Alarms must be installed…
Most electrical work in Brentwood requires a permit from the Building Division under the California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3), which adopts NFPA 70 with California amendments…
Brentwood requires a building permit for all roof covering replacement, re-roofing, and structural roof work per the 2022 California Building Code and California Residential Code as…
All Brentwood dwelling units must have working smoke alarms under California Health and Safety Code 13113.7 and 13113.8. Alarms are required inside each sleeping room, outside each…
California's Toxic Mold Protection Act requires Brentwood landlords to disclose known visible mold that exceeds health thresholds. Landlords must maintain rental units free of mold…
Brentwood requires owners of residential rental properties to obtain a city business license (the Transient Tax/rental business license) and pay the annual tax based on the number of…
Brentwood follows federal and California lead-paint disclosure rules for pre-1978 rental housing. Landlords must provide tenants with the EPA pamphlet and a written disclosure of known…
California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and…
California landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat…
Civil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.
California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written…
California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…
To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more…
California limits annual rent increases statewide to 5% plus the local change in the cost of living, capped at 10%, under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482). It also lets…
California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…
As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…
California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…
Illicit discharges — any release of non-stormwater materials into Brentwood's storm drain system — are prohibited under the Municipal Regional NPDES Permit and city code. Violations…
Portions of Brentwood lie within FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), particularly along Marsh Creek, Sand Creek, Dry Creek, and Deer Creek corridors. Development in…
The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…
In Brentwood, many neighborhoods are governed by HOAs under the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (California Civil Code 4000 et seq.) in addition to city ordinances. HOA…
HOA fines in Brentwood are governed by Davis-Stirling. Civil Code 5855 requires written notice and a due-process hearing before any discipline, Civil Code 5850 requires a published…
Davis-Stirling requires HOAs to offer Internal Dispute Resolution (Civil Code 5900) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (Civil Code 5925+) before most lawsuits between owners and…
California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…
California tightly regulates HOA governance. The Common Interest Development Open Meeting Act (Civil Code 4900-4955) governs board meetings and member access, sections 5100-5145…
California HOAs enforce recorded CC&Rs and architectural rules, but Civil Code section 4765 requires architectural decisions to be fair, reasonable, and in good faith, and sections…
Mobile food facilities operating in Brentwood must hold a Contra Costa County Environmental Health mobile food permit, a California seller's permit, a Brentwood business license, and…
Brentwood regulates where food trucks may operate through zoning and time-and-place rules consistent with SB 946 and SB 972. Trucks generally may operate on private commercial property…
Contra Costa County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. In the unincorporated county, a data center is treated as an industrial use, allowed in the L-I, H-I, C-M, or W-3 industrial…
Contra Costa County has no ordinance specific to cryptocurrency or blockchain mining. A commercial mining operation is treated as a data center or industrial use, allowed in the L-I…
Contra Costa County has no codified decibel ordinance for stationary sources. A data center's cooling and generators are held to the 2045 General Plan land-use compatibility standard…
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…
California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…
California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…
California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Labor Code 2812. The…
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies…
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use…
The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The…
California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…
California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…
California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…
California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…
California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…
California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970…