Downey, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

entitled California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, published by the California Building Standards Commission," per Section 8985. A copy is kept on file in both the Building and Safety Division and the City Clerk's office for public review. The current version was carried forward by Ordinance 26-1539, adopted January 27, 2026, following earlier adoptions under Ordinance 20-1430 (2020) and Ordinance 22-1496 (2022), so the standards ratchet up with each CALGreen triennial cycle rather than freezing at an older edition. CALGreen applies to nearly every building permit the Building and Safety Division issues, covering mandatory measures such as construction waste diversion, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, moisture and indoor air quality controls, and energy-performance requirements layered on top of the California Energy Code adopted separately under Chapter 12 (Section 8990).

Because the code is adopted "as though fully set forth herein," CALGreen's state-mandated provisions carry full local force: plan checkers verify compliance at permit review, and inspectors confirm installed measures before signing off on final inspection. Downey has not weakened or opted out of any CALGreen mandatory measure; the ordinance history shows only re-adoptions to keep pace with the state's updated triennial edition, not local carve-outs. Applicants working with the Building and Safety Division at Downey City Hall should expect CALGreen checklists to be part of the standard plan-check packet for residential and commercial projects alike.