Garden Grove, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- CALGreen 2025 Edition (§18.04.010)
- Diversion requirement
- 65% minimum, rising to 75%
- Pre-permit filing
- Waste Reduction & Recycling Plan
- Security deposit
- Set by City Council resolution
- Administered by
- C&D Compliance Official
Summary
Garden Grove adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code under §18.04.010 and enforces its construction-waste diversion mandate through Chapter 18.60, requiring covered projects to divert at least 65% (rising to 75%) of construction and demolition debris, backed by a security deposit collected at permit issuance.
The California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, as published by the International Code Council; ... All covered projects shall reuse, recycle, or divert the minimum percentage amount of designated recyclable and reusable materials as set forth by state law and regulations. The 2016 CALGreen (Part 11 of Title 24, California Code of Regulations) requires a minimum diversion of 65%, which is expected to increase to 75% for the 2019 edition that will be applicable in 2020.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4903654; v10 updated 2026-05-12).
Full Breakdown
050(A). 070 exempts work needing only a plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permit, seismic tie-downs, prefabricated patio covers without structural modification, and prefabricated signs or antennas without structural modification. 080 once the C&D Compliance Official confirms the diversion documentation.
Violations & Fines
Starting a covered construction or demolition project without an approved Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan and the required security deposit under §18.60.060 blocks permit issuance outright, and completing a covered project without filing the diversion compliance report violates Chapter 18.60. As a Municipal Code violation it falls under the citywide general penalty in §1.04.010: a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, chargeable as an infraction, with continuing violations counted daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Garden Grove require construction waste recycling?
Do I need to post money before I can pull a building permit?
Is a mechanical-only permit exempt from the recycling rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garden Grove
California rules heatmap·Compare Garden Grove to another location·View the California building safety overview
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