San Luis Obispo County, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential threshold
- Homes over 2,500 sq ft need checklist
- Green Point Rated
- Minimum 75 points
- LEED for Homes
- Minimum 40 points
- Non-residential threshold
- Over 10,000 sq ft, LEED 40 pts or Tier 1
- C&D diversion
- 75% required, 80% goal
- Exemption path
- Hardship/infeasibility, Sec. 19.08.090
- Appeals
- Written appeal, Sec. 19.08.080
Summary
San Luis Obispo County Code Chapter 19.08 layers green-building requirements on top of the state's CALGreen code. New homes over 2,500 square feet and non-residential projects over 10,000 square feet must hit a Green Point Rated or LEED checklist score, and every covered project must divert 75 percent of its construction and demolition debris from the landfill.
(1)New homes greater than two thousand five hundred square feet, shall submit a green building checklist from the list below, to include on the building plans. Third-party inspection or certification is not required. At construction, the Architect or Engineer of record shall provide a letter confirming achievement of the points or credits being pursued:a.Green Point Rated, achieving a minimum of seventy-five points. The project shall include the program's prerequisites except in regards to energy; the project is not required to exceed current Title 24 Part 6 energy requirements as a part of this checklist.b.LEED for homes achieving a minimum of forty points. The project shall include the program's prerequisites except in regards to energy efficiency; the project is not required to exceed current Title 24 Part 6 energy requirements as a part of this checklist.
Full Breakdown
040 requires new homes larger than 2,500 square feet to submit a green building checklist with the building plans, verified at construction by a letter from the project's architect or engineer: either Green Point Rated at a minimum of 75 points, or LEED for Homes at a minimum of 40 points, in both cases without exceeding current Title 24 Part 6 energy standards. 050 sets the same structure for non-residential construction over 10,000 square feet, requiring LEED Certification at 40 points or CALGreen Tier 1.
Neither section requires third-party inspection or certification; the Architect or Engineer of record's letter is enough. 060 layers on a construction and demolition waste program: applicants must submit a waste management recycling plan at permit application listing the project owner, location, contractor, estimated debris volume by material type, and the vendor who will collect it, then divert at least 75 percent of all debris generated, with the county's goal set at 80 percent as facilities allow. Before final inspection, the applicant must submit a disposal report with vendor receipts, photographs of on-site reuse, and a completed accounting of diverted versus landfilled material, measured by weight wherever practical.
1. 090 allows a hardship or infeasibility exemption where compliance would conflict with other code provisions, cost is disproportionate to the project, or green materials are not commercially available, with the chief building official setting the maximum feasible compliance threshold. 080.
Violations & Fines
Failing to submit the required checklist or waste management plan can hold up plan check approval. Missing the 75 percent construction and demolition diversion target without an approved exemption exposes the applicant to withholding of the final building permit, withholding of final occupancy, administrative fines, or further enforcement action under Section 19.08.060(3)(e).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every new home in the county need a green building checklist?
What construction and demolition diversion rate applies to a remodel?
Can a project get out of the green building checklist requirement?
What happens if a project misses its diversion target?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Luis Obispo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Luis Obispo County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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