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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Code adopted
2025 California Green Building Standards Code
Adoption section
PMC § 17.04.010(K)
Local deletion
Appendix A4 & A5, Division .2 Energy Efficiency
Amending section
PMC § 17.04.020
Mandatory CALGreen measures
Unchanged, still apply citywide

Summary

Petaluma adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) by reference for every building permit, including its Tier 1 voluntary residential and nonresidential measures, but the city has locally deleted the energy-efficiency divisions of those voluntary tiers.

K. Part 11—2025 California Green Building Standards Code including Appendix A4 at Tier 1 level requirements (Residential Voluntary Measures) and Appendix A5 at Tier 1 level requirements (Nonresidential Voluntary Measures); ... Part 11 of the 2025 California Building Standards Code, California Green Building Standards Code, as adopted in Section 17.04.010, is hereby amended to include the following additions, amendments, and deletions: Green Building Standards Code Appendix A4, Division A4.2, Energy Efficiency, is deleted. Appendix A5, Division A5.2, Energy Efficiency, is deleted.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).

Full Breakdown

010(K) adopts "Part 11-2025 California Green Building Standards Code including Appendix A4 at Tier 1 level requirements (Residential Voluntary Measures) and Appendix A5 at Tier 1 level requirements (Nonresidential Voluntary Measures)" as part of the codes the city applies to construction. 09 already cover that ground more stringently. All of the mandatory CALGreen provisions, covering site planning, water efficiency, material conservation and indoor air quality for every new building, remain in force unchanged; only the specific voluntary Tier 1 energy-efficiency divisions were removed. Builders seeking CALGreen Tier 1 or Tier 2 voluntary compliance points in Petaluma should confirm with the building division which voluntary measures still count locally, since the energy-efficiency division of the standard statewide checklist does not apply here.

Violations & Fines

Because the Green Building Standards Code is folded into the codes adopted under Chapter 17.04, noncompliance with its mandatory provisions is enforced the same as any other building-code violation: a stop-work order with an investigation fee of one to five times the permit fee, and a misdemeanor penalty of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail per Section 17.04.030, with each day a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Petaluma follow the state's Green Building Code?
Yes. Petaluma Municipal Code § 17.04.010(K) adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), including its Tier 1 voluntary residential and nonresidential appendices, as part of the codes governing every building permit in the city.
What did Petaluma change in the state Green Building Code?
Section 17.04.020 deletes Division A4.2 and Division A5.2, the energy-efficiency divisions of the voluntary Tier 1 residential and nonresidential CALGreen appendices, while leaving the mandatory statewide green building measures in place unchanged.
Why would Petaluma remove the CALGreen energy-efficiency voluntary tier?
The code itself does not state a reason, but Petaluma separately requires all-electric construction for most new buildings under Chapter 17.09 and follows the state Energy Code, which likely made the voluntary CALGreen energy-efficiency credits redundant with the city's own mandates.

Sources & Official References

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