Redwood City, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 47.110
- State code referenced
- CALGreen, 24 CCR Part 11
- Multi-family trigger
- 5 or more dwelling units
- Commercial trigger
- Addition over 30% of floor area
- Controlling rule
- Whichever standard is more stringent
- C&D cross-reference
- Municipal Code Ch. 9, Art. XI
Summary
Anyone seeking a Redwood City building permit for new construction, additions, or alterations must meet the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen, 24 CCR Part 11) plus the City's own recycling-space rules for larger projects, under Municipal Code Section 47.110, with the stricter of the two standards controlling.
Persons applying for a permit from the City for new construction and building additions and alterations shall comply with the requirements of this Section and all required components of the California Green Building Standards Code, 24 CCR, Part 11, known as CALGreen, as amended, if its project is covered by the scope of CALGreen or more stringent requirements of the City. If the requirements of CALGreen are more stringent then the requirements of this Section, the CALGreen requirements shall apply... Where five (5) or more multi-family dwelling units are constructed on a building site, provide readily accessible areas that serve occupants of all buildings on the site and are identified for the storage and collection of blue container, green container and black container materials, consistent with the three-container collection program offered by the City.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
110 makes CALGreen compliance a condition of City building permit approval for any project the code covers, and applicants must consult the City's CALGreen checklist to confirm the full list of applicable requirements. 110 conflict, whichever standard is more stringent governs. B adds two local recycling-space conditions tied to permit approval: a building site with five or more multi-family dwelling units must provide readily accessible areas, serving all buildings on the site, identified for storage and collection of the City's blue, green, and black container materials, and new commercial construction or an addition exceeding thirty percent of existing floor area must likewise provide accessible storage areas for blue and green container materials.
1 of Title 24 CCR Part 11, as long as those CALGreen provisions are at least as strict as the City's January 1, 2020 effective standard. com's city code page for Redwood City.
Violations & Fines
A permit applicant who fails to meet the applicable CALGreen or Section 47.110 recycling-space requirements can be denied building permit approval, since compliance is written into the ordinance as a condition of that approval. Continuing noncompliance discovered after a permit issues is treated as a Chapter 47 violation, subject to a notice of violation and the same $100, $200, or $500 escalating administrative fine schedule under Section 47.150 that applies to other Chapter 47 requirements, with appeal rights under Municipal Code Chapter 1, Article II.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Redwood City require CALGreen compliance for building permits?
What extra recycling space must a new apartment building provide in Redwood City?
Does a small commercial remodel trigger the recycling-space rule?
Where can I find the City's CALGreen checklist for a Redwood City permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California building safety overview
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