Yolo County, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Code adopted
- 2019 California Green Building Code (CALGreen)
- Local amendments
- None; adopted as published
- Effective date
- June 18, 2020 (Ord. 1521)
- Enforcing official
- Chief Building Official
- Appeal path
- Planning Commission, then Board of Supervisors
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Unincorporated Yolo County construction is governed by the 2019 California Green Building Code, adopted word-for-word under Sec. 7-1.13 with zero local amendments. Every new-construction building permit must meet CALGreen's mandatory water, energy and waste-diversion measures, enforced by the Chief Building Official alongside the county's other Title 7 construction codes.
(j) The 2019 California Green Building Code, including Appendix Chapters A4-Residential Voluntary Measures and A5-Nonresidential Voluntary Measures, as published in Title 24, Part 11 of the California Code of Regulations and amended in Section 7-1.13. ... Sec. 7-1.13. Amendments to the California Green Building Code. The 2019 California Green Building Code (CGBC) is adopted as published by the California Building Standards Commission without amendment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Yolo County's Title 7, Chapter 1 construction code, adopted by Ordinance No. 1521 effective June 18, 2020, incorporates the full family of 2019 California codes by reference. Sec. ' Sec. ' That means every mandatory CALGreen measure applies exactly as the state wrote it to any permit issued for unincorporated Yolo County construction. Sec. 00 designates the Chief Building Official, or the county health officer where health duties are involved, as the enforcing authority and defines key terms used throughout the chapter. Sec. 03 folds Chapter 1, Divisions I and II of the 2019 California Building Code in as the administrative backbone, governing permits, inspections and appeals for every code in Title 7, CALGreen included.
Sec. ' Plan-check and inspection fees tied to CALGreen review are set by Board of Supervisors resolution, and a re-inspection fee applies when work isn't ready when scheduled. Disputes over a CALGreen determination go first to the Planning Commission sitting as the board of appeals, then to the Board of Supervisors on further appeal, mirroring the appeal path built into the Building and Fire Code chapters.
Violations & Fines
Building without CALGreen-compliant plans, fixtures, or waste-diversion documentation is treated like any other Title 7 code violation. Sec. 1-2.01 makes noncompliance with any Yolo County Code provision, including a code adopted by reference such as CALGreen, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. The Chief Building Official can withhold a certificate of occupancy until CALGreen items are corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Yolo County require CALGreen compliance?
Did Yolo County add any local Green Building Code amendments?
Who enforces the Green Building Code in Yolo County?
What happens if a project doesn't meet CALGreen requirements?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yolo County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yolo County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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