Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

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

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

Key Facts

Adopting section
§ 15.04.050(J)
Code adopted
2025 CA Green Building Standards Code
Former local chapter
Ch. 15.38 (repealed 2025)
Applies to
all new construction, alterations, repairs
Civil penalty range
$250-$25,000 per day

Summary

Sacramento adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code by reference as part of its own Building Code, folding the state's mandatory green-building rules into every building permit issued in the city alongside the structural, electrical, plumbing and energy codes.

The building standards included in the following parts of the 2025 California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, are adopted by reference and incorporated in this code, except as expressly amended or superseded by the provisions of this code: A. The CBC... B. The CRC... C. The CEC... D. The CMC... E. The CPC... F. The CEnC. G. The CWUIC. H. The CHBC. I. The CEBC... J. The CGC. K. The CRSC.

Source: Sacramento City CodeView official code

Full Breakdown

040 as 'the California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition', alongside the California Building Code, California Residential Code, California Electrical Code, California Mechanical Code, California Plumbing Code, California Energy Code, California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, California Historical Building Code, California Existing Building Code and California Referenced Standards Code. 030 applies that code to all new construction and to any alteration, repair, relocation or reconstruction of a building or structure, including electrical, mechanical, gas or plumbing equipment. 050(J).

Violations & Fines

Violating the adopted building code, including the green-building provisions incorporated through § 15.04.050, is a misdemeanor for each day it continues under Sacramento City Code § 15.04.060, with civil penalties of $250 to $25,000 per day recoverable by the city attorney and administrative penalties available under Chapter 1.28. Owners get 30 days from notice to correct a violation before penalties are imposed, except where there is immediate danger to health or safety, and any violation of the building code is separately declared a public nuisance under § 15.04.070.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sacramento have its own green building code?
Sacramento adopts the state's 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CGC) by reference under City Code § 15.04.050(J) as part of the Sacramento City Building Code, rather than writing separate green-building numeric standards of its own in the current code.
What happened to Sacramento's old green building chapter?
Chapter 15.38, added in 2021 to cover local green-building and electric-vehicle rules, was repealed by Ordinance 2025-0031, which folded its provisions into amendments across §§ 15.04.040-15.04.050 and Chapters 15.08, 15.20, 15.24, 15.32 and 15.34.
Does the green building code apply to remodels or just new construction?
Both. Section 15.04.030 applies the entire Sacramento City Building Code, including the adopted CGC, to all new construction and to any alteration, repair, relocation or reconstruction of a building, structure, or related electrical, mechanical, gas or plumbing equipment.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sacramento

All Sacramento rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California building safety overview

Get notified when Green Building Code in Sacramento, CA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Green Building Code in Nearby Cities

How other cities in Sacramento County handle green building code.

Folsom, CA
Some Restrictions
Elk Grove, CA
Some Restrictions
Rancho Cordova, CA
Some Restrictions