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Monterey County, 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 CALGreen, Title 24 Part 11
Renewable trigger
Non-residential buildings over 25,000 sq ft
Renewable minimum
15% of projected energy demand on-site
Tier 1 equivalent
LEED Silver / 33-point GreenPoint rating
Tier 2 equivalent
LEED Gold / 65-point GreenPoint rating
Effective
Ord. No. 5442, § 13, Dec. 9, 2025

Summary

Monterey County Code § 18.11.010 adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24 Part 11 (CALGreen), as the county's Green Building Standards Code, with local amendments layered on top: § 18.11.060 forces on-site renewable energy generation on large non-residential projects, and § 18.11.050 offers fee-rebate incentives for builders who exceed CALGreen Tier 1 or Tier 2.

City-specific rules exist: Salinas has its own green building code rules that differ from Monterey County's county-level regulations. If you live in Salinas, check the city-specific page instead.

That certain document entitled 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 11, also known as CALGreen, as published by the California Building Standards Commission, is hereby adopted as the Green Building Standards Code for the County of Monterey.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).

Full Breakdown

11 was repealed and re-enacted by Ord. No. 5442, § 13, effective December 9, 2025. 010 adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 11, published by the California Building Standards Commission, as the Green Building Standards Code for the County of Monterey. 040 sets the compliance standards, treating CALGreen's mandatory minimum requirements as roughly equivalent to LEED basic certification and an eighteen-point GreenPoint rating, CALGreen Tier 1 as roughly equivalent to LEED Silver and a thirty-three-point GreenPoint rating, and CALGreen Tier 2 as roughly equivalent to LEED Gold and a sixty-five-point GreenPoint rating.

060 imposes a genuinely local mandate beyond the state code: all new non-residential structures greater than 25,000 square feet must provide on-site renewable energy generation covering at least 15 percent of projected energy demand, though the Compliance Official may grant an exception if the applicant demonstrates on-site generation is not appropriate for the site and shows an alternative design still achieves that 15 percent efficiency target. 050 for a Step 1 or Step 2 incentive rebate against construction permit fees, set by Board of Supervisors resolution, plus a county 'healthier home or business' award; alternative rating systems like LEED or GreenPoint Rated require documentation from a qualified professional, at the applicant's expense, before the Compliance Official will approve the incentive.

Violations & Fines

The renewable energy mandate in § 18.11.060 is a hard requirement for qualifying non-residential projects, not an option; the Compliance Official reviews and can deny the site-specific exception unless the applicant proves on-site generation is infeasible and that the substitute design still hits the 15 percent efficiency threshold. Projects seeking incentive rebates under § 18.11.050 that submit incomplete or unverified rating documentation are not entitled to the Step 1 or Step 2 rebate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Monterey County require solar or other renewables on new commercial buildings?
Yes, but only above a size threshold. Monterey County Code § 18.11.060 requires new non-residential structures larger than 25,000 square feet to generate at least 15 percent of their projected energy demand on-site, unless the Compliance Official approves a site-specific exception with an equivalent alternative design.
What incentive exists for exceeding the state minimum?
Section 18.11.050 gives a Step 1 rebate on construction permit fees, set by Board of Supervisors resolution, to newly constructed or rebuilt buildings that meet or exceed CALGreen Tier 1, and a larger Step 2 rebate for projects reaching 2010 CALGreen Tier 2 thresholds, plus a county 'healthier home or business' award either way.
Can a builder use LEED instead of CALGreen's own rating system?
Yes. Section 18.11.050(E) allows alternative means such as LEED or GreenPoint Rated, but the applicant must supply, at their own expense, documentation from a qualified professional certifying the alternative meets the CALGreen-equivalent tier, and that documentation still must be approved by the Compliance Official before any incentive is granted.

Sources & Official References

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