Contra Costa County, CA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection stages
- Initial, Rough, Final
- Supervised development
- Full-time engineer inspection required
- Engineer departure
- Must report within 48 hours
- Completion proof
- Certificate issued under § 716-6.018
- Extra inspections
- Building official may add beyond 3 stages
Summary
Grading work under a Contra Costa County permit is checked at three defined stages under Section 716-6.006: initial, once the site is cleared and prepped before fill goes in; rough, once elevations and drainage devices are graded; and final, once all drainage facilities are installed and slope planting is established. The county building official approves or rejects each stage before work proceeds.
(a)The county building official, upon notification from the permittee or his agent, shall inspect the work at the following stages of the work and shall either approve the portion then completed or shall notify the permittee or his agent wherein it fails to comply with the requirements of this division:(1)Initial. When the site has been cleared of vegetation and unapproved fill and has been scarified, benched or otherwise prepared and before any fill is placed;(2)Rough. When rough grading has been completed and approximate final elevations have been established; drainage terraces, swales and other drainage devices graded ready for paving; and berms installed at the top of slopes;(3)Final. When work has been completed, all drainage devices, systems and facilities installed and slope planting established.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 716-6, Control of Work, governs how the county building official inspects grading permits issued under Division 716. 006(a) requires the permittee to notify the building official at each of three called stages so the county can either approve the work completed to that point or explain in writing where it falls short: the initial stage, once the site is cleared of vegetation and unapproved fill and has been scarified or benched but before any fill is placed; the rough stage, once rough grading is done, approximate final elevations are set, drainage terraces and swales are graded ready for paving, and berms are installed at the top of slopes; and the final stage, once all drainage devices and facilities are installed and slope planting has taken.
Subsection (b) also lets the building official make additional inspections beyond those three stages, and require reports from a soil engineer or engineering geologist, whenever needed to confirm compliance. 006 stage requirements, with compaction data, drainage inspection reports, and geological findings all funneled to the county building official. 018 only once work under the permit is satisfactorily finished.
Violations & Fines
If a project's soil or civil engineer finds work out of conformance with the approved plans, Section 716-6.010 requires immediate written notice to both the permittee and the county building official describing the nonconformity and the fix required. An engineer who quits or is removed before the work is done must report the job's status to the building official in writing within forty-eight hours under Section 716-6.012, and no certificate of completion issues under Section 716-6.018 until the outstanding inspection stages are satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three inspection stages for a Contra Costa County grading permit?
Who inspects a large or hazardous grading job instead of the county?
How do I prove my grading work is finished?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
California rules heatmap·Compare Contra Costa County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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