12 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 5 cities in Santa Clara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Santa Clara County stormwater follows SCVURPPP and Municipal Regional Permit MRP 3.0. Projects over 10000 sq ft impervious need Low Impact Development treatment. Non-rain discharges are prohibited.
Santa Clara County Division C12 requires a grading permit over 50 cubic yards or 5000 sq ft disturbance. Hillside grading is barred Oct 15 to Apr 15 without winterization. Sites over 1 acre need state CGP.
Santa Clara County enforces FEMA NFIP rules via Division B17. Zone A and AE areas along Coyote Creek and Guadalupe River require construction 1 foot above Base Flood Elevation. Federal loans need insurance.
Santa Clara County grading follows Division C12 and CBC Appendix J. Sites must slope runoff away from foundations at 5 percent for 10 feet. Redirecting drainage onto neighbors is barred.
Properties in CalFire State Responsibility Area and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California PRC §4291. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council and CalFire enforce in foothill unincorporated communities like Saratoga Hills, Los Altos Hills, and Mount Hamilton.
California Code of Regulations Title 13 §2485 caps heavy-duty diesel idling at five minutes statewide, enforced across Santa Clara County by CARB and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The county fleet idle-reduction policy mirrors the limit for county-owned trucks and buses.
California AB-1346 banned the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and other small off-road engines under 25 horsepower starting 2024, applying across Santa Clara County. Several cities including Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Los Gatos enforce stricter operating bans, while unincorporated areas follow the state floor.
AB-1346 (2021), Health & Safety Code § 43018.11
Small off-road engines (SORE), which are used primarily in lawn and garden equipment, emit high levels of air pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), reactive organic gases (ROG), and particulate matter (PM)... In 2020, California daily NOx and ROG emissions from SORE were higher than emissions from light-duty passenger cars. SORE emitted an average of 16.8 tons per day of NOx and 125 t...
Santa Clara County declared a climate emergency in 2020 and adopted the OneSCC 2030 Sustainability Master Plan setting county-operations carbon neutrality and aggressive countywide reduction targets. The Office of Sustainability coordinates implementation across departments serving 1.9 million residents.
Santa Clara County's Sustainable Procurement Policy directs all departments to prioritize recycled-content, energy-efficient, low-toxicity, and locally sourced products. Procurement leads the county's transition to a zero-emission light-duty fleet under the OneSCC Sustainability Plan.
Santa Clara County Roads and Airports runs limited cool pavement pilots in heat-vulnerable unincorporated communities like East San Jose foothill fringes. Reflective coatings reduce surface temperatures by roughly 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit on summer afternoons aligned with OneSCC heat equity goals.
Santa Clara County Title B Building Code adopts CALGreen Title 24 Part 11 baseline plus reach-code amendments requiring cool roofing on new construction and major reroofs in unincorporated areas. Reflective materials must meet minimum solar reflectance and thermal emittance ratings under Title 24 Part 6.
The OneSCC 2030 Sustainability Master Plan and county tree canopy goals guide heat island mitigation through cool roofs, cool pavement, urban forestry, and cooling-center activations when National Weather Service forecasts highs at or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit for two consecutive days in unincorporated areas.
5 cities in Santa Clara County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
13 verified rules • Climate Emergency Mobilization, Coastal Development
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
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Santa Clara County Ordinance Hub →