Pasadena, CA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 14.05.084
- Slope protection deadline
- 15 days after rough grading completes
- Rainy-season trigger
- 40% 5-day rain forecast requires devices ready
- Soil-loss report threshold
- Required for grading over 2,000 cubic yards
- Violation classification
- Misdemeanor, not infraction (§14.05.300)
- Outside agency review
- LACFCD and RWQCB for moderate/high erosion sites
Summary
Pasadena requires an erosion and off-site sedimentation control design plan before the building official will issue a grading permit. The plan must show how drainage is directed off cut and fill slopes, when temporary stabilization measures go in, and how the site holds up through the rainy season under Municipal Code Section 14.05.084.
An erosion and off-site sedimentation control design plan shall be submitted with the application for a grading permit. This plan shall describe in detail the necessary methods, management practices and mechanical devices which will be used to mitigate the release of sediment-laden waters from the project standards. The permittee shall sign a statement as part of the plan submittal concerning subsequent conformance with the maintenance requirements of the erosion control design plan. ... A.Slopes. Drainage shall be directed away from the faces of cut and fill slopes into approved drainage structures at the top of the slope. ... The protection for the slopes shall be installed within 15 days after completion of the rough grading. ... B.Other Measures. Where graded slopes exceed a 3 to 1 ratio or 10 feet in height, they shall be protected with a temporary soil stabilization measure to be approved by the building official to provide immediate surface protection following completion of the rough grading if they will remain in the rough-graded condition during the rainy season.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
084 must describe the methods, management practices and mechanical devices that will keep sediment-laden water from leaving the site, and the permittee must sign a statement promising to maintain the erosion-control measures after installation. Drainage on cut and fill slope faces has to run into approved structures at the top of the slope, and that protection must be in place within 15 days of finishing rough grading. 086. Cut slopes over 5 feet and fill slopes over 3 feet must be planted with city-approved vegetation and irrigated once grading is final, and slopes taller than 15 feet need a full landscape plan.
During the rainy season, a standby crew and stockpiled materials must be ready at all times, and every removable protective device must be in place by the end of the day whenever the National Weather Service's 5-day rain forecast tops 40 percent. A guard must be posted whenever water in any desilting device exceeds 18 inches deep. S. Soil Conservation Service's universal soil loss equation. 100. 085.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 14.05, including the erosion-control design and maintenance requirements, is charged as a misdemeanor rather than an infraction under Section 14.05.300. Starting grading work before a permit issues triggers a mandatory special investigation under Section 14.05.096, and the resulting penalty is charged in addition to the normal permit fee whether or not the city ultimately issues the permit. The building official can also suspend or revoke a permit issued in error or in violation of chapter conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasadena require an erosion control plan for grading permits?
When does slope protection have to be installed after grading?
What happens if grading starts before a permit is issued in Pasadena?
Who reviews Pasadena's erosion control plans for high-erosion sites?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle erosion control.