Sacramento, CA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- For any grading unless exempt, § 15.88.060
- Minor-work exemption
- Under 50 cu. yd., under 2 ft cuts/fills, under 10% slope
- CEQA gate
- Approval withheld until CEQA satisfied, § 15.88.090(B)
- Fee
- Set by city council resolution, § 15.88.310(B)
- Advance notice
- 24 hours before starting work, § 15.88.360(C)
- Penalty
- Infraction plus cost recovery, § 15.88.450 & § 15.88.310(C)
Summary
No one may grade any site in Sacramento without first getting the director's approval under City Code § 15.88.060. Small jobs are exempt below set cubic-yard, depth, and slope thresholds, but everything else needs a grading permit, review for CEQA compliance, and payment of a city-council-set fee before work starts.
Except for the specific exemptions listed hereinafter, no person shall do or permit to be done any grading on any site in the city without first obtaining approval of such grading from the director in accordance with the provisions of the grading ordinance.
Full Breakdown
070 exempts limited work: moving under fifty cubic yards with cuts and fills under two feet and slopes under ten percent, single-family lots under half an acre meeting that same test, swimming pool excavations and building-permitted footings, routine cemetery work, agricultural grading that doesn't endanger structures or block drainage, and emergency work to protect life or property. 080 lets the director issue grading approval alongside a building permit or improvement plan approval, or through a standalone grading permit when grading starts first. 091. 310, set by city council resolution, covering plan review, field investigation, inspection, and compaction testing, payable before grading approval or a building permit issues. 390 to guarantee the work and drainage system function for at least a year after acceptance.
Violations & Fines
Grading without required approval, or grading that violates the terms of an issued approval, is an infraction under § 15.88.450. Under § 15.88.310(C) the violator must also pay the city's full costs to inspect and investigate the violation and to plan-check the corrective work, and remedies are cumulative with any other legal remedy or nuisance-abatement action under §§ 15.88.440 and 15.88.460.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to grade my Sacramento property?
Who issues the grading approval?
Does CEQA review affect my grading timeline?
What happens if I grade without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle erosion control.