San Jose requires erosion and sediment control plans for all construction and grading activities under SJMC Title 17 (Building Code) and Title 20 (Zoning). Projects disturbing one or more acres must file a Notice of Intent with the State Water Resources Control Board and prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). The City enforces erosion controls during the rainy season (October 15 through April 15) with heightened inspection and compliance requirements.
All grading permits require an erosion control plan showing BMPs such as silt fences, fiber rolls, hydroseeding, and stabilized construction entrances. The City's Grading Ordinance (SJMC Chapter 17.04) requires that disturbed areas be stabilized within 14 days if no further work is planned. During the rainy season, all exposed soil must have erosion controls in place before any storm event. The Environmental Services Department conducts inspections and can issue stop-work orders for non-compliance.
Failure to implement required erosion controls can result in stop-work orders, administrative citations of $100-$2,500 per day, and potential liability under the Clean Water Act for sediment discharges to waterways.
San Jose, CA
San Jose Municipal Code Title 7 (Animal Care and Control) requires dogs in public places, city parks, and trails to be on a leash no longer than six feet, re...
San Jose, CA
San Jose imposes no general restriction on year-round lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private residential property. The sign code (SJMC Ch...
San Jose, CA
San Jose has no city ordinance specifically regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Size, height, and motor noise are not restricted by the munic...
San Jose, CA
San Jose has no ordinance limiting the duration, brightness, or hours of residential holiday lighting. The general nuisance provisions in SJMC Title 6 and th...
San Jose, CA
A built-in outdoor kitchen in San Jose typically requires multiple permits: a building permit for any structural roof or counter exceeding the patio cover ex...
San Jose, CA
San Jose does not have a dedicated ordinance for backyard smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired ovens. Use is governed by the multifamily balcony restriction...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
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