Grading in Menifee is regulated under MMC Title 7 Article 6 (Subdivision Grading Standards) and California Building Code Appendix J, both administered by the city Engineering Division. A grading permit is required for cuts/fills over 50 cubic yards, slopes steeper than 5 feet, or any work in an easement or floodplain. Drainage must be directed via positive slope away from foundations (minimum 2% for paved, 5% for landscaped) and discharged to an approved outlet — never onto adjoining property.
CBC Appendix J §J103 requires a grading permit for any excavation or fill exceeding 50 cubic yards, or for cuts greater than 5 feet in vertical depth or fills greater than 12 inches deep on a slope steeper than 5H:1V. Plans must be prepared by a California-licensed civil engineer and include a soils engineering report and engineering geology report when site conditions warrant. Cut slopes are limited to 2H:1V maximum (50%) and fills to 2H:1V maximum, unless supported by a slope-stability analysis. Setbacks from property lines per CBC J108: minimum 2 feet from top of cut, and a distance equal to half the slope height (but not less than 2 feet, max 20 feet) from toe of fill. Drainage per CBC J109: building pads must have a minimum 2% slope away from structures for the first 10 feet (5% if landscaped); concentrated drainage swales or pipes are required to convey runoff to an approved point of disposal — the public storm drain, a natural watercourse, or an approved infiltration facility. Discharging surface water across a property line is prohibited without a recorded drainage easement. Subdivision improvements must comply with Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District design standards (RCFC&WCD Hydrology Manual) for storm drains sized to the 10-year and 100-year events.
Grading without a permit is a misdemeanor under CBC §J103 and may trigger stop-work, double-fee penalties, and a required restoration/remediation plan. Diverting drainage onto neighboring property creates civil tort liability (Cal. Civ. Code §1714) and may be enjoined by court order.
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