Modesto requires a grading permit before any cut, fill, clearing, or grubbing activity. Projects of one-half acre or more must file a state Notice of Intent; projects of one acre or more must also submit a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).
Modesto Municipal Code Title 5, Chapter 10, Article 3 (MMC 5-10.301 et seq.) governs grading and erosion control. A grading permit is required for any excavation, fill, stockpiling, or land-clearing before work begins. Developments of 0.5 acres or more must file a state NOI with the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Projects disturbing one acre or more must prepare a SWPPP and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to prevent stormwater pollution. Smaller projects still require an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan. Civil and grading plans are reviewed by Land Development Engineering for compliance with city standards and life-safety requirements. Work without a permit is a code violation subject to stop-work orders and fines.
Grading without a permit may result in stop-work orders, mandatory restoration, and administrative fines enforced by Land Development Engineering.
Modesto, CA
Modesto's noise ordinance (MMC Title 4, Ch. 9) bans 'loud and raucous noise' citywide, including from industrial operations. Certain continuous industrial ac...
Modesto, CA
Modesto enforces a 72-hour street-parking limit citywide under MMC Title 3, Chapter 2, Article 10. Designated residential areas also operate Residential Park...
Modesto, CA
Modesto Municipal Code Title 5, Chapter 4 permits backyard hens in R-1 residential zones. Up to 12 hens are allowed; roosters are prohibited. Coop placement ...
Modesto, CA
Modesto has one of the lowest pet limits in California, allowing a maximum of two dogs or cats per household under MMC Title 5, Chapter 4. Animal hoarding is...
Modesto, CA
Modesto sits on the Central Valley floor outside CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area and is not mapped as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so the wild...
Modesto, CA
Modesto does not regulate year-round residential lawn ornaments (statues, gnomes, flamingos, religious figures, sports themes) by size, quantity, or content....
See how Modesto's grading & drainage rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.