San Jose, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- General trigger
- 5,000+ sq ft new impervious surface
- Small-project trigger
- 2,500 sq ft impervious surface
- Single-family threshold
- 10,000 sq ft (whole site)
- Records retention
- 5 years of maintenance records
- Governing policy
- Council Policy 6-29
Summary
San Jose requires on-site stormwater runoff treatment measures on most projects that create 5,000+ square feet of new or replaced impervious surface, with a lower 2,500-square-foot trigger for small projects.
Whenever the creation, on or above ground through installation, construction, or replacement, of five thousand (5,000) square feet or more of impervious surface will occur through a proposed development or redevelopment of real property... or C. Whenever the creation...of two thousand five hundred (2,500) or more, but less than five thousand (5,000) square feet, of impervious surface will occur for any use through a proposed development of real property (a small project)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Under San Jose Municipal Code Chapter 20.95, a development or redevelopment that creates 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface (parking, restaurants, auto service, retail gas, or most other uses) must design, install, and maintain stormwater runoff treatment measures conforming to City Council Policy 6-29 (Post-Construction Urban Runoff Management). A lower 2,500-square-foot threshold applies to 'small projects,' and detached single-family homes not part of a larger development are instead governed by a 10,000-square-foot threshold. Property owners must permanently maintain installed treatment measures and keep five years of inspection/maintenance records available to the City. Off-site treatment facilities require a separate special use permit under Part 3 of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Unlawful to alter, remove, or fail to maintain a required stormwater treatment measure once installed; the city can withhold building, grading, or occupancy approvals for noncompliant projects and require corrective adjustment permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small home remodel trigger this rule?
Who enforces stormwater treatment maintenance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jose
California rules heatmap·Compare San Jose to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle stormwater management.