Kensington, CA

Hedges and living screens in unincorporated Contra Costa County are generally treated as landscaping and are not subject to the same permit thresholds as fences, but height limits in…

Contra Costa County's Ordinance Code does not impose a general material restriction on residential fences in unincorporated areas. The only material-specific rule is that concrete and…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, fences may be built up to 7 feet tall without a building permit. Anything taller, or any concrete or masonry wall, requires a permit from the…

Building permits are not required for fences up to 7 feet tall in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Taller fences, any concrete or masonry wall, and retaining walls over 3 feet…

Retaining walls up to 3 feet (measured footing to top) are exempt from building permits in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Combined with a fence, the total height may not exceed 7…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County has no general noise ordinance and no codified residential quiet hours: the County Ordinance Code (current through May 28, 2026) contains no noise…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County regulates amplified music only at "events": outdoor gatherings of more than 75 people in a residential or agricultural district or at any residence…

Gas and electric lawn equipment in unincorporated Contra Costa County may generally be operated between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekends. Outside…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County sets no general construction hours: the county's own FAQ says "there are no restrictions for construction working hours within Contra Costa County."…

Contra Costa County's Noisy Animal Ordinance (County Code §416-12.202) makes it a violation for an animal to create noise 30 continuous minutes or 60 intermittent minutes within 24…

Vehicle noise in unincorporated Contra Costa County is enforced under the California Vehicle Code: mufflers are required (CVC §27150), modified exhausts can't exceed factory noise…

Native and drought-tolerant landscaping is encouraged in unincorporated Contra Costa County. California's MWELO applies to new or rehabilitated landscapes over 500 square feet, turf is…

Contra Costa County regulates landscape water use through Chapter 82-26, which adopts the state's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance for new landscapes of 500 sq ft or more and…

Under Contra Costa County Ordinance 2023-07 and Cal. Health & Safety Code Div. 12, Part 5, property owners must clear dry grass, weeds, brush, tree litter, and other flammable…

Contra Costa County protects native trees, oaks, bay, buckeye, madrone, sycamore and big-leaf maple, starting at 6.5 inches trunk diameter. Removal requires a permit from DCD Planning…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County protects larger trees under Ordinance Code Chapter 816-6: single-trunk trees 6.5 inches in diameter (at 4.5 feet) and multi-stem trees with combined…

Pool enclosures in unincorporated Contra Costa County must be at least 60 inches tall, have self-closing/self-latching gates that open away from the pool, and limit ground clearance to…

A building permit from the Contra Costa County Building Inspection Division is required before installing any pool or spa in unincorporated areas. In-ground pools must be at least 5…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on lots of at least 6,000 sq ft in single-family, multi-family, P-1, and agricultural districts under…

Contra Costa County bars owners from renting an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit for less than thirty days, closing off short-term rental use of ADUs built…

Contra Costa County allows an attached ADU to be created through an internal conversion of an existing garage; no setback is required for an existing garage being converted to an ADU…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, one-story detached accessory structures (sheds) with a floor area not exceeding 120 sq ft do not require a building permit, but they must still…

Contra Costa County does not impose breed-specific restrictions on pit bulls or any other dog breed. Chapter 416-18 of the Animal Ordinance (formerly Article 416-12.4) regulates…

Beekeeping is allowed in most unincorporated Contra Costa County residential and agricultural zones subject to hive setbacks (typically 10–20 feet from property lines) and registration…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County requires dogs to be leashed in public, with leashes capped at 6 feet. Dogs must be licensed by 4 months old with current rabies vaccination; at-large…

Under Chapter 416-6 of the Contra Costa County Animal Ordinance, no household in a non-agricultural zone may keep more than three dogs or more than five cats over six months old for…

Chapter 82-50 (Urban Farm Animals) of the County Ordinance Code permits residents in unincorporated single-family and two-family residential zones to keep hens, fowl, rabbits…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County allows coops, cages, pens and other bird enclosures for pigeons and other non-poultry birds on single-family and two-family residential lots, but…

Contra Costa County's Animal Services Department requires spay or neuter surgery before releasing certain impounded dogs. An unlicensed, unaltered dog picked up under Section 416-8.002…

Contra Costa County's Animal Services Department will not release an impounded dog or cat without a microchip. Section 416-8.020 requires every animal picked up under Section 416-8.002…

Contra Costa County zoning treats a veterinary clinic as a conditional use, not a by-right business. In the unincorporated county's R-B Retail Business, C-B Community Business, and O-1…

Exotic and wild animals are broadly prohibited in unincorporated Contra Costa County. California Fish and Game Code restricts ownership of venomous snakes, big cats, primates, and most…

Wildlife in unincorporated Contra Costa County is regulated primarily by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). It is illegal to feed deer, coyotes, raccoons, or wild…

Backyard burning in unincorporated Contra Costa County is tightly limited: BAAQMD Regulation 5 prohibits burning yard waste, and recreational wood fires aren't among its allowed…

Properties in State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones across unincorporated Contra Costa must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under Public Resources…

California Health & Safety Code 13113.7 and the California Residential Code require working smoke alarms in all dwelling units in Contra Costa County. Alarms are required in each…

Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Chapter 44-2 (as amended by Ordinance 2021-19) and Section 5601.1.3 of the County Fire Code (Ord. 2025-14) prohibit the possession, manufacture…

Open burning in unincorporated Contra Costa County is governed by BAAQMD Regulation 5 and County Fire Code Section 324. Residential yard-waste and trash burning is prohibited…

Wildfire rules in unincorporated Contra Costa County combine the state's 100-foot defensible-space requirement (PRC §4291) with the county fire code's hazardous-vegetation standards…

STR parking in unincorporated Contra Costa County must comply with the residential zone's parking standards, typically 2 off-street spaces for a single-family home. On-street parking…

Overnight guest occupancy may not exceed two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons, with a hard cap of 20 total persons gathered at any time. Children under 12 do not count…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County does not set a minimum liability-insurance requirement for short-term rental hosts. The STR rules in Ordinance Code Chapter 88-32 focus on the…

Operating a short-term rental in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires a ministerial STR permit issued under Chapter 88-32, plus a business license and a transient occupancy…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County escalates fines every time a short-term rental host repeats a Chapter 88-32 violation: $100 for a first registration or business-license lapse…

Contra Costa County caps how many nights a short-term rental in the unincorporated area can operate each calendar year: ninety days for a non-hosted rental where the owner isn't on…

A 'hosted' short-term rental in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires the host to be physically present at their primary residence, on the same lot as the rental, for the entire…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County regulates short-term rental noise under Ordinance Code Chapter 88-32: no fixed decibel limit or quiet-hours window, but excessive noise inconsistent…

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Contra Costa County pay a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on stays of 30 days or less. Hosts must register with the county within 30 days of starting…

Home occupations are permitted in every legally established residential dwelling unit in any zoning district of unincorporated Contra Costa County, but only as a use 'incidental and…

Contra Costa County prohibits all exterior indication of a home occupation in unincorporated areas. Exterior signs, window displays, outdoor displays, and any other outward signs that…

Small family day care homes (up to 8 children) and large family day care homes (up to 14 children) are protected by California Health & Safety Code sections 1597.30-1597.622. Contra…

Home occupations in unincorporated Contra Costa County generally may not receive customer or client visits at the home. State-licensed family daycare is the protected exception…

Vehicles parked on any Contra Costa County road for 72 or more consecutive hours may be removed under the California Vehicle Code. Enforcement is handled by the Contra Costa County…

Contra Costa County has no specific county-wide ordinance restricting where commercial vehicles may park on public roads beyond the general 72-hour limit. State law (California Vehicle…

Contra Costa County lets residents of unincorporated neighborhoods petition the public works director for a preferential (permit) parking district under Chapter 46-10 when nonresident…

Contra Costa County bars parking any vehicle on an unincorporated county road for 72 or more consecutive hours; Public Works may post 24-hour removal notices and tow vehicles blocking…

An abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on private or public property in unincorporated Contra Costa County is a public nuisance the sheriff or the Department of…

Installing an electric vehicle charging station in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires a building permit under Section 718-14.002. The county building official posts a standard…

Any building or facility of 10,000 square feet or more used for manufacturing, warehousing, retail, wholesale sales, a hotel, hospital, mortuary, or laundry in unincorporated Contra…

Storage of recreational vehicles, travel trailers, vessels, and vessel trailers on private property in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires that the unit be adequately screened…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County issues residential solar permits through the SolarAPP+ online platform in compliance with AB 2188 (3-day expedited processing). Permits are required…

Homeowner association restrictions on rooftop solar in unincorporated Contra Costa County are governed by California Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act). HOAs cannot effectively prohibit…

Contra Costa County must process small residential rooftop solar permits through the state-mandated expedited, streamlined review created by Section 718-12.004. The county building…

HOAs in Contra Costa County may impose fines for CC&R violations only after adopting a schedule of monetary penalties, providing notice, and holding a disciplinary hearing per Civil…

Disputes between HOAs and owners in Contra Costa County are governed by Davis-Stirling (Civil Code 5900-5965) requiring Internal Dispute Resolution, with Alternative Dispute Resolution…

Mobile food facility location restrictions in unincorporated Contra Costa County are limited by state preemption (SB 972). Operators generally must have landowner permission, respect…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County requires every retail food vehicle and mobile food preparation unit to hold a valid environmental health permit before operating. The county health…

SB 1383 mandates organics recycling for all residents and businesses. Contra Costa County requires separation of recyclables (blue cart) and organics including food scraps (green cart)…

Contra Costa County Code Chapter 418-10 and Penal Code 374.3 make illegal dumping a misdemeanor with fines up to $10,000, possible jail time, and mandatory cleanup costs. County…

Contra Costa County requires every home and business in the unincorporated area to subscribe to organic waste collection or haul it themselves under the county's own rules. Ordinance…

Every home and business in unincorporated Contra Costa County must subscribe to weekly trash pickup, not just own a can. Chapter 418-6 requires owners of rented houses, apartments and…

Contra Costa County won't let a landfill operator accept solid waste from a hauler whose local agency isn't running a certified recycling program. Chapter 418-10 has required haulers…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County requires every organic waste generator, homes and businesses alike, to either subscribe to an organic waste collection service or self-haul under the…

Anyone going door to door in unincorporated Contra Costa County to sell goods, take orders, or solicit funds needs a sheriff-issued peddler or solicitor permit first. Chapter 56-4…

Contra Costa County does not maintain a formal no-knock registry. Residents enforce solicitor restrictions by posting 'No Soliciting' signs, which are enforceable under CCC Chapter…

CCC Ordinance Code Chapter 418-6 declares inoperable, wrecked, or dismantled vehicles on private property a public nuisance. Abatement process includes 10-day notice, administrative…

Unimproved lots in unincorporated Contra Costa County fall under the county's Vacant Property Ordinance, Chapter 720-6, which bars owners from letting nuisance conditions like weeds…

CA Civil Code 1708.8 creates civil liability for drone-based invasion of privacy. Recording or observing individuals in areas with reasonable expectation of privacy is actionable…

Federal Title X and California Health & Safety Code require lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 rental units in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Landlords must provide EPA pamphlet…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County bars anyone from erecting, altering, repairing, moving, converting or demolishing a building, or installing regulated equipment, without first…

Contra Costa County has adopted the 2025 California Electrical Code with local amendments as its controlling and enforceable electrical code countywide. No one may connect power to, or…

Contra Costa County's local amendments to the California Green Building Standards Code require permitted residential additions, alterations and demolitions to recycle or salvage at…

Contra Costa County has adopted the 2025 California Plumbing Code, with local amendments, as its controlling plumbing code countywide. Plumbing work otherwise regulated by the county's…

Grading work under a Contra Costa County permit is checked at three defined stages under Section 716-6.006: initial, once the site is cleared and prepped before fill goes in; rough…

Contra Costa County requires automatic fire sprinklers in existing Group R-3 (single-family) dwellings whenever a substantial addition or alteration occurs, under a local amendment to…

Child care centers licensed for more than 12 children are classified as Group E occupancies under the county's amended California Fire Code, and Section 903.2.3 requires an automatic…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County charges a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on every hotel, motel or short-term rental stay of 30 days or less. The operator collects the tax with…

Every business operating in unincorporated Contra Costa County splits into two license classes: Class A general businesses pay a $100 flat fee plus $10 per full-time-equivalent…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County shields established commercial agricultural and agricultural-processing operations from nuisance lawsuits once they have run for more than three…

Anyone operating a massage parlor or outcall massage service, or working as a masseur, in unincorporated Contra Costa County needs a Sheriff-issued permit under Ordinance Code Chapter…

Selling tobacco, including e-cigarettes and vape products, anywhere in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires a county tobacco retailer's license for each location. The county…

Contra Costa County keeps adult bookstores, cabarets, adult theaters, and similar businesses away from homes, schools, and each other. Chapter 88-12 bars any adult entertainment…

Contra Costa County's color-coded placard program posts inspection results at every permitted food facility. Green means passed, yellow means a conditional pass, red means the permit…

Anyone who works in a permitted Contra Costa County microenterprise home kitchen operation must earn a county food handler certification within 30 days of joining. The rule sits inside…

Contra Costa County's health officer can order a property free of refuse, foul odors and rat harborage within 24 hours of notice. Chapter 416-14 bans dumping and lets residents store…

Contra Costa County's Electrical Code sets a minimum lighting standard for boat docks: at least two foot-candles of protective light at every point along docks, covered berths, and the…

Contra Costa County's grading ordinance requires erosion protection on any cut slope over five feet or fill slope over three feet before a grading permit closes out. The county…

Any construction, grading, or development within a mapped special flood hazard area in unincorporated Contra Costa County needs a floodplain permit from the Public Works Department…

New construction and substantially improved buildings inside a Contra Costa County flood hazard area must sit above the base flood elevation plus a required safety margin, or…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, releasing anything other than stormwater into a gutter, storm drain, creek, or ditch is banned outright under the county's Division 1014…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County bans skateboards, coasters and toy vehicles from highways, roadways, sidewalks and parking structures inside any commercial area the Board of…

No one may loiter, stand, or sit on a public street, alley, sidewalk or crosswalk in unincorporated Contra Costa County if doing so blocks the free passage of people or vehicles, or…

Hosting or allowing a gathering of three or more people under 21 where alcohol is present or being consumed on property you control is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Contra Costa…

No one may drink, exhibit, or carry an open container of alcohol on any street, sidewalk, alley, park, parking lot or other public place in unincorporated Contra Costa County, or…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County bans smoking, including vaping and marijuana smoke, in a long list of outdoor public spaces: parks, trails, event venues, outdoor restaurant and bar…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, nobody may build, plant, dig, or place anything in a public right-of-way, including a sidewalk, without a written encroachment permit from the…

Owners of property abutting a public sidewalk in unincorporated Contra Costa County, not the county, carry the legal duty to keep that sidewalk safe. If the sidewalk falls into…

Property owners in unincorporated Contra Costa County must keep the sidewalk in front of their lot clear of weeds, rubbish, dirt, rocks, and debris that block pedestrians. If they…

Filming permits that require closing a county road take longer to process: Section 56-8.410 gives the Department of General Services up to ten working days to issue a permit requiring…

Commercial motion picture production on public property, or any filming that requires county services, needs a filming permit from the Department of General Services first. Section…

Rental dwelling units in unincorporated Contra Costa County are subject to periodic inspection by the county building official under Section 720-8.602, on a schedule the building…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, planting a tree along a public street requires the species and exact planting location to be approved in advance by the Public Works Department…

Contra Costa County protects registered heritage trees countywide under Ordinance Code Chapter 816-4. A heritage tree is any tree seventy-two inches or more in trunk circumference, or…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County allows licensed cardrooms but caps the total number countywide by population, one license for roughly every 20,000 unincorporated residents, and…

Every rental dwelling unit owner in unincorporated Contra Costa County must keep the unit and premises free of 'substandard conditions' under Section 720-8.402. Section 720-8.404's…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County does not operate a mandatory rental registration program for single-family or small multi-family rentals. Landlords are subject to state requirements…

Contra Costa County grants developers a density bonus above the zoned maximum for building affordable or senior housing under Ordinance Code Chapter 822-2. A project providing required…

No store in unincorporated Contra Costa County may sell flavored tobacco products or menthol cigarettes to anyone, a blanket retail ban that reaches fruit, candy, and menthol-flavored…

Large Contra Costa County developments, those over fifteen acres or 120,000 square feet of floor space, must be referred to the local water or wastewater agency to decide whether the…

Homes and other structures in the county's R-6 single-family district cannot rise above two and one-half stories or 35 feet, whichever governs, under Ordinance Code Section 84-4.802. A…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County does not cap ordinary single-family lot coverage by percentage; the county's lot, yard, and height rules govern instead. But when a lot adds a second…

In the R-6 single-family district, the county's base residential zone for unincorporated Contra Costa County, every structure needs a 20-foot front setback, an aggregate 15-foot side…

Unincorporated Contra Costa County lets homeowners hold garage sales without a temporary event permit, but only up to four times in any twelve-month period per residence, and each sale…

Contra Costa County exempts parades and processions from its Temporary Events permit, but only if the organizer still obtains every other permit state law or the county code requires…

A street fair or festival open to more than seventy-five people at a residential or agricultural venue, or more than 150 anywhere else, needs a Contra Costa County temporary event…

A film shoot that already holds a county filming permit under Chapter 56-8 does not need a separate temporary event permit for the same activity, but the production must still carry at…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices may not be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, per…

Contra Costa County limits any window sign on private property in the unincorporated area to ten percent of the window's area, the same cap the county sets for wall signs. The rule…

Off-street parking areas in non-residential zoning districts across unincorporated Contra Costa County must aim lighting downward and away from adjacent properties, streets, and…

Contra Costa County does not ban cannabis businesses outright, but it confines them tightly: every commercial cannabis activity needs a discretionary land use permit, none may sit…

Every commercial cannabis business in unincorporated Contra Costa County must stay at least one thousand feet from any K-12 school, day care center, youth center, or drug treatment…

Minors under 18 may not be in any public place in unincorporated Contra Costa County between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, or between 12:01 a.m. and 5 a.m. Friday…

Contra Costa County has no codified decibel ordinance for stationary sources. A data center's cooling and generators are held to the 2045 General Plan land-use compatibility standard…