Carmichael, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Sacramento County does not prohibit residential rainwater harvesting, and there is no County ordinance banning rain barrels or cisterns. The controlling framework is California state law: the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Assembly Bill 1750) authorizes residential, commercial, and government landowners to install and operate rainwater-capture systems, subject to State Water Board requirements. For typical home use, a rain barrel or cistern that collects rainwater from a roof for outdoor (non-potable) irrigation generally does not require a building or plumbing permit. Permits, inspection, or professional installation become more likely when the system is used for purposes beyond simple outdoor irrigation, plumbed into the home, intended for potable use, or uses storage larger than the commonly cited 360-gallon threshold, in which case the local building authority (Sacramento County Building Permits and Inspection) should be consulted. California also adopted SB 558 (2018), excluding qualifying rainwater-capture system installations from triggering a property-tax reassessment. Practical cautions apply regardless of permits: stored water should be covered and screened so it does not become a mosquito-breeding source (a vector nuisance the County and the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District can act on), and overflow should not create runoff onto neighbors. Because the County defers to state law here, the safest course for large tanks or any indoor plumbing connection is to confirm permit requirements with County Building before installing.