Chico, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 15.50.080(A)
- Trigger
- 2,500-5,000 sq ft impervious surface
- Rain barrel status
- One of six approved options
- Plan stamp
- California civil engineer required
- Larger projects
- 5,000+ sq ft is a regulated project
Summary
Chico counts rain barrels and cisterns as an approved site design measure: developments adding 2,500 to 5,000 square feet of impervious surface can meet the city's runoff-reduction requirement in part by installing a system that collects and stores storm water from a roof.
All projects that create and/or replace...between 2,500 square feet and 5,000 square feet of impervious surface...are required to implement one or more of the following site design measures to reduce project site runoff: ... f. Rain barrels and cisterns – system that collects and stores storm water runoff from a roof or other impervious surface.
Full Breakdown
Chico Municipal Code § 15.50.080 requires projects that create or replace 2,500 to 5,000 square feet of impervious surface, including qualifying single-family homes, to implement one or more site design measures to cut project runoff. Rain barrels and cisterns - defined in the code as a system that collects and stores storm water runoff from a roof or other impervious surface - are one of six listed options alongside stream buffers, soil quality improvement, tree preservation, porous pavement, and green roofs. Larger projects of 5,000+ square feet are 'regulated projects' subject to fuller site design, source control, and hydromodification requirements. Plans for rain cisterns must be stamped by a California civil engineer.
Violations & Fines
Projects that skip a required site design measure can't clear plan review; noncompliant runoff is enforceable as a Chapter 15.50 violation subject to abatement and civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chico require rain barrels on new construction?
Who has to use one of these runoff-reduction measures in Chico?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
California rules heatmap·Compare Chico to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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