Rancho Cordova, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Road commissioner (public works director)
- Minimum processing fee
- $75.00 per permit
- Deposit refund window
- 180 days after work completion
- General deposit cap
- $25,000 in lieu of per-job deposit
- Work start deadline
- Within 30 days of issuance
- First unpermitted-work fine
- $2,500 administrative penalty
Summary
Anyone laying pipes, drains, or conduits, or cutting, excavating, or obstructing a Rancho Cordova street or road right-of-way, must first get an encroachment permit from the road commissioner (the public works director). RCMC § 12.08.020 makes unpermitted right-of-way work unlawful, and § 12.08.030 sets a $75 minimum processing fee before any permit issues.
It is unlawful for any person to lay, construct or maintain any pipes, drain, or conduit across, along or on any street, road or highway in the city, or to make any excavation or cut or obstruction therein for such purposes without first obtaining a permit from the road commissioner to do so in the manner herein provided... A minimum processing fee of $75.00 or such other amount as may be established by resolution of the city council shall be paid for permits prior to permit issuance, except where a continuous billing account has been established. Additional costs incurred by the Rancho Cordova public works department for processing and inspection shall be billed to the permittee on a time and material basis, based upon the prevailing public works department rates in effect at the time of permit processing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4660102; v2 updated 2026-03-02; through 03-02-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12.08 RCMC, the construction-in-streets ordinance, requires every applicant to state the location, dimensions, purpose, extent, and estimated duration of the proposed excavation or obstruction, plus anything else the road commissioner requires (§ 12.08.020). Applicants must also file a plan showing the street and the approximate location and size of the work, though the road commissioner may waive this for service connections, small repairs, or driveway culverts (§ 12.08.040). Beyond the $75 minimum processing fee, the public works department bills additional processing and inspection time on a time-and-materials basis (§ 12.08.030).
Permittees must refill excavations and resurface damaged pavement to city standard specifications once work is done (§ 12.08.060), and the road commissioner can require a cash or bond deposit sufficient to cover restoration costs; that deposit is returned 180 days after completion if the repair holds, or applied against the cost of fixing any settling, ruts, or holes that appear (§ 12.08.070). Frequent permittees may instead post a general deposit of up to $25,000 covering multiple projects in lieu of a per-job deposit (§ 12.08.090).
Permits are nontransferable, work must start within 30 days of issuance, and the road commissioner may grant a reasonable extension for unavoidable delay (§ 12.08.120). An excavation needed to preserve life or property is allowed without a prior permit if the road commissioner is promptly notified, provided the excavator still refills the site to the same standard a permit would require (§ 12.08.130). Public districts, utilities, and other political subdivisions covered by Streets and Highways Code § 1468 get a permit as a matter of right without posting a deposit (§ 12.08.110).
Violations & Fines
Working in the right-of-way without a permit is a misdemeanor under RCMC § 12.08.160(A), and § 12.08.160(C) adds administrative civil penalties of $2,500 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 for a third or subsequent violation. A permittee who fails to call for a required inspection faces separate fines of $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 for first, second, and third violations. Violators also owe the city's enforcement expenses, and an uncorrected encroachment is a public nuisance the road commissioner may abate through court action (§ 12.08.150).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an encroachment permit to dig in front of my Rancho Cordova house?
How much does a Rancho Cordova encroachment permit cost?
What happens if I start work without a permit?
Can I dig without a permit in an emergency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cordova
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle encroachment permits.