Grading

One of the main reasons for regulating grading projects is to protect the safety of the public. Often, the grading of a development site forms the physical support for a project's roads and buildings. Just as the foundation of a building must be properly designed to provide long-term support for the structure, the site grading must also be done properly to ensure that the site is stable for the long term. Improper grading can result in damage to structures or adjoining properties, road failures and landsliding.

In addition to the concerns for safety, a well-designed grading project is necessary to protect environmental quality. Grading projects that are improperly designed can result in accelerated soil erosion, damage to fish and wildlife habitats, increased flood hazards, and visual or aesthetic degradation.

This informational brochure has been produced by the Santa Cruz County Planning Department to provide information on how grading is regulated in the County and what to expect when you apply for a grading permit.

When Do I Need a Grading Permit?

moving more than 100 cubic yards of earth;
creating a cut slope greater than 5 feet high;
creating fills which are greater than 2 feet deep, any fill located on slopes greater than 20 percent, or any fill used for structural support;
all shoreline protection projects, including seawalls and rip-rap, even if they involve less than 100 cubic yards of material.

The Grading Ordinance (County Code Chapter 16.20) provides that certain activities are exempt from grading permit requirements. These include: excavations for basements and foundations for buildings authorized under a valid building permit, cemetery graves, well and utility excavations, and routine agricultural work to prepare a field for a crop for continued agricultural use.

Since December 2002, grading activities (of less than 1,000 cubic yards) associated with the construction or remodel of a single-family dwelling are processed with the building permit application, and no longer require a separate grading permit application. In these cases, all of the following requirements and fees still apply; however, there is not a separate application required for the grading permit.

How Do I Apply for a Grading Permit?

If your grading project is an element of a building permit application for a new or remodeled single-family dwelling (or accessory structure), the grading application is processed along with the building permit application. No separate grading application is necessary. However, all requirements and fees listed below still apply.

"Stand-alone" grading permit applications can be filed at the Zoning Counter, located in the Planning Department on the 4th floor of the County Government Center at 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, or at the Felton Permit Center, 6149 Highway 9, Felton, or at the Aptos Permit Center, 8045 Soquel Drive, Aptos. You can make an appointment for the Zoning Counter by calling (831) 454-3252 for Ocean Street, 454-7450 for Felton or 454-7576 for Aptos.

Grading plans (four copies) that show in detail all grading work proposed. A list of grading plan requirements is provided below. Grading plans must be prepared by a licensed architect or civil engineer. If grading activities will exceed 2,000 cubic yards of material, the plan must be prepared by a registered civil engineer. Although projects involving less than 2,000 cubic yards are not automatically required to be prepared by an engineer, an engineer's expertise will be extremely helpful and is highly recommended, even fo smaller projects. The Planning Department may require engineered plans for smaller projects on problematic sites.
A completed application form with the property owner's (or his/her authorized agent's) signature. (Note: this is required only for "stand-alone" grading projects.)

Grading Plan Requirements

Name and address of property owner
Assessor's Parcel Number (APN)
Name and location of existing, adjacent streets
Vicinity map
Intended use or purpose of work
North arrow and scale of drawing
Site plan including entire parcel (APN) with area of proposed grading indicated and enlarged for clarity if necessary
Existing structures, utilities, trees, watercourses, or any other topographical features of interest
Details of proposed structures, including retaining walls
Property lines, setbacks, or building envelopes
Existing and proposed contours. Topographic information must be at a suitable scale to insure clarity. Minimum contour intervals are as follows:

Slope of Existing Ground	Contour Interval
0-5%	1 ft.
5-15%	5 ft.
> 15%	10 ft.

Volume of proposed grading for both cuts and fills
Cross-sections of cuts, fills, building pads, and driveways (including property lines where appropriate)
Clearly defined LIMITS OF GRADING activities (disturbed area)
Toe and top of cut and fill slopes

Profiles of proposed driveways and access roads (including gradient and stationing)
Width, radius, and drainage facilities for driveways and access roads
Proposed structural sections (sub-base, base, and pavement) for driveways and access roads (including compaction requirements
Existing and proposed locations of all septic disposal systems (tanks, leach fields, and expansion areas)
Existing and proposed drainage facilities including culverts and other structures as appropriate
An adequate erosion control plan including appropriate details and specifications
Signature and stamp of civil engineer or architect

Application Fees

Application fees will depend upon the proposed grading volume and location of the project. For example, grading projects within the Coastal Zone often require a Coastal Permit. Proposed grading in an environmentally sensitive area may require additional reviews and fees. Staff at the Zoning Counter can provide you with specific fee information for your project.

What Happens When I Apply for a Grading Permit?

Your grading permit application will be assigned to a Resource Planner in the Environmental Planning section of the Planning Department. This staff person will have primary responsibility for reviewing and processing your application.

The Resource Planner's first task will be to review your plans and visit the project site to determine whether the grading application is complete. This review occurs within 30 days of your application submittal. If additional information is needed, you will be notified in writing. You may be asked to provide additional detail on your plans (such as grading cross-sections, drainage features or retaining wall details). You may also need a specialized technical review such as a Geologic Hazards Assessment, a geotechnical (or soils) engineering report or a geologic report. These types of technical reviews are often required in steep or potentially unstable areas, or along the coastline.

When the application is complete, including completion of any necessary technical reviews, the Resource Planner will review the plans for conformance with the County Code and General Plan (see below for a more detailed discussion). Grading projects involving more than 1,000 cubic yards of material must also undergo a formal environmental review under the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This type of project requires preparation of a formal environmental assessment document and a mandatory public review period.

When the grading plans conform to all relevant regulations, the application can be approved by the Senior Civil Engineer in the Environmental Planning section. Certain large grading projects require approval by the County Planning Commission at a full public hearing. The grading plans may be approved as submitted, or with conditions added to the approval. Conditions of approval vary considerably depending on the site and the specific proposal. They typically include erosion control requirements, establishing the limits and/or quantities of grading, and other requirements necessary to protect health, safety and the environment. The permit will also include a requirement to complete the grading activities within a specific time to avoid erosion problems during the rainy season.

Decisions on grading permits can be appealed. Decisions of the Senior Civil Engineer are appealable to the Planning Director. Decisions of the Planning Commission can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors.

Appeals must be made in writing within ten calendar days of the initial decision, and must include the appropriate appeal fee.

What Requirements Will My Grading Project Have to Meet?

Your grading project must meet all requirements of the County Code (Chapter 16.20) and General Plan. Grading projects vary considerably throughout the County, as do the properties where grading is proposed. It is impossible to list all of the specific requirements here. You are encouraged to visit the Zoning Counter prior to preparing your grading application to determine whether any special rules or constraints apply to your property. These might include: location in the Coastal Zone, location within a designated scenic area, or the presence of an environmentally sensitive resource such as a stream, riparian area, or habitat for rare or endangered species.

All plans must comply with the design standards contained in the Grading Ordinance. These technical standards cover slope angle, fill placement, road standards and related issues. (If your project is for construction of a road, you should contact the responsible Fire Department to determine their road requirements before preparing your grading plans.)
The project should be designed to maintain the natural contours of the site and to minimize grading to the greatest extent possible. Projects that propose significant alterations to natural topography, instead of minimizing the amount of earthwork (for example, utilizing retaining walls or grade beam or stepped foundations), may be denied. This issue becomes especially important in visually prominent areas in the Coastal Zone.
The project must also conform with the County Erosion Control Ordinance. This ordinance contains standards prohibiting obstruction of natural drainage courses and generally prohibiting the construction of new roads on slopes greater than 30 percent. This ordinance also requires soil erosion to be minimized and controlled at all times, and requires preparation of a specific Erosion Control Plan.
Grading activity is generally not approved during the rainy season, October 15th to April 15th. Grading during this period requires specific approval, and is subject to strict limitations. You should plan to conduct your grading operations during the period between April 16th and October 14th.
Grading permits to construct a building site or an access road to serve a building site cannot be issued until the building permit for the structure is also issued.

As with any construction permit, your grading project will require periodic inspections by County staff. A final inspection is required at the conclusion of the project. If a geotechnical (soils) report or geologic report was prepared for the project, it will be necessary for the geologist and/or soils engineer to conduct periodic inspections, including a final inspection. Your grading permit will specify these types of inspection requirements.

Grading Violations

Grading without a valid permit is a violation of the County Code. Penalties can include recordation of a Notice of Violation on the property deed and fines of up to $2,500 per day. To rectify a grading violation, a grading permit must be obtained, and the site may have to be restored to its original condition.

Additional Information

For complete grading regulations, see Chapter 16.20 of the Santa Cruz County Code or contact environmental planning . Consultation with a civil engineer can also be extremely helpful in planning and designing your grading project.