Part 1 — Purpose and Definitions

This article shall be known as the grading and erosion prevention ordinance of Placer County. (Ord. 5056-B, 2000)

The ordinance codified in this article is enacted for the purpose of regulating grading on property within the unincorporated area of Placer County to safeguard life, limb, health, property and public welfare; to avoid pollution of watercourses with hazardous materials, nutrients, sediments, or other earthen materials generated on or caused by surface runoff on or across the permit area; and to ensure that the intended use of a graded site is consistent with the Placer County general plan, any specific plans adopted thereto and applicable Placer County ordinances including the zoning ordinance, flood damage prevention ordinance (Article 15.52), environmental review ordinance (Chapter 18 Placer County Code), Placer County Conservation Program (Chapter 19, Article 19.10) and applicable chapters of the California Building Code. In the event of conflict between applicable chapters and this article, the most restrictive shall prevail.

(Ord. 5056-B, 2000; Ord. 6042-B § 1, 2020)

Unless the particular provision or the context otherwise requires, wherever the following terms are used in this article, they shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section:

"Agency director" means the head of the community development resource agency of Placer County, or their designee.

"Aquatic resources" or "aquatic resources of placer county" include waters of the United States, waters of the state, stream systems, and constituent habitats for aquatic/wetland complex(es), vernal pool complex(es) and riverine/riparian complex(es) within the stream system and includes all definitions described in Chapter 3 of the HCP/NCCP (Physical and Biological Resources) and Chapter 3 of the CARP (Placer County Aquatic Resources Protected by the CARP).

"Bedding plane" means a nearly flat surface, which may have been tilted up or folded by tectonic forces, separating two beds (or layers or strata) of sedimentary rock. Each bedding plane marks the end of one deposit and the beginning of another having different characteristics (also known as strata, or beds).

"Bedrock" is the solid undisturbed rock in place either exposed at the ground surface or beneath surficial deposits of loose rock or soil.

"Bench" means a relatively level step excavated into sloping natural ground on which engineered fill or embankment fill is to be placed.

"Board" is the board of supervisors of the county of Placer.

"Bona fide agricultural operation" is determined by the agricultural commissioner and means the conservation or protection of land for the purposes of commercial growing or harvesting of crops from soil (including forest operations), the raising of plants at nurseries, the raising of fowl or animals for the primary purpose of a commercial enterprise, or conducting agricultural research.

Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/PL4987 on 2026-07-06

Placer County, CA

BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT

§ 15.48.030

§ 15.48.030

"Civil engineer" is a professional engineer registered as a civil engineer by the state of California.

"Community development resource agency" means the agency which provides planning and direction over those county functions that provide land use planning, management of natural resources, building, inspection and code enforcement services, and other permit and land use services to the citizens of Placer County. The agency includes the divisions of engineering and surveying, planning, and building and performs land development core functions such as infrastructure planning, surveying and mapping, permits and construction.

"Compaction" is the increase of density of a soil or rock fill by mechanical means.

"County aquatic resources program" or "CARP" is a program that protects, streams, wetlands and other aquatic resources as defined in Section 19.10.040.

Cut. See "Excavation."

"Days" mean calendar days, except that such time limits shall extend to the following working day where the last of the specified number of days falls on a Saturday, Sunday or any county holiday.

"Depth of fill" means the vertical dimension from the exposed fill surface to the original ground surface.

"Depth of excavation (cut)" means the vertical dimension from the exposed cut surface to the original ground surface.

"Director of environmental health" means the director of the department of health and human services, Placer County, California acting either directly or through authorized deputies.

"Director of public works" means the director of public works of Placer County, California, acting either directly or through authorized deputies.

"Drainage way" means a depression in the earth's surface such as swales, ravines, gullies, draws, hollows or ditches in which surface waters collect for drainage, but which otherwise are destitute of water.

Embankment. See "Fill."

"Embankment pond" means a pond created by building a dam or levee (i.e., fill).

"Engineering geologist" means a registered geologist certified as an engineering geologist by the state of California.

"Engineering geology" means the application of geologic knowledge in the investigation and evaluation of naturally occurring rock and soil for use in the design of civil works.

"Erosion" means the wearing away and transportation of earth material as a result of the movement of wind, water, or ice.

"Excavated pond" means a pond constructed by excavation (i.e., cut) with water level entirely below the existing ground level.

"Excavation (cut)" means the removal of naturally occurring earth materials by mechanical means, and includes the conditions resulting therefrom.

"Existing grade" means the elevation of the ground surface at a given point prior to excavating or filling.

"Expansive soil" means any soil, which exhibits significant expansive properties as determined

Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/PL4987 on 2026-07-06

Placer County, CA § 15.48.030

PLACER COUNTY CODE

"Fill (embankment)" means the deposit of soil, rock or other materials placed by man and includes the conditions resulting therefrom.

"Finish grade" means the final grade of the site after excavating or filling which conforms to the approved final grading plan. The finish grade is also the grade at the top of a paved surface.

"Foliation plane" means a linear plane formed in metamorphic rock caused by heat and pressure. The planes in the Sierra foothills usually trend north-south and are titled at a steep slope with folds and intrusions.

"Geologic hazard" means any condition in naturally occurring earth materials, which may endanger life, health or property.

"Geotechnical engineer" means a civil engineer registered by the state of California who is qualified in the field of soil mechanics and soil engineering and has the authority to use the title "soil engineer."

"Geotechnical engineering" means the application of the principles of soil mechanics in the investigation, evaluation and design of civil works involving the use of earth materials and may include the inspection, testing and construction thereof.

"Grade" means the vertical location of the ground surface.

Grade, existing. "Existing grade" means the grade prior to grading.

Grade, rough. "Rough grade" means the stage at which the grade approximately conforms to the approved plan.

"Grading" means any land excavation or filling or combination thereof, or the removal, plowing under or burial of vegetative groundcover.

"Grading plan" means a plan prepared in accordance with this article showing grading and related work.

"Grading work" is grading and related work, such as, but not limited to, drainage improvements and erosion and sediment control.

"Habitat conservation plan and natural community conservation plan" or "HCP/NCCP" means the joint habitat conservation plan and natural community conservation plan as defined in Section 19.10.040.

"Hazardous materials" is as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 25501 et seq.

"Joint" means a fracture in rock that is produced by expansion, contraction, and tectonic forces, and along which there has been no movement.

"Keyway" means a special backfilled excavation, which is constructed beneath the toe area of a planned fill slope on sloping ground to improve the stability of the slope.

"Landscape architect" means a landscape architect registered by the state of California.

"Level, land leveling operation" means the physical movement of rock or soil which results in a change in the topography of the land, which results in the land being more level than before.

Lot. See "Parcel."

"NPDES" means the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, a federal program

Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/PL4987 on 2026-07-06

Placer County, CA

BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT

§ 15.48.030

§ 15.48.030

regulating stormwater discharges pursuant to Sections 307, 402, 318 and 405 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1251 et seq.), as such Act may be amended from time to time.

"Overland flow" means and includes flow over planar surfaces, including, but not limited to, roofs, streets, lawns, parking lots and fields.

"Owner" means the person shown as the legal owner of the property on the latest equalized assessment roll in the office of the county assessor.

"Parcel (lot)" means land described as a lot or parcel in a recorded deed or shown as a lot or parcel on a subdivision map or parcel map on file in the county recorder's office.

"Permit" means an approved grading permit issued pursuant to this article authorizing certain grading work.

"Permittee" means any person to whom a permit is issued pursuant to this article.

"Person" means any individual, firm, corporation or public agency whether principal, agent, employee or otherwise.

"Placer County Conservation Program" or "PCCP" means the program described and implemented pursuant to Chapter 19, Article 19.10 (Placer County Conservation Program).

"Planning director" means the director of the planning services division of Placer County, or their designee.

"Rainy season" means the period of the year during which there is a substantial risk of rainfall. For the purpose of this article, the rainy season is defined as from October 15th to May 1st, inclusive.

"Record drawings" means drawings for improvements or grading that show changes made during construction.

"Retaining wall" means any constructed wall that holds back earth (or a liquid), and where there is an abrupt change in elevation.

"Sediment" means any material transported or deposited by water, including soil debris or other foreign matter.

"Site" means any lot or parcel of land or combination of contiguous lots or parcels of land, whether held separately or joined together in common ownership or occupancy where grading is to be performed or has been performed.

"Slope" means an inclined ground surface the inclination of which may be expressed as the ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance or as the ratio of vertical distance per 100 feet horizontal distance when given as a percent.

"Soil" means all earth material of any origin that overlies bedrock and may include the decomposed zone of bedrock, which can be excavated readily by mechanical equipment.

"Stormwater runoff" means water runoff due to storms, (rain, snow melt, etc.).

"Stream channel" means the area of a stream where normal to high flows occur. It is usually marked by bed-and- bank morphology.

"Stream environment zone" means perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams, meadows and marshes, and other areas of near-surface water influence for all areas outside the boundaries of the Placer County Conservation Program defined by Article 19.10, Section 19.10.050 (Applicability).

Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/PL4987 on 2026-07-06

Placer County, CA § 15.48.030

PLACER COUNTY CODE

§ 15.48.030

"Stream system" means the stream channel (wet or dry) and the surrounding area as described in Section 19.10.040.

"Stream system grading permit" is a permit to authorize the discharge of fill and/or the excavation of soil in excess of 25 cubic yards in a single area within a two-year period on property located in the stream system as defined by Section 19.10.040. In calculating the graded material quantity, excavation material used as fill material will not be counted twice.

"Structure" means that which is built or constructed or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined in some definite manner.

"Surcharge" means the additional loading acting above and behind a retaining wall other than from the normal active soil pressures; examples of surcharges include but are not limited to vehicles, buildings, snow, sloped backfill, stockpiles, construction staging areas and equipment.

"Tahoe Basin" means the unincorporated area of Placer County, which is adjacent to and drains into Lake Tahoe.

"Terrace" means a relatively level step constructed in the face of a graded slope surface for drainage, maintenance, or other purposes.

"Vegetation" means plant life or total plant cover of an area.

"Vehicular way" means a private roadway or driveway.

"Watercourse" means any natural or artificial channel flowing continuously or intermittently in a definite direction and course or used for the holding, delay or storage of waters, which functions at any time to convey or store stormwater runoff. As defined herein, a watercourse may be an aquatic resource of Placer County subject to the requirements of Section 19.10.070.

Work. See "Grading work."

(Ord. 5056-B, 2000; Ord. 5373-B, 2005; Ord. 5407-B § 1, 2006; Ord. 5618-B § 2, 2010; Ord. 5688-B § 6, 2012; Ord. 6042-B § 1, 2020; Ord. 6175-B § 1, 2022)

Downloaded from https://ecode360.com/PL4987 on 2026-07-06

Placer County, CA