Chapter 716-2 — General Provisions

This division is the grading ordinance of Contra Costa County.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

As used in this division, the following words and phrases have the meanings set forth in Sections 716-2.404 —716-2.436, unless otherwise required by the context.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

This division sets forth regulations for control of excavating, grading, earthwork construction, including fills or embankments and related work.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

"Approved soil testing agency" is an agency regularly engaged in the testing of soil under the direction of a civil engineer experienced in soil mechanics (a soil engineer) when such agency has been approved by the building official.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

"Bedrock" is the relatively solid, undisturbed rock in place either at the ground surface or beneath superficial deposits of gravel, sand or soil.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The county building official is the director of the building inspection department or his or her duly authorized deputy charged with enforcement of this division. (Ords. 99-46 § 2: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

"Building pad" is that area of a lot, parcel or site which will be occupied by the building structure, and includes any other structure or improvement attached, adjoining or adjacent thereto.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

"Civil engineer" means a professional engineer in the branch of civil engineering holding a valid certificate of registration issued by the state of California.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

"Compaction" means the act of compacting or consolidating soil and rock material to a specified density, and the resulting compacted state of the material.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

"County specifications" means the current specifications and their amendments adopted by the board of supervisors, relating to county ordinances or to general use by county departments having jurisdiction over earthwork, roads, buildings, drainage, and similar construction.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

No person shall perform any work within the scope of this division without first having obtained a permit from the building inspection department pursuant to this division.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

No person shall grade, whether or not a permit is required therefor under this division, so that dirt, soil, rock, debris, or other material washed, eroded, or moved from the property by natural or artificial means creates a public nuisance or hazard, or an unlawful encroachment on other property or on a public road or street. Any such matter deposited within the right-of-way of a public road or street which may constitute a nuisance or hazard to public traffic shall be removed immediately, and failure to do so on notice from the

county, authorizes the county to have the matter removed at the expense of the responsible party and/or permit holder.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

No person shall obstruct, impede or interfere with the natural flow of storm waters, whether unconfined upon the surface of the land, within land depressions or natural drainage ways, within unimproved channels or watercourses, or within improved ditches, channels or conduits, except for construction operations permitted by the county.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

No person shall excavate, or remove any material from any levee or do any work on levees required for river or local drainage control without prior approval of the local governmental agency responsible for the maintenance of the levee.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

No person shall perform any work or construct any facility (including excavation or embankment, trenching, driveway construction, or drainage facility) within the right-of-way of a public road or street, or within an easement under the jurisdiction of this county, without a permit from the county agency having jurisdiction.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

* For encroachments of public rights-of-way, see Div. 1002, this code.

The building inspection department shall administer this division.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

* For building inspection department, see Ch. 72-2, this code.

The county building official is authorized to issue bulletins to interpret or clarify the administrative and technical details of this division.

(Ords. 99-46 § 3: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

To obtain a permit the applicant shall first file a written application on an approved form. Every application shall conform to the requirements set forth in Sections 716-4.404—716-4.414.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The application shall describe the site by lot, block and tract designation, and by a street address or similar description sufficient to readily identify it.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The application shall state the name and address of the owner of the site, the person who is to perform the work, and the soil and civil engineer if such work is to be performed as supervised grading. The permit shall be issued only to the owner or his agent.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The applications shall be accompanied by plans, specifications and calculations as may be required by Sections 716-4.602—716-4.608.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The application shall state the estimated cost of performing the work.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The application shall be signed by the applicant or his authorized agent, who may be required to submit evidence of such authority.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The application shall give such other information as may be required by the building official.

(Ord. 69-59 § 1, 1969)

With each application for a permit and when required by the county building official for enforcement of any provisions of this code, four sets of plans and specifications shall be submitted. Except as waived by the county building official for small and unimportant work, the plans shall be prepared and signed by a civil engineer or architect and shall contain the items set forth in Sections 716-4.604—716-4.608, plus any additional material which the county building official deems necessary to show conformance of the proposed grading with the requirements of this division and other related ordinances.

(Ords. 99-46 § 6: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

Plans and specifications shall contain:

(a)

A vicinity sketch or other means of adequately indicating the site location;

(b)

Boundary lines of the site;

(c)

Each lot or parcel of land into which the site is proposed to be divided;

(d)

The location of any existing buildings or structures on the property where the work is to be performed, and the location of any buildings or structures on adjacent land which may be affected by the proposed work;

(e)

Accurate contours showing the topography of the existing ground; and

(f)

Sufficient information to demonstrate compliance with Chapters 816-4 and 816-6 (tree preservation).

(Ords. 99-46 § 6: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

Plans and specifications shall also show:

(a)

All of the proposed uses of the site and, if the site is to be divided, the proposed use of each lot or parcel of land;

(b)

Elevations, location, extent and slope of all proposed grading shown by contours, cross-sections or other means and location of any rock disposal areas, buttress fills or other special features to be included in the work;

(c)

Detailed plans of all drainage systems and facilities, walls, cribbing, or other erosion protection devices to be constructed in connection with, or as a part of the proposed work, together with a map showing the

draining area and estimated runoff of the area served by any drainage systems or facilities.

(Ords. 99-46 § 6: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

Plans and specifications shall also contain:

(a)

A statement of the quantities of material to be excavated and/or filled and the amount of such material to the imported to, or exported from the site;

(b)

A statement of the estimated starting and completion dates for work covered by the permit;

(c)

A promise signed by the owner, or his authorized agent, that a civil engineer, soil engineer and/or engineering geologist will be employed to give technical supervision or make inspections of the work, whenever approval of the plans and issuance of the permit is to be based on the condition that such professional person be so employed;

(d)

Routes of travel to be used for trucks hauling material to and from the site;

(e)

Hours and days of work approved by the county building official, the zoning administrator, or the appropriate governing body.

(Ords. 99-46 § 6: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

The county building official may require an engineering geologist's investigation and report, based on the most recent plan. The engineering geological report shall include an adequate description of the geology of the site and conclusions and recommendations regarding the effect of geologic conditions on the proposed development.

(Ords. 99-46 § 7: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

(a)

The county building official may require a soil investigation and report based on the most recent plan.

(b)

The preliminary soil report shall be prepared by a soil engineer based upon adequate test borings or excavations. The report shall indicate the presence of critically expansive soils, or other soils problems, which if not corrected would lead to defects in structures, buildings or other improvements; and when it so indicates, it shall further report on an investigation of each lot of the development including recommended corrective action which is likely to prevent such defects or damage to each building, structure or improvement to be constructed.

(c)

The preliminary soil report shall also contain:

(1)

Reports on the suitability of the earth material for construction of stable embankments and excavation slopes, including those necessary for any artificial or natural drainage channels;

(2)

Recommendations for construction procedures to obtain required stability;

(3)

Maximum design velocities for any natural or artificial drainage channel; and

(4)

Any other recommendations concerning slides, unstable soil conditions, springs and seepage conditions, erosion control planting, or drainage facilities to enable proper development of the site.

(d)

The preliminary soil report shall be prepared on eight and one-half-inch (two hundred ten millimeters) by eleven-inch (two hundred ninety-seven millimeters) paper of durable quality and any maps or documents which accompany the report shall be of a convenient size and scale to fold to eight and one-half-inch (two hundred ten millimeters) by eleven inches (two hundred ninety-seven millimeters).

(Ords. 99-46 § 7: 69-59 § 1, 1969)

All reports shall be subject to review by the county building official. Supplemental reports and data may be required as he may deem necessary. Recommendations included in the reports and approved by the building official shall be incorporated in the development plan or specifications.

(Ords. 99-46 § 7: 69-59 § 1, 1969)