Building on a hillside in Saratoga: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Saratoga Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Saratoga's code says

Saratoga code What Saratoga's code adds
Grading and retaining walls	At most 1,000 cubic yards of combined cut and fill. Applies: Hillside lots, including pool digs; more only if the Planning Commission makes the required findings. § 15-11.160 · code text The combined cut and fill of any grading on a hillside lot shall not exceed one thousand cubic yards, including any excavation for a swimming pool, unless a larger quantity is approved by the Planning Commission upon making all of the following findings:
Height on hillside lots	No structure within 8 feet of the top of the nearest major ridge. Applies: Major ridges without dense tree cover. § 15-13.100 · code text No structure shall extend to an elevation within eight feet from the top of the nearest adjacent major ridge that does not have dense tree cover. No structure more than 12 feet above the nearest minor ridge. Applies: Minor ridges without dense tree cover. § 15-13.100 · code text No structure shall extend to an elevation more than twelve feet above the nearest adjacent minor ridge that does not have dense tree cover. At most 26 feet high. Applies: Single-family homes; no structure may exceed 2 stories. § 15-13.100 · code text no single-family dwelling shall exceed twenty-six feet in height Up to 30 feet high. Applies: Single-family homes the Planning Commission approves with the required findings. § 15-13.100 · code text the Planning Commission may approve a structure up to thirty feet in height if the Commission finds and determines that: At most 12 feet high. Applies: Accessory structures. § 15-13.100 · code text no accessory structure shall exceed twelve feet in height Up to 15 feet high. Applies: Accessory structures the Planning Commission approves with the required findings. § 15-13.100 · code text the Planning Commission may approve an accessory structure extending up to fifteen feet in height if the Commission finds that: At most 30 feet high. Applies: Structures used for agriculture. § 15-13.100 · code text no structure used for agricultural purposes shall exceed thirty feet in height.

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Frequently asked questions

What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Saratoga?

Saratoga's code: At most 1,000 cubic yards of combined cut and fill. (Hillside lots, including pool digs; more only if the Planning Commission makes the required findings.) (§ 15-11.160); No structure within 8 feet of the top of the nearest major ridge. (Major ridges without dense tree cover.) (§ 15-13.100).

Building on a hillside in Saratoga

What Saratoga's code says

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