Short answer
In unincorporated Sacramento County, you need a Grading and Erosion Control Permit to grade, fill, excavate, store, or dispose of 350 cubic yards or more of soil, or to clear and grub one acre or more of land. Once a project disturbs one acre or more of soil, it also falls under California's statewide Construction General Permit — meaning a Notice of Intent (NOI) filed with the State Water Resources Control Board and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). This guide is the earthwork companion to our grading and site leveling and site preparation services and our land clearing vs. grading resource. City of Sacramento and other incorporated cities run their own grading rules — confirm jurisdiction first.
When a grading permit is required
Per Sacramento County Code Chapter 16.44 (Land Grading and Erosion Control), a Grading and Erosion Control Permit is required in the unincorporated county to:
- Grade, fill, excavate, store, or dispose of 350 cubic yards or more of soil or earthen material on a site
- Clear and grub one acre or more of land
- Do earthwork that would degrade water quality, redirect drainage, or destabilize adjacent property, even below the volume threshold in some cases
- Support a larger project — demolition, a building pad, a driveway, or drainage work — where the cut/fill crosses the threshold
The issuing authority and how to apply
Grading in unincorporated Sacramento County runs through County Engineering / grading permits, coordinated with the Building Permits & Inspection Division. Application requirements scale with the job: a smaller grading permit may need a site plan and an erosion-control plan, while a larger or engineered job needs a grading plan prepared by a civil engineer, quantities (cut/fill in cubic yards), and often a geotechnical/soils report. Application steps: confirm jurisdiction and thresholds; quantify the earthwork; prepare the grading and erosion/sediment control plans; if the disturbance is one acre or more, file the state NOI and prepare the SWPPP; submit to County Engineering; clear plan-review corrections; then grade under the permit with required inspections.
Required documents and inspections
- A grading permit application with cut/fill quantities in cubic yards
- A site or engineered grading plan showing existing and proposed contours and drainage
- An erosion and sediment control plan (BMPs) appropriate to slope and season
- A geotechnical/soils report where the scope or site conditions require it
- For one-acre-plus disturbance: proof of the state Construction General Permit NOI and a SWPPP
- Inspections during and after grading to verify compaction, drainage, and erosion control
Stormwater — the 1-acre state trigger
Sacramento County's grading rules exist partly to meet the county's NPDES municipal stormwater permit, so erosion and sediment control is not optional. Above the local threshold, the bigger obligation is the statewide Construction General Permit: any project that disturbs one acre or more of soil (including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development) must obtain coverage by filing a Notice of Intent through the State Water Resources Control Board's SMARTS system and developing a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. The SWPPP has to be prepared and, above certain risk levels, certified by a Qualified SWPPP Developer, with a Qualified SWPPP Practitioner overseeing implementation. Budget time for this: the state process runs in parallel with the county grading permit but is a separate approval, and sediment leaving the site is a water-quality violation regardless of whether you pulled the county permit.
Erosion control and site practices
Typical erosion and sediment control measures a Sacramento-area grading job should plan for:
- Perimeter controls — silt fence, fiber rolls, or gravel bags to keep sediment on site
- Stabilized construction entrances to limit track-out onto public roads
- Inlet protection on storm drains near the work
- Soil stabilization — seeding, mulch, or covers on exposed slopes, especially heading into the wet season
- Concentrated-flow controls where drainage crosses the site
- Wet-season timing: October through April carries heightened erosion-control expectations
Fees and timelines
Sacramento County grading permit fees are valuation/scope-based and scale with the earthwork volume and plan-review complexity — confirm current figures with County Engineering. Engineered plans, geotechnical reports, and the state NOI/SWPPP each add cost and time on larger jobs. Treat the table below as a planning frame.
| Item | Authority | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Grading & erosion control permit | Sacramento County Engineering | Triggered at 350 CY or 1-acre clear-and-grub |
| Engineered grading plan | Private civil engineer | Required on larger/engineered jobs |
| Geotechnical / soils report | Private geotechnical engineer | As required by scope or site conditions |
| State Construction General Permit (NOI + SWPPP) | State Water Resources Control Board | Required at 1+ acre of soil disturbance |
| Erosion/sediment control (BMPs) | Project (per county requirements) | Heightened expectations in the wet season |
Get a scoped quote with permits handled
Permit rules are only half the job — the other half is a contractor who pulls the permit, coordinates the asbestos survey and utility disconnects, and hauls to a licensed facility. Send the address, photos of the structure, and the access path and we will come back with a written scope that names who files the permit and what the site looks like when we leave.
Sources and references
- Sacramento County Code Ch. 16.44 — Land Grading and Erosion Control: https://ecode360.com/44035224
- Sacramento County Engineering — grading permits: https://engineering.saccounty.gov/sips/Pages/GradingPermit.aspx
- Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection: https://building.saccounty.gov/
- State Water Resources Control Board — Construction General Permit: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/constpermits.html
- US EPA — stormwater discharges from construction activities: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-construction-activities
- CSLB license check: https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx
Related Reading
Land Clearing Guides
Land Clearing vs Grading: What's the Difference?
Clearing removes what's on the ground. Grading shapes the ground itself. Here's how they fit together.
Demolition Guides
Sacramento County Demolition Permit Guide
When demolition permits, utility disconnects, asbestos review, historic review, and inspections apply in Sacramento.
Cost Guides
How Much Does Land Clearing Cost in Sacramento, CA?
Sacramento land clearing cost per acre — brush, trees, terrain, and what changes the total.
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Frequently asked questions
When do I need a grading permit in Sacramento County?
- In the unincorporated county, a Grading and Erosion Control Permit is required to grade, fill, excavate, store, or dispose of 350 cubic yards or more of soil or earthen material, or to clear and grub one acre or more of land. Smaller work can still trigger requirements on sloped or drainage-sensitive sites, so confirm before you move dirt.
Do I need a state stormwater permit too?
- If your project disturbs one acre or more of soil, yes — it falls under California's statewide Construction General Permit, which requires filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the State Water Resources Control Board and preparing a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). That is separate from, and in addition to, the county grading permit.
What is the difference between clearing and grading here?
- Clear-and-grub removes vegetation and roots; grading reshapes the soil. Sacramento County's grading permit is triggered by either 350+ cubic yards of earthwork or one acre or more of clear-and-grub. Land clearing and grading often happen together on a site-prep job, but they hit the threshold by different measures.
How long does a grading permit take?
- It depends on scope. A modest grading permit with a clean erosion-control plan can move relatively quickly; anything requiring an engineered grading plan, a geotechnical report, or the state NOI/SWPPP process takes longer. Build in plan-review cycles and confirm current timelines with County Engineering.
What happens if I grade without a permit?
- Unpermitted grading can bring stop-work orders, penalties, and mandatory restoration or erosion remediation — plus water-quality liability if sediment leaves the site. On a 1-acre-plus job, skipping the state NOI adds separate Water Board enforcement exposure. Permit the earthwork before it starts.