When a Grading Permit is Required
San Diego Municipal Code § 129.0602
in effect§129.0602 When a Grading Permit is Required
A Grading Permit is required for the following work:
(a) Any grading within open space easements or City-owned open space;
(b) Any grading required for the restoration of unauthorized grading;
(c) Any grading within the Special Flood Hazard Area;
(d) Any grading in accordance with a Grading Permit required as a condition of a development permit to assure compliance with the development permit conditions.
(e) Any grading that includes the following conditions:
(1) Excavation or fill that results in a slope with a gradient of 25 percent or greater (4 horizontal feet to 1 vertical foot) and for which the depth or height at any point is more than 5 feet measured vertically at the face of the slope from the top of the slope to the bottom of the slope;
(2) Excavation or fill for which the depth or height at any point from the lowest grade to the highest grade at any time during the proposed grading is more than 5 feet measured vertically;
(3) Grading that creates manufactured slopes at a gradient exceeding that specified in Section 142.0133;
(4) Grading for which the graded area is more than 1 acre;
(5) Grading that adversely affects the existing drainage pattern by altering the drainage pattern, concentrating runoff, increasing the quantity of runoff, or increasing the velocity of runoff to adjacent properties;
(6) Placing fill material that contains more than 5 percent, by volume, of broken concrete, asphalt, masonry, or construction debris;
(7) Placing fill material that has any piece larger than 12 inches in any direction; or
(8) Grading that includes blasting or other use of explosives.
(f) Any grading work on a property that contains a historical resource as described in Section 143.0210.
(Amended 4-22-2002 by O-19051 N.S.; effective 10-8-2002.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter12/Ch12Art09Division06.pdf#page=1Fetched: 10/28/2026