Regulations

Building Regulations

Building regulations in Mendocino County are governed by Title 18 of the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances.

This title was enacted as a result of requirements of State law, and the determination that within the unincorporated area of the County, certain types of construction are regulated in order to provide minimum standards to safeguard lives and property, and to protect public health, safety and general welfare.

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Mendocino determined that the adoption of this title assures local control of the mandatory building inspection requirements of the State of California.

You can find out more about Title 18 by following this link:

Division of Land Regulations

Regulations concerning the division of land in Mendocino County are covered by Title 17 of the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances.

Title 17 was enacted for the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare in accordance with the general plan of the County of Mendocino, including but not limited to the elimination of:

  • The creation of lots of inadequate size and poor design
  • The creation of building sites in areas where topography, flooding, or other factors will prevent safe, orderly, and beneficial land development
  • The creation of roads of improper width, alignment, grade, and improvements
  • Hazards to life or property from sewage effluent or inadequate drainage
  • The lowering of property values and the loss of opportunity for satisfactory overall development of neighborhoods caused by successive, uncontrolled and haphazard land divisions
  • The excessive cost to taxpayers of Mendocino County for providing services within the Subdivision.

You can find out more about Title 17 by following this link:

Stormwater

Stormwater Runoff Pollution Prevention is regulated by Chapter 16.30 of the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances.

Chapter 16.30 was designed and written to protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of citizens, and protect and enhance the water quality of watercourses, water bodies, and wetlands in a manner pursuant to and consistent with the Federal Clean Water Act, and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act by reducing pollutants in storm water discharges to the maximum extent practicable and by prohibiting non-storm water discharges to the storm drainage system.

You can find our more about Chapter 16.30 by following this link:

Williamson Act

The Williamson Act, also known as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, enables local governments to enter into contracts with private landowners for the purpose of restricting specific parcels of land to agricultural or related open space use.

In return, landowners receive property tax assessments which are much lower than normal because they are based upon farming and open space uses as opposed to full market value.

You can find out more about the Williamson Act by following this link:

Wireless Guidelines

Mendocino County has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines for the development, operation and maintenance of wireless communications facilities in the County, to be consistent with Federal regulations.

You find find out more about the County's wireless guidelines and procedures by following this link:

Zoning Code - Coastal

Mendocino County's Zoning Ordinance is regulated by Titles 20 of the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances.

The Ordinance is separated into three divisions. Division II of the Zoning Ordinance is that part which regulates the Coastal Zone, and is applicable to all properties within the unincorporated areas of the Coastal Zone within Mendocino County, exclusive of those areas delineated on Map 32 of the Coastal Element of the General Plan known as the Town of Mendocino.

You can find out more about Division II of the Zoning Ordinance by following this link:

Zoning Code - Inland

Mendocino County's Zoning Ordinance is regulated by Title 20 of the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances.

The Ordinance is separated into three divisions. Division I of the Zoning Ordinance is that part which regulates the Inland part of the County, and is applicable to all properties within the unincorporated area of the County, exclusive of those areas known as the Coastal Zone.

You can find out more about the Inland Zoning Code by following this link:

Zoning Code - Town of Mendocino

Mendocino County's Zoning Ordinance is regulated by Title 20 of the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances.

The Ordinance is separated into three divisions. Division III of the Zoning Ordinance regulates the Town of Mendocino, and is applicable to all properties within the unincorporated areas of the Town of Mendocino as delineated on Map 32 of the Coastal Element of the General Plan.

You can find out more about zoning in the Town of Mendocino by following this link:

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