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Grading and erosion control in Barstow

Barstow's own rules on grading and erosion control, with the code text for every value.

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

What Barstow's code says

Barstow code What Barstow's code adds
Grading without a permit
  • Cuts up to 50 cubic yards, under 2 feet, or slopes no taller than 5 feet nor steeper than 2:1.
    § 15.12.030 · code text
    Does not create a cut slope greater than five feet (1.5 m) measured vertically upward from the cut surface to the surface of the natural grade and is not steeper than two units horizontal to one unit vertical (50 percent slope);
  • Fill up to 50 cubic yards if under 3 feet, or up to 20 cubic yards if under 5 feet.
    Also fill under 1 foot on ground flatter than 5:1. Fill may not support a structure or block drainage; fill slopes no steeper than 2:1.
    § 15.12.030 · code text
    Is less than one foot (0.3 m) in depth and is placed on natural terrain with a slope flatter than five units horizontal to one unit vertical (20 percent slope);
  • No permit for excavation for a permitted structure, for wells, or for utility trenches.
    § 15.12.030 · code text
    Excavation for construction of a structure permitted under this Code;

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

What are the grading rules in Barstow?

Barstow's code: Cuts up to 50 cubic yards, under 2 feet, or slopes no taller than 5 feet nor steeper than 2:1. (§ 15.12.030); Fill up to 50 cubic yards if under 3 feet, or up to 20 cubic yards if under 5 feet. (Also fill under 1 foot on ground flatter than 5:1. Fill may not support a structure or block drainage; fill slopes no steeper than 2:1.) (§ 15.12.030).

General information, not legal advice.

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