Building on a hillside in Colton: the local rules

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

What Colton's code says

Colton code What Colton's code adds
Soils or geology report	A preliminary geotechnical report is required; a final report may also be needed, depending on the site and design. Applies: Development subject to the hillside standards. § 18.41.025 · code text A preliminary geotechnical report that identifies and proposes mitigation measures for any soils or geological problems that may affect site stability or structural integrity. Depending upon the site characteristics and project design, a final geotechnical report May also be required
Grading and retaining walls	No grading on slopes over 30%, per the General Plan. Applies: Hillside developments. § 18.41.030 · code text the General Plan, which prohibits grading on slopes over thirty percent. A garage or carport ramp may be no steeper than 5% within 20 feet of the entry. Applies: Hillside developments. § 18.41.030 · code text The ramp to any garage or carport Shall not have a grade steeper than five percent within twenty feet of the garage or carport entry. Finished driveway grade may average no more than 15%. Applies: Hillside developments. § 18.41.030 · code text The finished grade of driveways Shall not exceed an average of fifteen percent.
Height on hillside lots	No single downhill wall over 15 feet above grade; taller in 15-foot steps, each set back at least 10 feet. Applies: Hillside developments; downhill side of a house. § 18.41.030 · code text No single building wall on the downhill side of a house Shall exceed fifteen feet in height above grade. At most 28 feet high. Applies: Hillside structures with a roof pitch of 3:12 or steeper. § 18.41.030 · code text The maximum height for Structures with a roof pitch of 3:12 or greater Shall be twenty-eight feet. At most 24 feet high. Applies: Hillside structures with a roof pitch under 3:12. § 18.41.030 · code text If a roof pitch is less than 3:12, the maximum height Shall be twenty-four feet. At most 16 feet above the highest ridgeline or hilltop point within 100 feet of the structure. Applies: Only where the parcel has no feasible building site other than one above the ridgeline. § 18.41.030 · code text proposed structures Shall not exceed a height of sixteen feet above the highest point on the ridgeline or hilltop within one hundred feet of the proposed structure.
When hillside rules apply	Hillside standards apply where the natural slope is 15% or more. Applies: Slope over the area being graded when a grading permit is needed; adopted specific plans with hillside standards apply instead. § 18.41.020 · code text apply to all uses and structures within areas having a natural slope percentage of 15 percent or greater over an area being graded and requiring a grading permit.

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Frequently asked questions

What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Colton?

Colton's code: Hillside standards apply where the natural slope is 15% or more. (Slope over the area being graded when a grading permit is needed; adopted specific plans with hillside standards apply instead.) (§ 18.41.020); No grading on slopes over 30%, per the General Plan. (Hillside developments.) (§ 18.41.030).

Building on a hillside in Colton

What Colton's code says

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