Skip to content

Contra Costa County · Building on your lot

Affordable units in new housing (inclusionary) in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County's own rules on affordable units in new housing (inclusionary), with the code text for every value.

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

What Contra Costa County's code says

Contra Costa County code What Contra Costa County's code adds
Fee instead of units
  • The Board of Supervisors sets the in-lieu fee in the Department of Conservation and Development's fee schedule.
    § 822-4.404 · code text
    The amount of a fee that is paid in lieu of some or all inclusionary units will be established by the board of supervisors in the department of conservation and development's fee schedule.
  • Fee is the difference between the targeted household's affordable price and the county median single-family sale price (prior 12 months).
    Applies: Applies to for-sale units.
    § 822-4.404 · code text
    Fee amounts in the fee schedule for for-sale units will be calculated as the difference between the affordable sales price for a targeted household and the median price, as determined by the county, of all single-family home sales in the county within the previous twelve months.
  • Fee is the 55-year difference between the county's average annual two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath apartment rent and a targeted household's affordable rent.
    Applies: Applies to rental units.
    § 822-4.404 · code text
    Fee amounts in the fee schedule for rental units will be calculated as the difference over a fifty-five-year period between the average annual rent, as determined by the county, of a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom apartment in the county and the annual affordable rent for a targeted household.
  • The fee is a percentage of the single-unit in-lieu fee, equal to the fraction of the whole number.
    Applies: Applies when the required number of inclusionary units is a fraction.
    § 822-4.402 · code text
    The amount of the partial in-lieu fee shall be a percentage of the in-lieu fee for a single unit, with the percentage equal to the fraction of the whole number.
Projects it applies to
  • Inclusionary rules apply to developments of 5 or more units.
    Applies: Applies to residential developments in the unincorporated area; 5 through 125 units and 126 or more units have separate rules.
    § 822-4.402 · code text
    In a residential development of five through one hundred twenty-five rental units, at least fifteen percent of the rental units shall be developed and rented as inclusionary units
Share of affordable units
  • At least 15% of rental units are inclusionary: at least 20% of those very low income, the rest lower income.
    Applies: Applies to residential developments of 5 through 125 rental units.
    § 822-4.402 · code text
    In a residential development of five through one hundred twenty-five rental units, at least fifteen percent of the rental units shall be developed and rented as inclusionary units under the terms and conditions of Section 822-4.410(a).
  • At least 15% of rental units are inclusionary: at least 20% of those very low income, the rest lower income.
    Applies: Applies to residential developments of 126 or more rental units.
    § 822-4.402 · code text
    In a residential development of one hundred twenty-six or more rental units, at least fifteen percent of the rental units shall be developed and rented as inclusionary units under the terms and conditions of Section 822-4.410(a).
  • At least 15% of for-sale units are inclusionary: at least 20% of those lower income, the rest moderate income.
    Applies: Applies to residential developments of 5 through 125 for-sale units.
    § 822-4.402 · code text
    In a residential development of five through one hundred twenty-five for-sale units, at least fifteen percent of the for-sale units shall be developed and sold as inclusionary units under the terms and conditions of Section 822-4.410(b).
  • At least 15% of for-sale units are inclusionary: at least 20% of those lower income, the rest moderate income.
    Applies: Applies to residential developments of 126 or more for-sale units.
    § 822-4.402 · code text
    In a residential development of one hundred twenty-six or more for-sale units, at least fifteen percent of the for-sale units shall be developed and sold as inclusionary units under the terms and conditions of Section 822-4.410(b).

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Does Contra Costa County require affordable units in new housing?

Contra Costa County's code: The Board of Supervisors sets the in-lieu fee in the Department of Conservation and Development's fee schedule. (§ 822-4.404); Fee is the difference between the targeted household's affordable price and the county median single-family sale price (prior 12 months). (Applies to for-sale units.) (§ 822-4.404).

General information, not legal advice.

Ask about a specific Contra Costa County property

Ask GoCodebook how Contra Costa County's affordable units in new housing (inclusionary) rules apply to your situation and get an answer that cites the section.

Ask your question

More on building on your lot in Contra Costa County