Building on a hillside in Kern County: the local rules

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

What Kern County's code says

Kern County code What Kern County's code adds
Grading and retaining walls	No cuts over 16 feet high, top to toe. Applies: Land under the hillside grading standards; grading limited to building pads and access drives. § 19.88.050 · code text No cuts in excess of sixteen (16) feet in height from top to toe shall be allowed. Cut slopes no steeper than 2:1. Applies: Land under the hillside grading standards; gentler slopes may be required after soils and geology studies. § 19.88.050 · code text Cut slopes shall not exceed two (2) horizontal to (1) vertical (2:1).
When hillside rules apply	No new lot averaging over 60% slope, unless it has 10,000 contiguous square feet with no slope over 10%. Applies: Lots created after this rule; development must be on the flat area. Any older legal lot may get 1 single-family home regardless of slope. § 19.88.040 · code text No lot shall be created after the effective date of this chapter on which the average natural slope exceeds sixty percent (60%), except if the lot contains a contiguous area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet within which there is no slope greater than ten percent (10%) and on which development is proposed;

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Kern County?

Under the hillside grading standards, cuts are limited to 16 feet high and cut slopes to no steeper than 2:1.

Building on a hillside in Kern County

Key points

What Kern County's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

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