Dirt work · Humboldt and Trinity County
Grading in Humboldt and Trinity County
Humboldt Bay Construction Co. does grading across Humboldt and Trinity County as part of its dirt work: site prep, grading, driveways and concrete. Asked which of those he does, owner Kyler Gouthier answered: “We do it all.” The company holds California license #1137566 and is based in Eureka.
Dirt work
Grading permits in Humboldt County
Unless the work is exempt, no one may grade in unincorporated Humboldt County without a grading permit from the county's Building Official.
The work that needs no grading permit, and where those exemptions do not apply, is listed in Humboldt County Code §331-14(d)(2) and (d)(3).
Source: Humboldt County Code §331-14 (grading, excavation, erosion and sediment control)
When Humboldt County asks for a grading plan
For a house in unincorporated Humboldt County, the county asks for a grading plan when the grading is 50 cubic yards or more (not counting the foundation excavation), or when the job triggers the county grading ordinance in any other way.
Source: Humboldt County: Residential (Standard) construction documents
Erosion and sediment control plans
Under Humboldt County Code §331-14, a site-specific erosion and sediment control plan has to be submitted with any development application involving grading that has any one of these characteristics: it covers one acre or more; it is on a slope of 15 percent or steeper; it is in an area of moderate or high geologic instability; it is within a Streamside Management Area or other wet area; it is within a floodplain; it is for a driveway or road longer than 300 feet; or it is planned for the winter period, October 15 to April 15.
The Chief Building Official may also require a plan, prepared by a qualified professional at the owner's expense, at any time during design or construction.
The county's grading ordinance treats October 15 through April 15 as the winter period.
On projects that need a building, grading or development permit, bare ground has to be seeded and mulched before October 15, unless the project's conditions say otherwise.
Source: Humboldt County Code §331-14 (grading, excavation, erosion and sediment control)
Grading permits in Trinity County
Trinity County grading permits are applied for through the county Planning Department, on its Director's Use Permit application, and the review itself is done by the county Department of Transportation.
Rain and wet ground
Eureka averages 40.4 inches of rain a year, and 77 percent of it falls from November through March (NOAA, 1991-2020 normals).
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991-2020 normals: Eureka (Woodley Island)
In the coastal zone
Which work in California's coastal zone needs a coastal development permit, and which is exempt, is set out in the Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30600 and 30610.
In unincorporated Humboldt County, coastal development permits are processed by the Current Planning Division of the Planning and Building Department, and a new house in the coastal zone may need one as well as a building permit.
Sources: California Public Resources Code §30600; California Public Resources Code §30610; Humboldt County: Current Planning; Humboldt County: Planning & Building FAQs
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Or give Kyler a call: (707) 273-7594