Ord. No. __________
ORDINANCE NO. __________
ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 18-46 ADOPTING BY REFERENCE, WITH LOCAL AMENDMENTS, THE 2025
EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE WHEREAS, Section 18942 of the Health and Safety Code requires the Building Standards Commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, once every three years, with State amendments and supplements as necessary; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 versions of the California Code of Regulations will become effective January 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Section 18941.5 of the Health and Safety Code requires the City of Santa Rosa to adopt and enforce the 2025 California Code of Regulations, Title 24, and any local amendments, additions, and deletions within 180 days after it is published; and WHEREAS, Section 17958.5(b) of the Health and Safety Code allows the City of Santa Rosa to make reasonably necessary local modifications to the California Code of Regulations, Title 24; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the adoption of this Ordinance is categorically exempt from the restrictions on local amendments to the California Code of Regulations found in Health and Safety Code Section 18941.5(c) as this Ordinance only includes changes or modifications that are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the City of Santa Rosa and were in effect as of September 30, 2025.
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. A new Chapter 18-46 entitled “2025 California Wildland Urban Interface Code” is added to read as follows:
“Chapter 18-46 2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE
That a certain document, three (3) copies of which are on file in the office of the City Clerk of City of Santa Rosa, being marked and designated as the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 7, California Wildland Urban Interface Code, 2025 edition, including State Adopted Appendix as amended A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I, as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted as the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code of the City of Santa Rosa, in the State of California regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property of buildings and premises as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said California Wildland-Urban Interface Code on file in the office of the City of Santa Rosa are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this legislation, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in Section 2 of this ordinance, pursuant to Section 13869.7 of the California Health and Safety Code. This document shall be Ord. No. __________
known as the California Wildland Urban Interface Code Ordinance No. XXXX of the City of Santa Rosa.
For purposes of citation, the sections of the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, including the appendices identified, are renumbered by adding 18-46 before each section of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
WHEREAS, Section 18942 of the Health and Safety Code requires the Building Standards Commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, once every three years, with State amendments and supplements as necessary; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 versions of the California Code of Regulations will become effective January 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Section 18941.5 of the Health and Safety Code requires the City of Santa Rosa to adopt and enforce the 2025 California Code of Regulations, Title 24, and any local amendments, additions, and deletions within 180 days after it is published; and WHEREAS, Section 17958.5(b) of the Health and Safety Code allows the City of Santa Rosa to make reasonably necessary local modifications to the California Code of Regulations, Title 24; and
WHERAS, the City Council finds that the adoption of this Ordinance is categorically exempt from the restrictions on local amendments to the California Code of Regulations found in Health and Safety Code Section 18941.5(c) as this Ordinance only includes changes or modifications that are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the City of Santa Rosa and were in effect as of September 30, 2025; and
Section #. Delete all Santa Rosa City Code amendments to California Building Code Chapter 7A.
Chapter 18-46 WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE
18-46.010 Citation of California Wildland-Urban Interface Code. For purposes of citation, all sections of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Part 7 of Title 24, Edition as adopted in Santa Rosa City Code Section 18-04.015, published by the International Code Council, as adopted by reference and amended in this Title 18, are renumbered by adding "18-
46." before each section number.
[A] 18-46.101.1 Title.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Section 101.1 is amended to read as follows:
[A] 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the “Wildland-Urban Interface Code of the City of Santa Rosa”, may be cited as such, and will be referred to herein as “this Code”.
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18-46.101.2 Scope.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 101.2 is amended to read as follows:
101.2 Scope. This chapter applies to building materials systems, and/or assemblies used in the exterior design construction, alteration, movement, repair, maintenance and use of any building, structure or premises located within any Fire Severity Zone or any Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area as defined in Section 202.
Buildings or conditions in existence at the time of the adoption of this code are allowed to have their use or occupancy continued, if such condition, use or occupancy was legal at the time of the adoption of this code, provided that such continued use does not constitute a distinct danger to life or property.
Buildings or structures moved into or within the jurisdiction shall comply with the provisions of this code for new buildings or structures.
[A] 18-46.103.1 Creation of agency.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Section 103.1 is amended to read as follows:
[A] 103.1 Creation of agency. The Santa Rosa Fire Department Fire Prevention Division is hereby created and the official in charge thereof shall be known as the fire code official. The function of the agency shall be the implementation, administration, and enforcement of the provisions of this code.
18-46.101.3.1 Application.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 101.3.1 is amended to read as follows:
101.3.1 Application. Buildings located in any Fire Severity Zone or any Wildland-Urban Interface Zone designated by the enforcing agency constructed, altered, moved, repaired or maintained after the application date shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.
Exceptions to Section 101.3.1:
1. Buildings of an accessory character classified as a Group U occupancy and not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area, when located at least 30 feet from an applicable building.
2. Buildings of an accessory character classified as Group U occupancy not exceeding 1,000 square feet located at least 50 feet from applicable buildings.
3. Buildings classified as a Group U Agricultural Building, as defined in Section 202 of the California Building Code (see also Appendix C – Group U Agricultural Buildings), when located at least 50 feet from applicable buildings.
4. Group C, special buildings conforming to the limitations specified in California Building Ord. No. __________
Code Section 450.4.1. For the purposes of this section and Section 504.11, applicable buildings include all buildings that have residential, commercial, educational, institutional, or similar occupancy type use.
[A] 18-46.103.1 Creation of agency.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Section 103.1 is amended to read as follows:
[A] 103.1 Creation of agency. The Santa Rosa Fire Department Fire Prevention Division is hereby created and the official in charge thereof shall be known as the fire code official. The function of the agency shall be the implementation, administration, and enforcement of the provisions of this code.
[A] 18-46.105.2 Permits Required.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Section 105.2 is added to read as follows:
[A] 105.2 Permits Required. In addition to the permits required by section 105.2, the following construction permits shall be obtained from the Bureau of Fire Prevention for work as described in this section:
1. Vegetation management plan. A construction permit is required to implement a vegetation management plan.
2. Fire protection plan. A construction permit is required to implement a fire protection plan.
18-46.106.4 Vegetation management compliance.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 106.4 is amended to read as follows:
106.4 Vegetation management compliance. Prior to building permit final approval, the property shall be in compliance with the vegetation management requirements prescribed in Section 603, including California Public Resources Code 4291, California Government Code Section 51182, or City of Santa Rosa Hazardous Vegetation and Fuels Management Ordinance. Acceptable methods of compliance inspection and documentation shall be determined by the enforcing agency and shall be permitted to include any of the following:
1. Local, state or federal fire authority or designee authorized to enforce vegetation management requirements.
2. Enforcing agency.
3. Third party inspection and certification authorized to enforce vegetation management requirements.
4. Property owner certification authorized by the enforcing agency.
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[A] 18-46.109.3.7 Violation Penalties.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Section 109.3.7 is added to read as follows:
[A] 109.3.7 Violation Penalties. Persons who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, install, alter, repair, or do work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the fire code official, or of a permit or certification used under provisions of this code shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than 1,000 dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding six months or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense.
18-46.503.2.3 Prohibited Materials.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 503.2.3 is amended to read as follows:
503.2.3 Prohibited Materials. Fire-retardant-treated wood shingles and shakes are prohibited in Wildland-Urban Interface Areas.
18-46.503.3.4 Fire-retardant-treated wood shingles and shakes.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 503.3.4 is deleted.
18-46.504.5.2 Exterior wall coverings.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 504.5.2 is amended to delete requirement 4 (Fire-retardant-treated wood shingles and shakes).
18-46.504.11.7 Fences.
California Wildland-Urban Interface Code Section 504.11.7 is added to read as follows:
504.11.7 Fences. Fences connected to dwellings or accessory structures shall have the attachment and first five feet be constructed of noncombustible materials.
Exception to Section 504.11.7: Structures protected with a fire sprinkler system shall have the attachment and first three feet be constructed of noncombustible materials.”
Section 2. Environmental Determination. The Council finds that the adoption and implementation of this ordinance are exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act under section 15061(b)3 in that the Council finds there is no possibility that the implementation of this ordinance may have significant effects on the environment.
Section 3. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or word of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid and/or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
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Section 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect on the 31st day following its adoption.
This ordinance was introduced by the Council of the City of Santa Rosa on October 21, 2025.
IN COUNCIL DULY PASSED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of ___________, 2025.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
RECUSE:
ATTEST: _________________________ APPROVED: ______________________________ City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ________________________
City Attorney