Under CALGreen, the California Green Building Standards Code, a demolition project has to divert at least 65 percent of its nonhazardous debris from the landfill by reusing, recycling, or otherwise recovering it. You'll need receipts or weight tickets from the facilities that took the material to prove it.
That's the state baseline, and it applies in Tehama, Butte, and Shasta counties the same as anywhere else in California. Where owners get tripped up isn't the percentage. It's the paperwork, and the fact that it's easy to lose the tickets that prove you hit the number.
What the 65 percent rule actually covers
CALGreen applies to newly constructed buildings and to demolition projects. Locally permitted additions and alterations on non-residential buildings are covered too, and so are residential additions that increase the conditioned area, volume, or size of the structure. A simple interior remodel that doesn't add square footage generally isn't.
The number is about nonhazardous material only. Asbestos-containing material, lead paint debris, and contaminated soil are handled under separate rules and don't count toward your diversion total. If a building needs a hazards survey first, that comes before any of this. We cover that sequence in our hazardous waste removal work, and it's the step that most often changes a schedule.
You can measure the 65 percent by weight or by volume, but not both on the same job. Pick one and stay with it.
How to meet the requirement
There are three ways to get there, and which one fits depends on the size of the job and who's hauling.
| Path | How it works | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Waste management plan | You file a plan before the permit issues, then submit receipts at the end | Larger demolitions with several material types |
| Hauler with verifiable documentation | A waste company or contractor documents that it meets 65 percent | Owners who don't want to track tickets themselves |
| Disposal weight limit | Stay under a set pounds-per-square-foot figure | New construction, not typical for full demolitions |
For a demolition, the first two are what you'll see. The weight-limit option is written mainly around new construction.
What counts as diverted material
Concrete is the big one. A slab, footing, or driveway is heavy, which is exactly why it carries a diversion number so quickly. A house on a concrete foundation can hit a good share of its 65 percent from the concrete alone, if it goes to a recycler instead of a landfill. Asphalt works the same way.
Clean wood, scrap metal, cardboard, brick, and roofing can be diverted as well, though roofing and treated wood are accepted at fewer places. Dirt and fill that gets reused on site or at another project counts too, as long as you can document where it went.
What doesn't count: anything that goes to a landfill, and anything hazardous. Burned debris from a fire loss usually falls into a different program with its own rules, so if you're clearing a lot after a fire, start with our post on clearing a fire-damaged lot before rebuilding.
What local offices want to see
CalRecycle's summary of the rule says local jurisdictions enforce it and report back to the state each year, so your building department is the one that signs off. Tehama County's green building code page says a project has to show at least 65 percent was diverted by providing receipts or gate tags from the facilities used. That matches what most California agencies ask for.
The City of Red Bluff has its own diversion ordinance on top of the state rule. A 2020 Tehama County brochure describes it as applying to private projects of 5,000 square feet or more inside city limits, but check the current code before you rely on that figure. If your job is in town, call the city's Community Development office before you pull the permit. For a Red Bluff job, our Red Bluff service area page has the basics on what we cover there.
We didn't find a current published C&D ordinance for every county in our area, so ask your building department two questions. Is a waste management plan required before the permit issues? And what do they want at final, receipts alone or a summary form?
You can read the state-level summary on CalRecycle's construction and demolition page.
A practical way to hit the number
Here's how we'd approach a typical residential teardown in this part of the state.
Sort on site. Concrete in one pile, clean metal in another, wood in a third. Mixed debris dumped in one roll-off is the fastest way to miss 65 percent, because a facility that sorts it later won't always give you a diversion figure you can use.
Keep every ticket. Photograph each one the day you get it. Weight tickets fade, and the one you need is always the one from week two.
Send the concrete and asphalt where it gets crushed and reused. For a single residential slab, hauling to a recycling yard is usually the cheaper move. Mobile crushing only pencils out above a certain volume, say a large commercial pad or a municipal job with a lot of broken concrete, where it saves the haul in both directions. We run both, and you can read about concrete and asphalt recycling and mobile concrete crushing to see which fits your site.
Common Questions
Do I have to recycle demolition debris in California?
Yes, for most permitted demolitions. CALGreen requires covered projects to divert at least 65 percent of nonhazardous construction and demolition debris, and your local building department enforces it. Hazardous material is handled separately and doesn't count toward the total.
Does the 65 percent rule apply to a small shed or barn teardown?
It depends on whether the work needs a permit and how your jurisdiction applies the code. Some cities set size thresholds, and Red Bluff's ordinance has one. Call your building department with the square footage before you assume you're exempt.
What proof do I need that I met the diversion rate?
Receipts or weight tickets from every facility that took material, with the date, the weight or volume, and the type of material. Some agencies also want a final report form. Keep copies until the permit is finaled.
Can I count concrete I reuse on my own property?
Generally yes, if it's documented. Crushed concrete used as base on your own driveway or pad is a recognized reuse, but write down the quantity and where it went, and confirm with your building department that they'll accept it without a facility ticket.
Does debris from a fire cleanup count under CALGreen?
Usually not the same way. Fire debris removal often runs through a county or state program with separate rules, and ash and burned material are handled differently from ordinary demolition waste. Check with your county environmental health office first.
The bottom line
The rule is simple and the documentation is where jobs slip. Decide before demolition starts where the concrete is going, ask your building department what proof they want at final, and keep every ticket. If you're a GC, build the diversion plan into your demolition bid so it isn't a surprise at inspection time.
If you've got a teardown coming up in Corning, Red Bluff, Chico, Redding, or anywhere in Tehama, Butte, or Shasta counties, request a free estimate from Walberg, Inc. and tell us what's on the site. We'll plan the demolition, sort the material, and point the concrete toward recycling from day one. You can also look at our demolition services first.