Dock, pier and float rules in Los Altos, California
Los Altos's ordinances we reviewed don't regulate docks, piers or floats; the city's waterways are creeks. Any structure built in a creek needs a written permit first under the city's watercourse protection rules.
| Dock/pier rules | None in the code reviewed [1] |
| Any structure in a creek | Written permit required first [2] |
No dock rules
The Los Altos municipal code sections we reviewed don't mention docks, piers, floats or boat launches, and the city has no harbor or shoreline regulations in these documents.
Structures in creeks
Los Altos's waterways are creeks. Under the Watercourse Protection Regulations, no one may construct, alter, enlarge or remove any structure in a watercourse without first getting a written permit from the appropriate agency or department [1][2]. A footbridge, platform or similar structure over or in a creek would need that permit.
What to do
If you're considering any structure in or over a creek, start with the Planning Division and see the Building Near the Water page for creek setbacks.
See how Los Altos compares with 8+ other California towns on docks, piers & floats →
Next steps
- Contact the Los Altos Planning Division before placing any structure in or over a creek.
- See the Building Near the Water page for creek setback and vegetation rules.
Common questions
- Can I build a private dock in Los Altos, California?
- Los Altos's ordinances we reviewed don't regulate docks, piers or floats. The city's waterways are creeks.
- Do I need a permit to build a structure in a creek in Los Altos, California?
- Yes. Any structure built in a creek needs a written permit first under the city's watercourse protection rules.
- Does Los Altos, California have rules for piers or floats?
- No. None appear in the code we reviewed.
California state rules for docks and piers
A private dock or pier often needs several approvals beyond a city building permit.
- State Lands Commission lease: the Commission controls state-owned tidelands and submerged lands and the beds of navigable rivers, lakes and bays (Pub. Res. Code §6301). A private dock or pier on those lands generally needs a lease. The Commission must charge rent for private recreational piers on state lands, based on local fair rental values (§6503.5). In some harbors the Legislature has granted tidelands to a city, county or port district, which manages them instead.
- Coastal development permit: in the coastal zone a dock needs a CDP (§§30106, 30600). On tidelands, submerged lands or public trust lands, the Coastal Commission issues it, even where the city has a certified Local Coastal Program (§30519(b)).
- San Francisco Bay (BCDC): around the Bay you need a permit from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to place fill. Under the McAteer-Petris Act, "fill" includes pilings, structures on pilings, and floating docks moored for long periods (Gov. Code §66632). BCDC's jurisdiction covers the Bay and a 100-foot shoreline band (§66610). The Coastal Act's coastal zone does not include BCDC's area.
- Streams and lakes: work that changes the bed, bank or channel of a river, stream or lake requires notifying the Department of Fish and Wildlife (Fish & Game Code §1602).
- Federal: structures in navigable waters generally need a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit.
- Local: many harbors and marinas also require a city or harbor-district permit.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 6.32.030(B) Acts requiring permit, Municipal Code Chapter 6.32 - Watercourse Protection Regulations, p. 1
No person shall commit or cause to be committed any of the following acts, unless a written permit has first been obtained from the appropriate agency or department.
- Sec. 6.32.030(B)(5), Municipal Code Chapter 6.32 - Watercourse Protection Regulations, p. 1
Construct, alter, enlarge, connect to, change, or remove any structure in a watercourse; or