Solano County requires a septic system inspection when a property is sold
NOT SUPPORTED for the sale trigger. Solano County Environmental Health's Onsite Sewage Disposal Program lists Sewage Disposal Permits, Liquid Waste Vehicle Permits, Operation & Maintenance Permits and Graywater Systems. None is described as triggered by sale, transfer, escrow or change of ownership. Note the contrast with San Mateo County, whose ordinance does require Operating Permit renewal at change of ownership — the answer is genuinely county-specific, so do not generalise either way.
Unincorporated Solano County imposes a local point-of-sale requirement — a county resale report, an energy or retrofit ordinance, or a defensible-space inspection of its own — that must be cleared before a home sale closes
NONE FOUND. Solano County Resource Management's Building & Safety ordinances page describes construction requirements only and names no sale trigger. Environmental Health's onsite-sewage program lists Sewage Disposal, Site Evaluation, Liquid Waste Vehicle and Operation & Maintenance permits plus graywater approvals, none of them triggered by transfer. On fire, the county's own page states that the State Fire Marshal released updated Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Solano County on February 24, 2025 and that "Solano County will enforce requirements for building construction in the LRA in unincorporated areas of the County beginning July 2025" — building construction, not point of sale. Statewide AB 38 still applies to parcels in a High or Very High zone, and the 2025 remap changes which parcels those are. No county-level resale report, energy ordinance or retrofit ordinance was found.
California statewide, every property
Water heater bracing, anchoring or strapping
State of California · Retrofit · Before close
Triggered by: Sale of any real property containing a water heater
The seller must certify to the prospective purchaser that the water heater is braced, anchored or strapped to resist falling or horizontal displacement from earthquake motion.
Certificate
Seller certification (commonly satisfied on the C.A.R. Water Heater and Smoke Detector Statement of Compliance, form WHSD)
Issued by
Seller certifies; no agency sign-off required
Cost
No government fee; bracing kit and labor typically $30-$300
Triggered by: Every single-family dwelling which is sold
The dwelling must have an operable smoke alarm, approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal, installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Seller certifies compliance.
Triggered by: Standing obligation on single-family homes built on or before January 1, 1994, plus disclosure on sale or transfer
All non-compliant plumbing fixtures had to be replaced with water-conserving fixtures by January 1, 2017 — this deadline applies whether or not the property is being sold or altered. On sale or transfer, the seller must disclose to the buyer the requirement and whether the property complies.
Certificate
Written disclosure to the buyer; some jurisdictions use a Certificate of Compliance form
Issued by
Seller discloses; no state agency sign-off
Cost
No state fee; fixture replacement typically $50-$600
State of California / local fire authority · Defensible space · Can defer past close
Triggered by: Sale of a property located in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone
The seller must provide the buyer with documentation that the property is in compliance with defensible space requirements under Public Resources Code § 4291. If the seller does not have that documentation, the seller and buyer must enter into a written agreement under which the BUYER obtains compliance documentation within one year of close of escrow.
Certificate
Defensible space compliance documentation / inspection report from the local fire authority
Issued by
Local fire department or CAL FIRE
Cost
Varies by fire authority. Santa Rosa Fire Department charges $183 for a requested inspection.
Turnaround
Varies; request inspections early — fire departments are not obligated to inspect