Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review

What Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review does

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review (PER) is a division of Sacramento County Government responsible for administering land use planning and environmental compliance for all unincorporated areas of Sacramento County, California. The division operates through five functional sections: Application Processing, Zoning Administration, Environmental Review, Long Range Planning, and an Infill Program. It serves property owners seeking residential permits (ADUs, tree permits, fence permits, short-term rentals), businesses requiring conditional use permits and commercial reviews, private developers pursuing discretionary entitlements and master plan community approvals, and internal county departments requiring CEQA/NEPA environmental review for public projects.

The division's core services include pre-application consultation, discretionary entitlement processing (Conditional Use Permits, Parcel/Subdivision Maps, Rezones, General Plan Amendments), design review for Countywide Design Guideline compliance, CEQA/NEPA environmental document preparation, mitigation monitoring, and administration of specialized programs (Williamson Act agricultural preservation, South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan, Swainson's Hawk Mitigation, Surface Mining). Supporting digital tools include the Accela Citizen Access Portal for online permit applications, the Sacramento County Online Map (GIS) covering 400,000+ parcels, the Planning Projects Viewer for tracking private applications, and the Land Use Regulation Library consolidating zoning and general plan documents.

Revenue is generated through planning application fees (e.g., discretionary use permits ~$14,862, tree permits $31.95, planning research $165.11/hour), environmental review fees billed on actual processing costs, unit-priced mitigation fees (oak tree, wetlands, Swainson's hawk), and underlying Sacramento County government appropriations. Distribution is multi-channel: walk-in counter service at the Downtown Building Assistance Center, pre-scheduled appointments, the Accela online portal, email/mail submissions, and 15 Community Planning Advisory Councils facilitating citizen participation. Customer concentration is broad-based, with no single customer representing material revenue share.

Name

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review

Legal name

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review

Website

https://planning.saccounty.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review is a county government division that administers land use planning, zoning, and CEQA/NEPA environmental review services for unincorporated Sacramento County, serving property owners, developers, businesses, and county departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Municipal Planning Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA), Facility Siting, Permitting & Land-Use Regulatory Compliance (Multi-media Permitting, Zoning/Entitlements Support) (EUAHABAH)

Keywords

• Municipal land use planning
• Environmental review services
• Zoning administration
• CEQA compliance
• Development entitlements

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Planning Application Fees: Fees charged for various planning permit applications including discretionary entitlements, minor use permits, tree permits, zoning verification letters, and other planning services. Fee schedule available publicly with estimates via online calculator.
2. Environmental Review Fees: Fees for CEQA environmental review including Negative Declarations, Environmental Impact Reports, and mitigation monitoring programs. Fees based on actual processing costs including staff time, publishing, consultant fees, and overhead.
3. Government Appropriations: Operating budget funded through Sacramento County government appropriations for public planning and environmental review services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review is a county government division that processes land use development applications, administers the Zoning Code and General Plan, conducts CEQA/NEPA environmental review, and issues planning permits (Conditional Use Permits, Design Review, Tree Permits, Subdivision Maps, Rezones) for unincorporated Sacramento County. The division also runs long-range planning, housing element, infill, and habitat conservation programs, supported by an online Accela permit portal, GIS-based zoning map, and Planning Projects Viewer.

Product overview

Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review (PER) is a government division offering land use planning services through five interconnected sections: Application Processing handles discretionary entitlements; Zoning Administration provides permit review and front-counter services; Environmental Review manages CEQA/NEPA compliance; Long Range Planning develops General Plan policy; and the Infill Program addresses commercial corridor development. PER processes various application types including Planning Permits (Conditional Use Permits, Design Review, Parcel/Subdivision Maps, Rezones), Tree Permits, Landscape Review, and housing streamlining applications under state legislation (SB 330, SB 35, SB 9, SB 1123). Supporting tools include the Planning Projects Viewer, Sacramento County Online Map (GIS), and the Land Use Regulation Library. The division also administers specialized programs including the Williamson Act (Agricultural Preservation), Surface Mining, South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan, and Swainson's Hawk Mitigation Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Application Review Three preliminary feedback options before formal application submittal: Pre-Application Meeting (PAM), PER Consultation (PERC), and CPAC Early Workshop (PCW) for developers and property owners planning development projects.
• Design Review Review for compliance with Countywide Design Guidelines including nondiscretionary design review (DRCP) for permitted-by-right development and discretionary design review for other projects.
• Discretionary Planning Entitlement Conditional Use Permits, Special Development Permits, Parcel Maps, Subdivision Maps, Rezones, General Plan Amendments, and Development Plan Reviews processed by the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, Zoning Administrator, or Subdivision Review Committee.
• Non-Entitlement Planning Review (PLNR) Requests for Zoning Verification Letters, Planning Director's Determinations, Administrative Parking Reductions, Substantial Compliance Determinations, and other general planning determinations.
• Temporary Use Permit (TUZ/MTZ) Permits for temporary uses including carnivals, festivals, seasonal sales (pumpkin patches, Christmas tree sales), and banners within unincorporated Sacramento County.
• Short-Term Rental Permit (STRP) Permit for short-term home and/or room rental services for 29 days or less on an accessory basis. Submitted via RentalScape portal.
• Tree Permit Permit required to remove or prune any public tree and certain private trees, including native oaks, landmark trees, and trees in parking lots and commercial landscaping areas. Fee of $31.95 applies.
• Housing Legislation/Streamlining Applications Applications for state housing legislation including SB 330 (Housing Crisis Act), SB 35 (Streamlining), SB 9 (Urban Lot Split), and SB 1123 (Small Lot Subdivision).
• Landscape Review Review of preliminary landscape plans for design compliance and construction document-level landscape and irrigation plans under MWELO requirements, including Certificate of Completion processing.
• Environmental Review (CEQA/NEPA) Preparation of environmental documents consistent with CEQA and NEPA for privately and publicly initiated projects, including Negative Declarations, Environmental Impact Reports, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) administration.
• Infill Development Program Program focused on removing policy barriers in the County's commercial corridors through the Infill Developer Council, Commercial Corridor analysis, and zoning code amendments.
• Surface Mining Program Oversight of surface mining operations including policy guidance, Conditional Use Permit processing, and reclamation plan administration.
• Agricultural Land Preservation (Williamson Act) State program preserving agricultural and open space lands through 20-year land conservation contracts, providing tax benefits to landowners.
• South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP) Federal and state permit streamlining for projects within the Plan's Urban Growth Area with designated mitigation areas for specific species impacts.
• Swainson's Hawk Impact Mitigation Program Program allowing projects impacting less than 40 acres of Swainson's hawk habitat to pay into a fund for land or easement purchase instead of direct mitigation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Discretionary entitlement applications typically take 6-12+ months; Minor Use Permits and administrative permits take a few weeks to four months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Mutual Assistance Network (MAN)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Joint award recipients with PER for Sacramento Area Council of Governments' (SACOG) Engage, Empower, Implement (EEI) grant program for the Blueprint for Belonging - North Highlands project. Mutual Assistance Network serves as community partner in this initiative to guide future planning decisions in North Highlands community.
• Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Regional planning agency that awarded the Engage, Empower, Implement (EEI) grant program funding to Sacramento County PER and Mutual Assistance Network for the Blueprint for Belonging project in North Highlands.
• Natomas Basin ConservancyminorOthersNon-profit implementing the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for parcels in northwest Sacramento County. While Sacramento County is not a signatory to the HCP, parcels within the plan area remain subject to its permitting benefits and costs.
• Sacramento Tree FoundationminorOthersNon-profit organization that receives oak tree mitigation fees ($325/dbh inch) from development projects. Funds are used to plant replacement oak and other native trees throughout Sacramento County.
• 15 Community Planning Advisory Councils (CPACs)coreOthersCitizen advisory bodies (Antelope, Arden Arcade, Carmichael, Cordova, Cosumnes, Delta CMAC, Fair Oaks, Foothill Farms, Natomas, North Highlands, Orangevale, Rio Linda/Elverta, South Sacramento, Southeast Area, and Vineyard) that facilitate direct citizen participation in planning process.
• County Departments and DivisionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with Building Permits & Inspection, Code Enforcement, County Engineering, Construction Management & Inspection, Department of Transportation, and other County agencies for development review, environmental review, and project implementation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG): Regional planning agency that partners with PER on long-range planning, Blueprint for Belonging grants, and regional transportation/land use coordination. Not a direct competitor but a closely-related ecosystem partner providing regional-scale planning that complements and overlaps with PER's mandate.

Direct peers

• Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning: California's largest county planning department, providing land use planning, zoning administration, and environmental review for unincorporated Los Angeles County. Directly comparable in function (CEQA review, entitlements, zoning) though at much larger scale and with broader regional planning mandate.
• Placer County Planning Services Division: Adjacent Sacramento-region county planning department with similar scale and unincorporated-area responsibilities. Comparable in processing discretionary entitlements, CEQA review, and managing growth-area Specific Plans.
• Alameda County Planning Department: Bay Area county planning department providing land use planning, zoning administration, and environmental review for unincorporated Alameda County. Comparable in housing element administration, CEQA review, and design guideline implementation.
• San Diego County Planning & Development Services: County-level planning, building, and environmental review function for unincorporated San Diego County. Comparable in delivering combined planning/zoning/environmental services with CEQA compliance, permit processing, and long-range planning functions.
• Orange County OC Public Works Planning: County planning function for unincorporated Orange County. Comparable in providing zoning administration, discretionary entitlement review, and design review services within a large California metropolitan region.
• San Bernardino County Planning Division: Land use planning and environmental review function for unincorporated San Bernardino County. Comparable in managing large-scale Specific Plan review, CEQA compliance, and Williamson Act agricultural preservation programs.
• Riverside County Planning Department: Provides land use planning, zoning, and environmental review for unincorporated Riverside County. Strong peer given similar Sacramento-region growth dynamics, large master-planned community pipeline, and CEQA-driven entitlement process.
• El Dorado County Planning Division: Sacramento-adjacent county planning department with similar unincorporated-area jurisdiction. Comparable in managing Specific Plan review, habitat conservation programs, and rural-urban interface planning.

Regional players

• City of Sacramento Community Development Department: Municipal planning department serving the incorporated City of Sacramento, adjacent to PER's unincorporated jurisdiction. Provides nearly identical planning services (zoning, entitlements, environmental review) but for the incorporated area, making it a regional peer with overlapping customer base and competing for Sacramento-region development activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sacramento-county-planning-and-environmental-review

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review