Household Composting

California policy states that you may compost waste you generate, but not waste generated by another party.  

We propose that compost may be composed of 100 square feet of compost, and compost waste from five additional households/ businesses, totaling no more than 10 cubic yards of raw compost.

There are two primary agencies’ requirements that need to be considered when establishing composting sites or activities, the State and local jurisdiction.  The local level requirements are essentially zoning requirements. The least onerous permits to obtain are for the excluded activities in the State permit chart. The remaining permit processes are designed for large facilities/ operations and these permits can become expensive and time consuming.


State Level Requirements: See this List of Permit Requirements  

Local Level:   

If the site is located in the City of San Diego, contact Bill Prinz, City of San Diego LEA, (619) 533-3696, [email protected]. 

If it is located in any other part of San Diego County, contact Pam Raptis, County of San Diego LEA, 858-495-5093 or [email protected] for assistance.