Permeable resin-bound surfacing may earn credit in Sacramento as porous pavement, one of the low impact development measures in the Stormwater Quality Design Manual for the Sacramento Region, if the City accepts it. The manual names six porous pavement types, such as pervious concrete and modular block, and allows others case by case. Either way, credit needs a permeable base that actually stores and releases runoff, and the City of Sacramento and its regional partners score it through an LID point system.

Sacramento's setting raises the stakes. The city sits low behind levees, and the Department of Utilities notes that all rain has to be pumped out rather than drained by gravity. Every square foot of paving that holds water back for a few hours takes a little load off that system.

The regional design manual, priority projects and LID points

Sacramento's Stormwater Quality Improvement Program dates to 1990 and implements the City's NPDES municipal stormwater permit from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. For new development, the City and its partners in the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership use the 2018 Stormwater Quality Design Manual for the Sacramento Region, which covers source control, hydromodification, LID and treatment.

The manual's priority project table sets the triggers. Commercial, industrial and multifamily projects with an acre or more of impervious area need source control, LID and treatment, and hydromodification control where the applicability map calls for it. Stand-alone parking lots reach the same tier at 5,000 square feet or 25 spaces, and hillside development at slopes of 25 percent or more. Qualifying projects must earn 100 LID points, and porous pavement contributes through the manual's effective-area-managed method, worked out in the residential and commercial LID credit worksheets.

The Partnership's right-of-way policy matters too: the City of Sacramento allows LID features in the public right-of-way only when they treat runoff from public roads and rights-of-way, not from private parcels. Private projects should keep their permeable surfaces on the parcel.

Levees, hot summers and tight soils: notes for the project engineer

Low elevation and levee protection mean groundwater can sit close to the surface near the Sacramento and American rivers, especially in wet winters. Soils across the city vary from sandy and silty river deposits to dense clays and, in places, cemented hardpan that stops water moving down. An open-graded reservoir under the resin-bound surface may infiltrate well on river sands but need an underdrain on clay or hardpan, and the Sacramento Area Hydrology Model can show how much volume reduction the section really delivers.

Part of the City is served by a combined stormwater and wastewater system, with sewage conveyed to the Sacramento Area Sewer District. In those areas, keeping rain out of the pipes for even a short time has extra value, but a resin layer over existing concrete does not do it: the slab still sheds the water. Long, hot summers also mean surfaces see strong UV and high temperatures, which is worth discussing with the installer when choosing aggregate color.

Sacramento sites that suit a permeable resin-bound surface

Courtyards, walkways and small plazas in Midtown and Downtown infill, where landscape space for LID is limited.
Stand-alone parking areas at offices and retail in Natomas and along major corridors, which hit the 5,000 square foot or 25-space trigger.
Patios and driveways in Land Park, East Sacramento and Curtis Park homes, where owners want less runoff even without a requirement.
Campus walks and outdoor gathering areas at schools and public facilities.

Specifying porous resin-bound for City of Sacramento review

Use Table 3-2 of the design manual to confirm which controls apply. Then ask the City whether the resin-bound area can be entered as porous pavement in the residential or commercial LID credit worksheet, and which pavement type it should be treated as, because the credit varies by type. Show the base depth, infiltration testing, any underdrain and the maintenance agreement in the project's stormwater quality submittal to the Department of Utilities.

Resin Rock is a manufacturer-supplier and does not install. We provide UV-stable binder, natural stone aggregate blends, trims and the Rock Crete permeable sub-base, with technical data sheets for the submittal. Property owners can request an approved installer and usually get a match within 24 hours.

Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Sacramento

Check Table 3-2 of the regional design manual to see whether the project is a priority project.
Ask the City whether resin-bound can count as porous pavement, then run the LID credit worksheet toward the 100 required points.
Test infiltration and look for hardpan or high groundwater before choosing an unlined section.
Find out whether the site drains to the combined system or the separate storm drain system.
Keep private runoff features out of the right-of-way, per the City's LID policy.
Choose an aggregate color with summer surface temperature in mind.

Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Sacramento

How does porous pavement earn LID points in Sacramento?

The regional design manual credits porous pavement through an effective-area-managed method in its residential and commercial LID credit worksheets, and the credit varies by pavement type. Qualifying projects need 100 points in total. Resin-bound is not one of the manual's named types, so the City decides whether it counts. If it does, the points depend on its size, base design and the area it manages, so your engineer should run the worksheet before finalizing the layout.

Does my small commercial parking lot need stormwater controls?

Under the manual's priority project table, a stand-alone parking lot of 5,000 square feet or 25 spaces or more needs source control, LID and treatment, plus hydromodification control where mapped. Smaller lots still need source control. Parking that belongs to a building follows the requirements for that building's land use.

Can resin-bound go over my existing driveway to reduce runoff?

Over solid concrete or asphalt, no. Rain passes through the resin layer and then runs off the slab toward the street, so there is no runoff reduction and no LID credit. To cut runoff, the old paving is removed and the resin-bound surface goes onto a permeable base such as Rock Crete over a stone reservoir designed for your soil.

Official sources for Sacramento

Local rules change. We last checked these sources in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency before you design, and treat this page as a starting point, not engineering or permitting advice.

Permeable Resin-Bound Surfacing in Sacramento, CA