Permeable resin-bound surfacing may help meet the City of Santa Barbara's storm water requirements when it is built as permeable paving over a gravel base that stores and infiltrates the design storm. The City's guidance lists permeable paving as a BMP and notes that thickening the gravel layer adds storage. Its manual names pervious concrete, asphalt, pavers, reservoir beds and granular materials, so Creeks Division staff decide whether a resin-bound surface counts.

Santa Barbara sets its triggers lower than many California cities. Projects with 500 square feet or more of new or redeveloped impervious area already have to capture and infiltrate runoff, so even a remodel with a new driveway and patio can need a plan. Building new surfaces as permeable paving instead of hard paving keeps them out of the impervious total, which can keep a project in a lower tier.

Santa Barbara's four storm water tiers

The City has run a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) since 2006 under the State Water Board's Phase II permit, with oversight from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Creeks Division administers post-construction requirements in four tiers based on new and redeveloped impervious area:

Tier 1: 1 to 499 square feet.
Tier 2: 500 to 1,999 square feet. Capture and infiltrate runoff from 1 inch of rain over the new and redeveloped area, usually without engineering.
Tier 3: 2,000 to 14,999 square feet. Capture and infiltrate the 1-inch, 24-hour storm from at least 95 percent of the site's impervious area, or the added runoff from a 25-year storm, whichever is larger.
Tier 4: 15,000 square feet or more. Tier 3 plus retention of the 1.2-inch storm on replaced area and the 2.4-inch storm on new area.

Impervious area is counted cumulatively for two years after the certificate of occupancy. Phasing the work does not avoid a higher tier.

Foothill slopes, creek corridors and a low waterfront

Santa Barbara drops from steep foothill and Riviera lots to a flat coastal plain cut by Mission Creek, Sycamore Creek and Arroyo Burro. On slopes, the City's guidance keeps infiltration features away from steep ground and building foundations, and a geotechnical review is sensible before sending water into the ground uphill of a house. Near the waterfront and lower creek corridors, the engineer should confirm seasonal high groundwater, since the City's manual sets minimum separations and requires soil investigation below infiltration BMPs.

For Tier 3 and 4 projects, percolation tests are not accepted; infiltration testing under the City's 2020 BMP Technical Guidance Manual sets the design rate. Where infiltration is limited, the gravel reservoir under a resin-bound surface can be deepened for storage or paired with other BMPs. Laying resin over an existing slab adds nothing toward any tier, because the slab still sheds the water.

Where it suits Santa Barbara properties

Paseos and courtyards in downtown commercial buildings, where historic character limits planting space.
Hotel and restaurant terraces near the waterfront and in the Funk Zone.
Driveways and garden paths on the Riviera and the Mesa, often Tier 2 remodels.
Parking courts at small multifamily and mixed-use projects in the Tier 3 range.

The Creeks Division has itself replaced more than 4.6 acres of asphalt with permeable pavers on City lots, streets, alleys and parks to meet the 1-inch, 24-hour storm requirement. Those projects are a useful local reference for designers.

Specifying resin-bound for Creeks Division review

Read the Quick Guide for your tier, then show each new, redeveloped and removed impervious area on the plans. Tier 3 and 4 projects need a storm water or drainage report with design storm modeling and a cross-section of each BMP with brands, models or stone types named. Tier 2 plans need a cross-section and sizing for each BMP. For Tier 3 and 4, that means naming the resin-bound system and base on the drawings. The City's suggested inspection list belongs on the first sheet.

Resin Rock does not install; we manufacture and supply UV-stable binder, natural stone aggregates, trims and the Rock Crete permeable sub-base. Our technical data sheets give designers the product details the City asks for, and we can match you with an approved installer, usually within 24 hours.

Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Santa Barbara

Total new and redeveloped impervious area, including the prior two years, to find your tier.
Show removed impervious area too. It is not subtracted when setting the tier, but it can reduce what you must capture.
Use infiltration testing, not percolation tests, for Tier 3 and 4 projects.
Confirm seasonal high groundwater near the waterfront and creek corridors.
Name the resin-bound system, aggregate and base in the BMP cross-section.
Add the City's suggested SWMP inspections to the first plan sheet.

Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Santa Barbara

My remodel adds a 700 square foot driveway. Do storm water rules apply?

Yes. Santa Barbara's Tier 2 covers 500 to 1,999 square feet of new or redeveloped impervious area and requires capturing and infiltrating runoff from 1 inch of rain over that area. Building the driveway as permeable paving over a gravel base, or offsetting with removed paving, are common ways to meet it.

Can the City's storm water rebate pay for a permeable resin-bound patio?

Possibly in part. The Creeks Division's Sustainable Storm Water Rebate includes a pavement removal rebate, but rebates are for voluntary projects only, not for work that needs a building permit or that is used to meet SWMP requirements. Ask the Creeks Division whether replacing pavement with a permeable surface qualifies before you start.

Will resin over my old concrete patio count toward my tier?

No. The City counts permeable paving because water passes into a gravel reservoir and soaks into the ground. Over solid concrete, rain goes through the resin and runs off the slab, so the area stays impervious. Remove the concrete and build on a permeable base such as Rock Crete to change the count.

Official sources for Santa Barbara

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 Santa Barbara, CA