Home and property
California homes come with a few extra moving parts: buying costs, insurance, rent rules, Prop 13, county tax bills, wildfire work, earthquake risk, coastal permits, and local charges.
Practical help
These pages explain the ordinary California rule and keep the responsible agency, county office, local office, map, or calculator close by.
24 of 420 notes shown
390 notes connect to a city or county page. Open one for its public sources, nearby places, and related notes.
Local note · Last reviewed July 7, 2026
Elk Grove recycling and waste service points residents to Republic Services, bulky item pickup, hazardous waste, large recyclables, and garbage-day tools.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 7, 2026
Glendale separates simple residential online permits from larger building, planning, zoning, licensing, and neighborhood services questions.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 27, 2026
Hayward earthquake prep combines Drop, Cover, and Hold On, basic home fixes, AC Alert, and California's early-warning tools, which detect quakes after they begin rather than predict them.
4 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 14, 2026
Hemet's website alert is one local information layer; Alert RivCo and Genasys add county warnings and zones, while the city's current fire-map page still labels its linked maps as proposed.
5 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 14, 2026
Indio's 2026 city notice and Riverside County directory list cooling options, but their Senior Center hours do not agree. Call the location before leaving.
5 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 14, 2026
Alert SouthBay is Inglewood's general emergency system; the city's Match Day Ready signup is specifically for 2026 FIFA World Cup traffic, weather, safety, and emergency updates.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed September 15, 2026
Manteca's flood maps and storm drain information help residents understand address-level flood questions, stormwater flow, and who to call when local flooding shows up.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 7, 2026
Milpitas has mapped FEMA flood hazard areas, so flood information, AlertSCC, and Valley Water resources are useful address checks for residents and buyers.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 7, 2026
San Bernardino Building and Safety handles building permits, plan check, permit status, inspection status, and inspection scheduling through SB Direct.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 14, 2026
Inside Santa Monica's tsunami hazard zone, strong shaking or an unusual ocean sign means evacuate on foot or bicycle as soon as shaking stops.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Berkeley gives residents separate paths for prepaid extra bags, bulky waste pickup, mattress recycling, and Transfer Station drop-off, so the item type matters.
1 source
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Chico residential trash service uses garbage, recycling, and organics carts, with large items and hazardous waste handled through separate hauler or drop-off paths.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 28, 2026
Sweetwater Authority serves western and central Chula Vista, while Otay Water District serves much of the east; use the exact address before opening an account.
4 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Citrus Heights residents use Republic Services for garbage, recycling, and organics, with cart choices and neighborhood clean-up schedules worth checking by street.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Downey uses Building and Safety, Accela Citizen Access, contractor license paperwork, business-license checks, and fee tables for many building permit questions.
3 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
El Cajon uses EDCO for residential trash, recycling, organics, new service, bulky-item pickup, and cleanup events.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Encinitas uses EDCO for solid waste collection, and the city's recycling guidance gives a few small sorting rules that can prevent common bin mistakes.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 28, 2026
Garden Grove Water Billing opens and closes city water accounts. Republic Services separately handles trash, recycling, organics, carts, missed pickups, and bulky collection.
4 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Hemet trash, recycling, organics, bulky items, cart repairs, and clean-up days work best when the service provider and address are clear.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 28, 2026
Irvine utility service is split among IRWD, Waste Management, SCE, OCPA, and SoCalGas, with a one-business-day notice rule and separate water stop and start requests when moving.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
La Habra uses CR&R for waste collection, while residential accounts are billed by the city and bulky pickups are handled by appointment.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Lake Forest uses CR&R for trash service, with bulky-item pickups, household hazardous waste options, compost events, and curb rules that help avoid missed pickup.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed September 15, 2026
Lynwood's trash service provider changed to WM in May 2026, which can matter for bills, carts, missed pickups, and old contact information.
2 sources
Local note · Last reviewed July 6, 2026
Menifee uses Waste Management for home trash service, including new service, billing, pickup days, bulky items, e-waste, and holiday changes.
2 sources
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