MWELO threshold check (free)
- Project type and landscape area
- Whether MWELO applies
- Prescriptive or performance path
- Reference evapotranspiration
- Plant water use groups
- Irrigation equipment
California landscape designers and builders
Where is the landscape?
Free check of whether your California landscape falls under MWELO and which compliance path fits, with reference ET pulled in. Your city reviews it.
- Free to read
- No sign-up until the draft
- Hands off to the right door
ePlan fills in
- Reference ET
- Parcel
- Aerial photo
How it works
MWELO threshold check, from one answer
- Pin the site and enter the landscape area.
- ePlan checks the thresholds and pulls reference ET. It doesn't compute the official water budget; your designer and city do.
- Read the free check. Building a backyard unit? Start an ADU permit draft.
What you get
MWELO threshold check and 1 more document
The check is free. The paperwork after it is drafted at the ADU permit door.
ADU permit application
- Site plan
- Floor plan
- Landscape and utilities
From public data
What ePlan fills in, and from where
- Reference evapotranspirationCalifornia Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS)
- ParcelRegrid nationwide parcel data
- Aerial photo for the landscape areaUSDA NAIP aerial imagery
500 sq ft
of landscape area on new construction that needs a permit, plan check or design review brings a California project under MWELO
Source: City of Pasadena, Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
Ready for the paperwork?
Check your lot against California ADU law: size, setbacks, fees and the 60-day review clock. Get the permit narrative and checklist; bring your drawings.
Questions
MWELO Calculator: what people ask
Does MWELO apply to my project?
It applies to new construction with 500 sq ft or more of landscape area, and to rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 sq ft or more, when the project needs a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review.
Is there a simpler path for small landscapes?
Yes. Residential and non-residential projects with 500 to 2,499 sq ft of landscape may use the Prescriptive Compliance Option. Rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 sq ft or more use the Performance Compliance Option.
Where is the rule written?
The full text of MWELO is in sections 490 to 495, Chapter 2.7, Division 2, Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations. Your city applies it through its own plan review.
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MWELO Calculator: check it free
Answer it and ePlan opens the ADU permit door with your answer filled in.