The two city forms behind a Natomas window job
CDD-0327: Window Replacement Guidelines (Building Division)
This Building Division handout, revised January 1, 2026, covers retrofit window installations in existing homes. It assumes a permit application with a written scope of work and tells contractors what that scope must say. The Building Division is at 300 Richards Blvd., 3rd Floor, and its help line is 916-264-5011.
CDD-0187: Planning exemption for windows and doors
Separately, the Planning side has a $132 exemption form, submitted through the city's Public Permit Portal, for window and door changes that would otherwise need design review. It asks for a floor plan, photos and a window schedule listing each window's existing and proposed size, material, type and glazing, and whether it serves a bedroom.
The exemption fits when new windows match the old ones with no change to opening size, design, style, trim, sill or material. Swapping all street-facing aluminum or vinyl windows for wood, composite, fiberglass or vinyl also qualifies, as long as the original operating style is kept. It cannot be used in historic districts.
Bedroom egress under the city's retrofit rule
Emergency escape openings are covered by CRC R319. For new openings, current rules call for 5.7 sq ft of net clear opening (5.0 at grade floor), at least 24 in. of clear height and 20 in. of clear width, and a sill no more than 44 in. above the floor.
On a retrofit, CDD-0327 gives some room. The new window may not make the home less safe, but minor reductions in clear opening are allowed. If the contractor shows that the existing bedroom window met the code in force when the house was permitted, and the new unit will not shrink below that, it does not have to meet current egress. The permit scope must include the line: "The egress window will meet the code requirements enforced at the time the structure was permitted. The structure was built in 19XX." The inspector checks it at final.
| Permitted | Max sill height | Min net clear area | Min opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1962 – Apr 1971 | 48 in. | 5.0 sq ft | 24 × 24 in. |
| Apr 1971 – Jul 1977 | 48 in. | 5.0 sq ft | 22 × 22 in. |
| Jul 1977 onward | 44 in. | 5.7 sq ft | 24 in. H × 20 in. W |
Vinyl sliders: the most common swap
Many Natomas homes are stucco tract houses with vinyl or aluminum horizontal sliders. Replacing them with new vinyl windows in the same style keeps you inside the planning exemption's criteria and usually allows a retrofit install that leaves the stucco intact. If the existing windows are vinyl and only the glass has fogged, a glass-only repair may be enough; see window glass replacement.
Changing a bedroom slider to a casement is possible, but it alters the operating style, which matters for both the planning exemption and egress, so settle it before anything is ordered.
Energy code values for Sacramento
Sacramento is the reference city for Climate Zone 12. Replacement windows on 2026 permits need U-0.27 or lower and SHGC-0.23 or lower; jobs of 75 sq ft of windows or less may use up to U-0.40 and SHGC-0.35. West-facing glass takes the brunt of hot summer afternoons, while the evening delta breeze rewards windows that open easily. More on the ratings is in energy-efficient windows.
Freeway and airport noise
Natomas is bordered by I-5 and I-80, and sits a short drive from Sacramento International Airport. If road or aircraft noise is a concern, ask for a quote with laminated glass or panes of different thickness in the bedrooms that face the source. A dual-pane unit with an airtight install is the baseline; see double-pane windows.
How we fit in
We do not install windows or file permits. We connect you with an independent, licensed installer who works in the City of Sacramento; ask them to handle the CDD-0327 permit scope and, if it applies, the CDD-0187 exemption. Check their C-17 or B license at cslb.ca.gov. SMUD supplies power in Natomas and lists rebates for heat pumps and insulation but none for windows at the moment. For the citywide overview, see window replacement in Sacramento.
Main guide: window replacement in Sacramento.