The lion fountain, the THEATRE SQUARE arch and the Orinda Theatre tower in downtown Orinda

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Orinda, in short

What do I have to clear from my roof and gutters for fire safety in Orinda?

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s ordinance says to keep the roof and roof gutters free of leaves, needles, hazardous vegetation and combustible materials. The District’s page adds that its requirements are to be completed and maintained year-round, and that clearing the roof and gutters “needs to be redone on a periodic basis”.

The story of Orinda

Orinda, named for an English poet, “The Matchless Orinda”, and “a semi-rural community” in the City’s own words.

The Historical Society says Orinda’s name comes from a 17th-century English poet whom the landowner’s wife admired; the property was first called Orinda Park. In the mid-1920s E.I. de Laveaga laid out Orinda Village with Spanish street names, and when the Caldecott Tunnel opened in 1937 Orinda became, the Society says, “more than a place to picnic or play a round of weekend golf”. Orinda incorporated as a city in 1985.

The City’s history page says the land that became Orinda was, in the days when Alta California was a part of Mexico, “part of four huge land grants”.

In 1841, the Friends of the Moraga Adobe say, Joaquin Moraga “settled on a piece of property overlooking the southern section of Orinda, near the present-day Orinda-Moraga city line” and built a two-room adobe house where his family lived for many years.

The Historical Society says Orinda’s first school stood on Joe Moraga’s property, between what is now Glorietta Boulevard and Moraga Way; built in 1861, it lasted until the early 1920s.

In 1876, the City says, County sheriff and landowner William Walker Camron married Alice Marsh Camron, who enjoyed the poetry of Katherine Fowler Philips, a 17th-century English woman known as “The Matchless Orinda”; in her honor the Camrons named their home Orinda Park. By the dawn of the 20th century, the Historical Society says, the word Park had been dropped from the name and the area was known simply as Orinda.

In 1881 a company was set up to establish the California and Nevada Railroad, a narrow-gauge line that promised investors a route from Emeryville all the way to the silver mining camp of Bodie; by 1897 almost 23 miles of track had been laid, but the tracks “never made it past Orinda”. Orinda had three stations on the line, and the Historical Society calls it Orinda’s “rheumatic locomotive”.

The county library says Orinda’s first library, in 1924, “consisted of two shelves in the local dry-goods store”; the current library building opened in October of 2001.

In the mid-1920s, the Historical Society says, E.I. de Laveaga laid out Orinda Village and gave the streets Spanish names, among them Bien Venida (Welcome), Camino del Diablo (Devil’s Highway) and Lomas Cantadas (Singing Hills); homes and amenities followed, including the Orinda Country Club, a swimming pool and a golf course.

Sleepy Hollow began in the 1920s as the “Sleepy Hollow Syndicate” when developer John Allen started building, Lamorinda Weekly reported in 2013, and the paper says it was developed “in its present form” in the early 1950s.

The two-classroom Orinda Union School opened in 1925 and was extensively rebuilt in 1939; the original building eventually became the Orinda Community Center in 1973, the Historical Society says.

The Historical Society says “Everything changed when the Caldecott Tunnel opened in 1937”: Orinda was suddenly “more than a place to picnic or play a round of weekend golf”. The City adds that the trip from Oakland or San Francisco no longer meant driving through the dark, narrow Contra Costa Tunnel, or along the twisting Fish Ranch or San Pablo Dam roads.

The Orinda Theatre opened on December 27, 1941; the downtown group’s tour page says it was “designed by architect Alexander Aimwell Cantin for Donald Rheem who opened it December 27, 1941”, and the Historical Society says it “brought Art Deco glamour to a small ranch town”.

After the war, the City says, “the area expanded gently into a suburban environment”, as families ready to leave Oakland or San Francisco found “more house for less money, and higher quality schools”; by the end of the 1940s, the Historical Society says, school construction was taking off at a rapid pace.

In the late 1960s, the John Muir Land Trust’s page says, Orinda “made an unusual choice: preserve the forested hillside next to Wagner Ranch Elementary as a living outdoor classroom”. The Land Trust acquired the 16-acre Wagner Ranch Nature Area in December 2025 “to protect it”.

The City says BART opened in 1973, “accelerating residential and business growth throughout Contra Costa County”.

The Orinda Association says that, with local residents “dissatisfied with county services”, it and several other local residents had begun thinking about incorporation, and that Orinda’s 4th of July parade and celebration “was born” to build excitement among locals.

In 1984 a developer bought the Orinda Theatre’s property “with plans to demolish the theatre to build a shopping center”; after many struggles the shopping center was built around the theatre, which was renovated and re-opened in 1989, and a new “movie palace wing” with two more screens followed in 1996.

Orinda was officially incorporated as a city on July 1, 1985, the Historical Society says; the City says it incorporated “after more than 100 years of gradual development”.

The Wilder Development Agreement “was originally approved in 1994”, the City says. The Planned Development in the Gateway Valley has 245 home sites clustered within 200 acres of over 1,500 acres, with over 1,300 acres of open space and trails.

In 1996, the City says, Orinda won a Trail Town USA designation “for planning an exemplary trail system that promotes non-motorized transportation”.

Since purchasing the Moraga Adobe and its surrounding 2.3 acres in 2024, the Friends of the Moraga Adobe say, they have been working on getting the museum open for visitors.

Read the full story of Orinda

Fire safety

Your fire department

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s FAQ names the places it serves as “Moraga, Orinda, and unincorporated areas of Bollinger Canyon, Valley Hill, and Canyon”, and the District says it responds to over 3,000 incidents annually from five fire stations.

Where Orinda stands on the State’s 2025 fire hazard map

Read from the State’s 2025 map for local areas, the Very High class covers nearly two-thirds of Orinda’s area; the High, Moderate and non-wildland classes make up the rest. Which class applies at one address is for the District’s map: its page says you can enter your address to find your property’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone classification.

State map data read Oct 25 2026 with the City’s Census outline, our own estimate; District page read Oct 25 2026

See 6 more

The District’s own fire hazard severity map

The District adopted its fire hazard severity map by Ordinance 25-03, adopted May 21, 2025, “as recommended by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Government Code section 51178 and received by the Fire District on February 24, 2025”.

Ordinance 25-03, adopted May 21, 2025

Before Red Flag days

Orinda Ready, the City’s preparedness site, lists recommendations of the Moraga-Orinda FireWise Network, not a rule: “Clear leaves, needles, and branches from roofs and gutters regularly, especially before Red Flag days.” and “Maintain 6 ft of clearance between roof and tree branches, and 10 ft around chimneys.”

Page undated; read Oct 25 2026

The District’s own rule for the first five feet

The District’s Ordinance 23-03, adopted February 15, 2023 and effective since March 17, 2023, names the first five feet from a structure, attached deck or outbuilding “Zone 0” and asks for the most stringent fuel reduction there. Among its measures: no combustible ground cover such as mulch and bark within 2 feet of a structure (gravel, pavers and concrete are allowed), the roof and roof gutters free of leaves, needles, hazardous vegetation and combustible materials, and 6 feet of vertical clearance between branches and the roof.

Adopted February 15, 2023; effective March 17, 2023

The State’s separate Zone 0 rule: where it stands

The State’s rule for the first five feet around a home, also called Zone 0, is separate from the District’s ordinance above: adopted by the Board; in final review with the Office of Administrative Law; no effective date known.

Standing check of Oct 22 2026

The District’s fire code and the City

The District’s list names Ordinance 26-01, titled as adopting the 2025 California Fire Code, and Ordinance 26-02, titled as adopting the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, both dated January 21, 2026. The City’s Ordinance 26-04, adopted March 17, 2026, is titled as one “to reflect the City’s ratification of Moraga-Orinda Fire District Ordinances 26-01 and 26-02”.

District list and the City’s code page read Oct 25 2026

Red Flag parking on two streets

The City bars stopping and parking on El Toyonal and Loma Vista Drive during Red Flag Warning events: its page lists “No Stopping/Parking during Red Flag Warning events”.

Page undated; read Oct 25 2026

Need a hand with this? Gutter guards

Orinda this month

Storm season: the City’s page says sand and sandbags, which residents fill themselves, are available for Orinda residents at two Moraga-Orinda Fire District stations, Station 43 on Via Las Cruces and Station 44 on Orchard Road.

The Orinda blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.

Culture and history

The Orinda Historical Society museum

The Society’s museum is on the plaza level of the Orinda Library building, and admission is free; it is open every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and closed on major holidays.

Hours as the Society’s page prints them, read Oct 25 2026

Orinda Farmers’ Market

The City says the Orinda Farmers’ Market is held year-round every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of Orinda Community Park.

Hours as the City’s page prints them, read Oct 25 2026

See 8 more

Movie nights at the Orinda Theatre

The downtown group’s events pages list a free movie night that is “always the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30PM” and a Classic Movie Matinee on the “last Tuesday of each month” at the Orinda Theatre.

The group’s event pages, listed for Oct 27 and Nov 19 2026, read Oct 25 2026

The 4th of July Parade

The Orinda Association runs the Orinda Annual 4th of July Parade on Orinda Way, and The Orinda News of July 27, 2026 calls it “a beloved Orinda tradition”.

July; The Orinda News of July 27, 2026 and the Association’s page

ArtSpace Orinda

The Art in Public Places program, ArtSpace Orinda, “has been placing outdoor sculpture in the Orinda community since 2007”, and most sculptures are on loan to the city for at least a one-year period.

Orinda Starlight Village Players

A community theatre that was “established in 1982” and “has performed in the Community Center Park amphitheater every summer”, its page says.

A name from a poet

The Historical Society says the name comes from a 17th-century English poet who wrote under the pen name “The Matchless Orinda”. More in The story of Orinda, below.

The Caldecott Tunnel

The City says the region “blossomed when the Caldecott Tunnel opened in 1937”. More in The story of Orinda, below.

The Orinda Theatre

The Orinda Theatre opened in 1941, and the Historical Society calls it “the most recognized landmark in the community”. More in The story of Orinda, below.

The Joaquin Moraga Adobe

Public tours of the 1841 adobe are paused; the Friends of the Moraga Adobe write: “Public tours will resume in early 2027”. More in The story of Orinda, below.

The Friends’ page, modified Oct 23 2026, read Oct 25 2026

Community

Orinda Historical Society

Established in 1970, the Society is, in its own words, “all-volunteer, membership-based, 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit”, which preserves local historical artifacts, documents and images and offers educational walking tours and lectures.

The Orinda Association

Started in 1946, the Association is a nonprofit “dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life in Orinda”; it publishes The Orinda News, which is delivered free to every household and business in Orinda, and runs the Classic Car Show and the 4th of July parade.

See 3 more

Lamorinda Arts Council

The Council was “founded in 1950 as the Orinda Arts Council” and became the Lamorinda Arts Council in 2015 to serve Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda; it curates the exhibits in the Orinda Library’s gallery.

Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda

Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda describes itself as “working to reduce wildfire risk and improve preparedness across the Moraga-Orinda community”; it partners with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, the City of Orinda, the Town of Moraga and the Moraga-Orinda Firewise Network of neighborhood groups.

Sister city: Tabor, Czech Republic

The City’s page lists Tabor as Orinda’s sister city:

City rules and regulations

Re-roofs need a building permit from the County

A re-roof needs a building permit from the County, which acts as Orinda’s building department. The City of Orinda “does not have its own building department and contracts with Contra Costa County for building services”, and the City says only the County Building Department issues building permits. The County’s re-roof requirements sheet says a permit is required for all re-roof installations before work begins.

County re-roof requirements sheet, read Oct 25 2026

Who can pull a building permit

The City’s code lets a building permit be issued to a licensed contractor, or, for a one-family dwelling the owner lives in, to the owner when the owner performs all the work under the permit.

Code codified through Ordinance 25-07; read Oct 25 2026

See 8 more

Extra roofing requirements in parts of Orinda

The County’s re-roof requirements sheet says Orinda and Lafayette have specific areas with their own roofing requirements and tells owners to “check with City”. The City’s November 2025 handout on its fire hazard and wildland-urban interface designations says they primarily affect new construction, and sends questions on the building code to the County Building Department.

County sheet and City handout read Oct 25 2026

Protected oaks on a lot with a house

On a developed parcel, the City’s tree code protects seven native oaks, valley oak, live oak, black oak, white oak, canyon oak, blue oak and interior live oak, once the trunk is 12 inches across or more, measured 4.5 feet above the natural grade.

Code codified through Ordinance 25-07; read Oct 25 2026

Other protected trees

On a vacant or undeveloped parcel, or a parcel within a downtown district, any tree not on the Disallowed Plant List is protected at 6 inches across or more. Near a creek bank, a native riparian tree is protected at a single trunk of 4 inches or more, or several trunks with the combined cross-section of a single 4-inch stem; a native riparian tree is one within 30 feet of the creek bank, or beyond that if it needs more soil moisture than the uplands give. A replacement tree planted as restitution, or as a condition of a development approval, is protected at any size.

Code codified through Ordinance 25-07; read Oct 25 2026

When no tree permit is needed

The code lists seven exceptions to the permit, among them removal required by the Moraga-Orinda Fire District for Fire Code compliance, removal “required at a specified property to retain or obtain insurance coverage”, and a hazardous condition that needs immediate action; the authority gives the Planning Department documentation naming the reason and the trees. A dead tree is not a protected tree, the City’s FAQ says, and a tree that has fallen needs no permit.

Code codified through Ordinance 25-07; read Oct 25 2026

Plants the City will not approve

The City’s Disallowed Plant List says these plants “may not be approved for planting in Orinda”, among them eucalyptus, cypress, juniper, pines other than Dwarf Mugo, pepper trees and all palms; the City’s FAQ says the list exists “due to the risk of wildfires”.

List last updated July 30, 2026; read Oct 25 2026

Trees in the street

The code says “Each tree and plant placed in the right-of-way, except those placed by the city, shall be maintained by the abutting property owner in a neat, healthy and safe condition”, and the City’s Parks and Recreation Department trims trees on City-owned parcels along public streets.

Code section as the City hosts it, read Oct 25 2026

Your neighbor’s tree

The City says tree concerns between private properties, such as a leaning tree, are “a civil issue that the City is not involved with”.

When you buy or sell A fire inspection at a sale

Before the close of escrow on the sale of “any Parcel within the Fire District”, the seller gives the buyer the Fire Code Official’s documentation that the property is currently in compliance with the District’s fuel mitigation requirements. The District’s page says every property transfer needs an in-person inspection by a Fuels Mitigation Specialist to get the Certificate of Compliance, which is valid for 90 days, and asks you to allow about two to three weeks for processing. The District’s FAQ suggests getting it as soon as the property is on the market, and says the paperwork is the seller’s responsibility, not the Realtor’s; the inspection fees are on the District’s fee schedule.

District pages read Oct 25 2026

Need a hand with this? Roofing

Storms, flood and drainage

Sandbags at two fire stations

Sand and sandbags, which residents fill themselves, are available for Orinda residents at Moraga-Orinda Fire District Station 43 on Via Las Cruces and Station 44 on Orchard Road; the page gives no cost, quantity limit or dates.

City of Orinda, page undated, read Oct 25 2026

Only rain down the storm drain

The City’s creek page asks: “Allow only rain down the storm drain.”

See 4 more

Public storm drains

Public Works maintains public storm drain facilities, clears obstructions from public storm drains, including those in a city easement on private property, and responds to help alleviate flooding and landslides.

Drains and culverts on your property

“With rare exceptions, drain pipes/storm drains on private property are the property owner’s responsibility,” the City says, and owners are responsible for cleaning and maintaining driveway culverts, v-ditches or other drainage facilities on private property.

Creeks on private land

The City says: “Property Owners are responsible for maintaining the portion of any creek that is on, or abuts, their property and to ensure a clean and proper flow of the creek in general.”

Where the floodplain lies

The Safety Element says the 100-year floodplain is “primarily concentrated along San Pablo Creek”, and that small portions of the city are in the 500-year floodplain: the downtown area, Lake Cascade, areas near the BART station and SR-24, and areas near the base of San Pablo Reservoir. The City’s hazard plan says: “Much of downtown Orinda is within the floodplain.” FEMA’s list gives the City’s current effective flood map date as June 16, 2009; to see the flood zone for your own address, use FEMA’s flood map service.

Safety Element, annex and FEMA list read Oct 25 2026

Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning

Programs, loans and insurance

Fire District Home Hardening Grant Program: free gutter coverings and vent mesh

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s page says “Registration is open for the FREE stainless steel gutter coverings”, which “will be shipped directly to your home at no cost”, with delivery expected within approximately 30 days “pending material availability”. The program, which the District calls a Grant Program, is “open to all residents within MOFD’s jurisdiction until June 30, 2027”. The District describes the guards as “designed to minimize the accumulation of leaves and debris that will become combustible material in the dry months”. The same page offers free vent mesh and reimbursement for the purchase of vents, limited to a maximum of $1,000 per parcel; installation, labor and other materials are not reimbursed.

Page read Oct 25 2026; open until June 30, 2027

Free home wildfire-safety assessment

The District’s Community Wildfire Safety Ambassador Program offers an assessment that is free and “usually takes about 45 minutes”; volunteer ambassadors, in a non-enforcement capacity, leave you with a checklist of items that will help you keep your property safer from wildfire. You request it online, and an ambassador contacts you by phone or email to set an appointment; each resident fills out their own request form, and the ambassadors “will not need to go inside your home or into your backyard”.

Page read Oct 25 2026

See 19 more

Fire Fuels Reduction Incentive Program (matching grant)

The City’s Fire Fuels Reduction Incentive Program is a matching grant of 50% of qualifying expenses, up to $1,500 per property once per calendar year, to help owners reduce wildfire fuels and meet the Moraga-Orinda Fire District’s vegetation standards. Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda now runs it for the City. Applications are taken January through December, first come, first served, subject to available funding; the work has to be done by a licensed contractor or qualified business and finished before you apply, within the last twelve months, with before-and-after photographs and proof of payment (cash payments are not eligible).

The program’s application page, read Oct 25 2026

City chipper service for Orinda residents

The City offers a no-cost, year-round community wood chipping program, Measure R Chipping Services, run with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, for the material that is too large for green bins and too small for commercial chipping providers. You reserve a pickup online by entering your address.

The City’s booking page, read Oct 25 2026

District Community Chipping Program

The District’s free-of-charge Community Chipping Program is for cut branches, brush and small trees up to 6 inches across, in pieces under 80 pounds, and “There must be a minimum of three homeowners in a neighborhood”. Residents schedule online, and can also schedule up to 4 free green waste or recycling clean-up days per calendar year.

Page read Oct 25 2026

Check back Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda grants for groups and vulnerable residents: check back

Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda’s group program is for residents working in groups of 3 or more, and can qualify for up to $10,000 in matching funds per project: FSMO pays the contractor directly for half the cost, and the homeowner pays the other half. A second program pays 100 percent of a qualifying project for residents “without the financial means or capabilities to manage a vegetation removal project on their own”. The grants are for hazardous vegetation removal; areas of your property that “fall under home hardening, landscaping or annual maintenance do not qualify”, and properties must lie within the Moraga-Orinda Fire District. The pages give no open or closed word.

Pages read Oct 25 2026

County-wide Contra Costa County Measure X wildfire programs

The County’s Wildfire Mitigation Program flyer says: “Anyone within Contra Costa County, regardless of their local fire district or department, can apply for a Wildfire Mitigation Program, as long as they meet the requirements for the specific program.” Its Low Income Exterior Hazard Control Program offers “Reimbursement of up to $1,500 for property owner expenses spent on exterior hazard control or weed abatement.” The Fire District’s Measure X page lists that program, and says the Home Hardening Outreach Program is “Coming soon”.

County flyer and Fire District page, read Oct 25 2026

County-wide Check back Diablo Firesafe Council cost-share: check back

The Council’s page says it “has temporarily closed the applications for the Partners in Wildfire Prevention fuel reduction grant match” and that “No new applications can be submitted at this time”; when open, it offered up to $3,500 of cost-share funds per project. The page does not name Orinda, and the City’s Emergency Preparedness page lists the Council’s program among its resources.

Update May 2025 on the page; read Oct 25 2026

County-wide County weatherization for income-qualified households

The City lists the County’s weatherization program, a federal and state-funded program whose purpose is to assist low and fixed income people in making their homes more energy-efficient. The County’s page says “The program is available regardless of whether you own or rent, live in a house, apartment, or a mobile home” and lists ceiling insulation, gas furnace repair or replacement, replacement of broken windows and other minor home repairs; it names no roof or gutter work and no city.

County page read Oct 25 2026

County-wide BayREN EASE Home: weatherization for income-qualified homes

BayREN’s EASE Home page says “BayREN covers 80% of the cost for essential weatherization upgrades, including insulation and duct sealing”. To qualify you live in a single-family home (four or fewer units) built before 2010, are a PG&E customer, and have a household income under or at 120% of area median income; the page does not mention roofs, gutters or drainage, and the City lists BayREN among its housing resources.

Program page read Oct 25 2026

Check back PG&E Energy Savings Assistance: check back

PG&E’s page says the program lets you improve the energy efficiency of your home “at no cost to you”, for those who live in a house, mobile home or apartment at least five years old, and that its income guidelines are “Valid through May 31, 2027”. Orinda is in PG&E’s gas and electric lists, and the City lists the program.

Page read Oct 25 2026; income guidelines valid through May 31, 2027

County-wide Check back County Neighborhood Preservation Program: check back

The County’s Neighborhood Preservation Program gives financial assistance to low-income homeowners for home rehabilitation projects, for owners who do not live inside the cities of Antioch, Concord, Pittsburg or Walnut Creek, so Orinda is not excluded. The County’s page says: “Due to overwhelming interest in the program, the Neighborhood Preservation Program currently is not taking new applications.” It asks you to “continue to check back for more information”.

County page read Oct 25 2026

County-wide Free creek consultation for owners

Contra Costa County residents with a creek on their property can ask the California Urban Streams Partnership’s Streamside Management Program for Landowners for free advice about creek care, restoration and maintenance; its page says the services are “available to you at no charge”.

County row read Oct 7 2026

EBMUD water rebates

EBMUD says its rebates “are available to both residential and non-residential customers with potable water service”, among them a Lawn Conversion Rebate (up to $2.00 per sq. ft.), Efficient Irrigation Rebates and a Graywater Rebate (up to $100). The page mentions no rain-barrel, gutter, downspout or roof rebate, and the City lists EBMUD’s Water Conservation Rebates among its housing resources.

Page read Oct 25 2026

EBMUD help with the water bill and free water-saving items

EBMUD’s Customer Assistance Program is “to help pay a portion of the water bill for qualified low-income residential customers”, and EBMUD offers free water-conserving items such as aerators, showerheads and hose nozzles; the City lists both.

Pages read Oct 25 2026

Check back Air District wildfire chipping program: check back

The Air District’s page says it “is not currently accepting applications for chipping services through the Agricultural Waste and Wildfire Prevention Chipping Programs” and that services “will resume when additional funding becomes available”; the page shows “Last Updated: 9/26/2024”. The program is for properties in the Air District’s nine Bay Area counties, Contra Costa among them.

Page shows Last Updated 9/26/2024; read Oct 25 2026

Check back ADU Accelerator rebate: check back

The City’s ADU page describes a pilot program that provides “individual rebates of up to $7,500 to property owners for new ADUs and up to $15,000 for new ADU units that are deed restricted to low-income households”, first-come, first-serve, starting January 1, 2025, with 18 months from the building permit to receive a certificate of occupancy. The page is undated and gives no closing date or word on funds remaining.

City page read Oct 25 2026

Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back

The California Residential Mitigation Program’s page says Earthquake Brace + Bolt “offers up to $3,000 for homeowners to seismically retrofit their houses”, that a retrofit “is only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation”, and that registration is open for a limited time each year. Registration is not open now: the page offers a sign-up to be told when it opens. The program’s 2025 ZIP-code list for Northern California has a row for Orinda with ZIP code 94563.

Program page and ZIP list read Oct 25 2026

State-wide Check back California Safe Homes: check back

California Safe Homes, the State’s home-hardening grant program run through the Department of Insurance, is not open: no dated State page says it is, and the Department’s 2026 press-release index lists no Safe Homes item.

Press-release index read Oct 20 2026

State-wide LIHEAP and the Weatherization Assistance Program

LIHEAP, the federal home energy assistance program, and the Weatherization Assistance Program run through local providers. In Contra Costa County the County’s Employment and Human Services Department takes LIHEAP applications through its Community Service Bureau; its page says “Applicants must meet income guidelines.” The page gives no open or closed word and no deadline. The County’s own weatherization program for income-qualified households is a separate item on this card.

Pages read Oct 20 and Oct 25 2026

Broom puller lending

The District has a “broom puller” lending program that can be used for larger plants and community broom pulling events; you borrow a puller by completing the online request form, and the page does not say who may borrow or what it costs.

Page read Oct 25 2026

Who serves your home in Orinda

Fire: The Moraga-Orinda Fire District, formed by consolidating the Moraga and Orinda fire protection districts to provide fire protection and emergency medical services to Moraga and Orinda and the surrounding unincorporated areas, including Canyon and Bollinger Canyon.
Water: East Bay Municipal Utility District; its Orinda Water Treatment Plant, in the City, delivers water to customers in the City of Orinda.
Sewer: Central San, the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District; its service area includes Orinda.
Garbage: RecycleSmart, the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, which the City says manages solid waste services in Orinda.
Electricity: PG&E’s service-area page lists Orinda in its electric service territory; MCE’s list of areas served, as we read it, names no Orinda.
Gas: PG&E’s service-area page lists Orinda in its gas service territory.
Air: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which regulates stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties around San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa among them.
Flood control: The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, whose area is the whole county including its cities, and whose governing board is the County Board of Supervisors.
Storm drains: The City’s Public Works maintains the public storm drain facilities and clears obstructions from public storm drains, including those in a city easement on private property.
Permits: Contra Costa County’s Building Department issues building permits in Orinda, under contract with the City.
Assessor: The Contra Costa County Assessor values the home; disputes over a value go to the County’s Assessment Appeals Board, which is separate from the Assessor’s Office.

Useful links: Orinda Union School District · Acalanes Union High School District · Moraga-Orinda Fire District (Abatement Requirements, the sale-inspection certificate and the fire hazard severity zone maps) · City of Orinda: Building Permits · City of Orinda: Tree Ordinance Handout and the Disallowed Plant List · City of Orinda: Drainage and Creek Maintenance · Orinda Ready (the City’s preparedness site, with alert sign-up) · Contra Costa Community Warning System (county alerts) · Fire Safe Moraga-Orinda · Moraga-Orinda Firewise Network · Orinda Historical Society · Orinda Library (Contra Costa County Library) · Orinda Farmers’ Market · BART (the Orinda station) · East Bay Municipal Utility District · Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) · RecycleSmart (Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority) · Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)

The homes of Orinda

Orinda’s median home was built in 1960, and about 82 percent of its homes were built in 1979 or earlier. About 95 percent of the homes are one-unit detached homes and about 91 percent are owner-occupied, our own calculations from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 tables. The City’s Housing Element says Orinda’s history of development “followed a course of single-family homes in a semi-rural environment”.

The 1920s and 1930s

Spanish Revival and ranch styles in Orinda Village

The Historical Society says the earliest homes in Orinda Village “date to the 1920s and 1930s, mostly Spanish Revival and ranch styles”.

The 1940s to the 1960s

Postwar suburban growth

The City says that after the war Orinda had “great appeal to families ready to leave Oakland or San Francisco”; the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 table counts about 2,467 homes built in the 1950s, more than in any other decade.

1951

Modernist landmark houses

The City’s landmark list describes The Nelson House as a “Modernist residence built in 1951 by architect Richard Neutra”, and The Paul Hamilton House as “an example of the Second Bay Tradition, a regional idiom of Modernism”, “Designed by Paul Hamilton and constructed in 1951”.

1994 to today

Wilder, a planned development

The City’s page says home construction on 230 of the 245 lots in Wilder had been completed as of November 2023; its Design Review Handbook names six architectural styles for new homes there: East Bay Arts and Crafts, Bay Area Cottage, Adobe Ranch, Orinda Ranch, Spanish Colonial Revival and Bay Area Contemporary.

Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation

The story of Orinda

History and character