Landscaping Rules in West Jordan, UT

If you live in West Jordan or are thinking about moving there, landscaping rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. West Jordan has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of landscaping rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

West Jordan does not require a permit to remove a tree from private property, but any city-owned tree, including a park strip or park tree, needs written consent from the Urban Forester and payment of its appraised value before removal, under City Code 13-18-9.

Key details: Scope: applies only to public trees, not private-property trees. Consent required: written Urban Forester approval before removal. Appraisal method: ISA and Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers standards. Removal fee: appraised value paid to city by permittee. Damages for violation: treble damages under Utah Code § 78B-6-1002.

Removing, injuring, or altering a public tree without the Urban Forester's written consent is unlawful under sections 13-18-5 and 13-18-10(A), and the violator is liable to the city for the tree's appraised replacement or repair cost under 13-18-10(D). Section 13-18-13(B) adds that a violator of chapter 18 is liable for treble the amount of damages assessed in a civil action under Utah Code section 78B-6-1002, on top of the standard citywide penalty for code violations.

This is one of the stricter rules in West Jordan's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Artificial Turf

West Jordan names artificial turf as an approved park strip material for multi-family, business/research park, commercial/professional office, and manufacturing developments, while banning lawn, sod, and turf from that same strip under City Code 13-13-6.

Key details: Artificial turf status: named as permitted park strip material. Lawn/sod/turf status: banned in all park strips citywide. Tree requirement: one tree per 25 feet of park strip frontage. Covered use types: multi-family, business/research park, commercial, manufacturing. Single-family park strips: turf banned but artificial turf not separately listed.

Installing prohibited lawn, sod, or turf in a covered park strip instead of one of the listed alternatives, or skipping the required one-tree-per-25-feet frontage planting, is a code violation that can hold up the section 13-13-4 pre-occupancy landscape inspection. Chapter 13-13 has no standalone penalty section, so a confirmed violation defaults to the citywide penalty in section 1-14B-1, a Class B misdemeanor.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find West Jordan gives residents more flexibility on artificial turf.

Native Plants

West Jordan does not restrict which plants you use. Instead it caps lawn: sod and turf cannot exceed 250 square feet or 35% of the front or side yard landscaped area, whichever is greater, on new construction, pushing the rest of the yard toward native or drought-tolerant plantings under City Code 13-13-5.

Key details: Turf cap: 250 sq ft or 35% of front/side yard, whichever greater. Turf banned in: park strips, narrow paths, slopes over 25%. Mulch depth required: 3 to 4 inches in planting beds. Irrigation control: smart controller with rain shutoff mandatory. Applies to: new construction over 1,000 sq ft landscaped area.

Installing more turf than the 250-square-foot/35% cap, or skipping the required separate irrigation valves and mulch depth, can hold up the section 13-13-4 landscape inspection and delay a certificate of occupancy. Because chapter 13-13 carries no standalone penalty clause, a confirmed violation defaults to the citywide penalty in section 1-14B-1: a Class B misdemeanor, with corporate violators facing fines up to $5,000 per conviction.

West Jordan is more permissive than most cities when it comes to native plants. That said, there are still limits.

Tree Trimming

Any tree overhanging a West Jordan street or right-of-way must be pruned by its owner to keep fourteen feet of clearance over the street and eight feet over the sidewalk, per City Code 13-18-10(E), and topping a public tree needs the Urban Forester's authorization.

Key details: Street clearance required: 14 feet over the street surface. Sidewalk clearance required: 8 feet over the sidewalk. Who prunes: owner of the tree overhanging the street/right-of-way. Topping a public tree: needs Urban Forester authorization first. Pruning standard: current ANSI A300 pruning specifications.

Failing to maintain the fourteen-foot street and eight-foot sidewalk clearance, or leaving hazardous dead or broken limbs in place, lets the city step in under 13-18-10(E)(4) and prune the tree itself, billing the owner for equipment, vehicle, and crew costs. Topping a public tree without Urban Forester authorization is separately unlawful, and if a public tree is involved, section 13-18-13(B) exposes the violator to treble damages under Utah Code section 78B-6-1002.

Water Restrictions

West Jordan caps how much lawn a property can carry and locks in efficient irrigation under City Code section 13-13-5. New construction must use drip irrigation or bubblers outside turf areas, smart weather-based controllers, and cannot exceed strict turf limits in yards and park strips.

Key details: Governing section: West Jordan City Code § 13-13-5. Turf cap, single dwellings: Greater of 250 sq ft or 35% of yard. Mulch depth required: 3 to 4 inches in planting beds. Turf banned in: Park strips, narrow paths, 25%+ slopes. Controller requirement: Smart, weather-based, rain shut-off.

Section 13-13-5 does not itself list a fine schedule; noncompliant landscaping is enforced through the standard code enforcement and building permit process, since the standards apply to new construction and relandscaping. Under Title 9, Chapter 6, water use that violates restrictions set in the city code, an adopted drought management plan, a Council resolution or a mayoral proclamation can draw civil or criminal penalties, with notices, hearings and appeals processed under Title 16 of the West Jordan City Code.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, West Jordan gives residents more room on landscaping rules. 2 of the 5 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

Keep in mind that West Jordan can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.