Yakima's Landscaping Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles landscaping rules a little differently. In Yakima, Washington, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

The Yakima Public Tree Ordinance (YMC Chapter 8.77) regulates trees on public property and in the public right-of-way; removal of trees on purely private property is generally not permit-required. However, the City may compel removal of any dead or diseased tree on private property that constitutes a hazard or harbors insects or disease threatening other trees in the city.

Key details: Code: YMC Ch. 8.77 (Public Tree Ordinance). Private Property: No general removal permit for healthy trees. City Authority: May order removal of hazardous/diseased private trees. Street/Park Trees: Must go through Tree Board / Public Works. Tree City USA: Designated 2017.

Removing a street tree or park tree without going through the city process is a civil infraction under YMC 8.77, with a maximum penalty of $250 per violation and each day a separate offense. Failing to remove a city-declared hazardous tree on private property after notice authorizes the City to abate and assess the cost. Performing aloft tree work on public trees without a Washington State license and Yakima business license is independently unlawful.

The rules around tree removal & heritage trees in Yakima lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Weed Ordinances

Weed control in Yakima is enforced through YMC Chapter 11.40 (Property Maintenance Code adopting the 2018 IPMC) which prohibits hazardous vegetation over 12 inches. The Yakima County Noxious Weed Control Board enforces the Washington State Noxious Weed List under RCW 17.10 across the entire county, including the City.

Key details: Local Rule: 12-inch hazardous-vegetation limit (YMC 11.40). State Rule: RCW 17.10 Washington Noxious Weed List. County Board: Yakima County Noxious Weed Control Board. Classes: A (eradicate), B (control where designated), C (optional). Annual Update: County publishes Weed List & Control Policy yearly.

Under YMC 11.40, vegetation exceeding the 12-inch hazardous threshold triggers a Code Compliance notice with abatement deadline, followed by City abatement and lien if uncorrected. Under RCW 17.10, the Yakima County Noxious Weed Control Board can issue notices requiring control of designated weeds; failure to comply allows the Board to enter, control the weeds, and charge the cost back to the landowner.

Grass Height Limits

The City of Yakima adopted the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code under YMC Chapter 11.40, which requires premises and exterior property to be maintained free from hazardous vegetation in excess of 12 inches in height. The rule is enforced by the City's Office of Code Administration.

Key details: Max Height: 12 inches (hazardous vegetation). Code Authority: YMC Ch. 11.40 (adopts 2018 IPMC). Enforcer: Yakima Office of Code Administration. Definition: Dry, combustible vegetation creating fire hazard. Applies To: All premises and exterior property in city.

Code Compliance issues a notice of violation with a deadline to abate. If the property is not brought into compliance, the City may abate the nuisance and assess the cost as a lien against the property. Continuing violations may be referred for civil infraction or municipal court action under the property maintenance code.

Artificial Turf

Yakima Municipal Code does not contain a specific provision allowing or prohibiting artificial turf on private residential property. Commercial sitescreening under YMC Chapter 15.07 requires living plantings (not synthetic turf) where landscape screening is required, and Washington State has no statewide HOA xeriscape protection statute.

Key details: City Rule: No YMC provision allowing or banning artificial turf. Permit: None required for residential install. Commercial Limit: Cannot substitute for YMC 15.07 living screen. WA HOA Protection: None statewide (unlike CO/FL). HOA Authority: CC&Rs may restrict; enforceable under state contract law.

Because there is no specific city rule against residential artificial turf, there is no city-level penalty for installation. HOAs may impose their own fines under recorded CC&Rs. Use of synthetic turf as a substitute for a required commercial 'living evergreen screen' under YMC 15.07 would result in the sitescreening being deemed incomplete, blocking issuance of a permanent certificate of occupancy until live plantings are installed.

Yakima is more permissive than most cities when it comes to artificial turf. That said, there are still limits.

Tree Trimming

Every owner of a tree overhanging a Yakima street or right-of-way must prune branches to maintain at least 8 feet of clearance over the sidewalk or street under YMC Chapter 6.56 (Nuisances) and YMC Chapter 8.77 (Public Tree Ordinance). Commercial tree work on street or park trees requires a Washington state license and a City of Yakima business license.

Key details: Sidewalk/Street Clearance: 8 feet minimum (YMC 6.56). Owner Duty: Prune overhanging branches; remove hazards. Topping: Unlawful as normal practice (YMC 8.77). Contractor Requirement: WA license + Yakima business license. Penalty: Civil infraction, up to $250 per violation per day.

A violation of YMC Ch. 8.77 is a civil infraction subject to a maximum penalty of $250 per violation, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. Failure to maintain the 8-foot clearance authorizes the City to enter and prune the offending limbs and bill the owner. Interfering with City employees, Tree Board members, or contractors performing authorized tree work is independently unlawful.

Water Restrictions

City of Yakima irrigation service operates April 1 through October 15 under city water rights, with the season subject to shortening during drought. The Yakima River Basin is regulated under RCW 90.03 (Washington State Water Code) and the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan; in October 2025 the WA Department of Ecology ordered the first-ever basin-wide surface water curtailment, and the basin enters water year 2026 in a fourth consecutive drought.

Key details: Irrigation Season: April 1 – October 15 (typical). State Authority: RCW 90.03 (WA Water Code) — Ecology administers. Basin Plan: Yakima Basin Integrated Water Resource Mgmt Plan. 2025 Action: Ecology halted basin surface water use Oct 6–31, 2025. 2026 Supply: 44% of normal (4th drought year).

Diverting surface water during an Ecology curtailment order violates RCW 90.03 and is subject to enforcement by Ecology (compliance checks, civil penalties, water-right action). Junior water right holders cannot access water under a curtailment until senior rights are satisfied. City irrigation customers who attempt to take water outside the posted season (after the published shut-off date) violate city utility rules and may face service action.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Yakima actively enforces its water restrictions requirements.

Rainwater Harvesting

Washington State allows rooftop-collected rainwater to be used on the property where it is collected without a water-right permit under RCW 90.03 (per Department of Ecology policy POL-1017). The City of Yakima provides a 10% stormwater fee credit for new commercial/industrial buildings that install and maintain rainwater-harvesting systems.

Key details: State Policy: Ecology POL-1017 (2009) — no permit for rooftop on-site use. Statute: RCW Ch. 90.03 (Water Code). Allowed Use: On the property where collected. City Incentive: 10% stormwater fee credit (new commercial/industrial). Volume Cap: None statewide.

Because Ecology has determined no water-right permit is needed for on-site rooftop collection, there is no state penalty for residential rain barrels used on the collecting property. Off-site distribution of collected rainwater, large-scale storage for sale, or piping into the public drinking-water system would trigger separate state water-right or Department of Health permitting. The City of Yakima imposes no specific penalty for unpermitted rain barrels.

The rules around rainwater harvesting in Yakima lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Native Plants

Yakima Municipal Code does not require or restrict native-plant landscaping on private residential property. Commercial sitescreening under YMC Chapter 15.07 requires a living evergreen screen at least 6 feet high within three years where Standard B applies, but does not specify native species; the Yakima Tree Board maintains a separate approved street-tree species list under YMC 8.77.

Key details: Private Residential: No native-plant mandate or ban. Sitescreening Code: YMC Ch. 15.07 — living evergreen screen 6 ft in 3 yrs. Street Trees: Must come from Public Works approved list (YMC 8.77). Tree Board Role: Reviews and updates approved street-tree list. Climate: ~8 in/yr — arid shrub-steppe (water-wise advised).

Because there is no city native-plant requirement, no city penalty applies to choice of plant species on private property (subject to the noxious-weed rules of RCW 17.10 and the 12-inch hazardous-vegetation limit of YMC 11.40). On commercial sitescreening sites, failing to install required screening per YMC 15.07 prevents issuance of a permanent certificate of occupancy until the screening is in place.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Yakima gives residents more flexibility on native plants.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Yakima gives residents more room on landscaping rules. 4 of the 8 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.

All of the above reflects Yakima's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.