Yakima's Landscaping Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles landscaping rules a little differently. In Yakima, Washington, there are 6 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.

Water Restrictions

Yakima has no standing odd/even watering schedule; instead, once the city council declares a water-supply emergency, the city manager can ban or ration outdoor irrigation, turf watering, and other outdoor water use citywide.

Key details: Trigger: Declared water-supply emergency only. Authority: City manager, per council finding. Possible limits: Alternate-day, time-of-day, full ban. No emergency: No standing watering-day rule.

Once a water emergency is declared, ignoring the city manager's outdoor watering order can lead to water service being restricted or shut off; the ordinance sets no separate fine for this section.

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

Artificial Turf

Yakima's zoning code defines "landscaping" to expressly include the placement of artificial turf, so synthetic turf counts toward required landscaping under Title 15.

Key details: Governing section: YMC § 15.02.020. Term defined: "Landscaping". Turf status: Expressly included, no permit. Applies within: Yakima Urban Area (Title 15).

Choosing artificial turf over live groundcover is not itself a violation. Failing to install the total landscaping coverage a project's zoning district or use requires under Title 15 remains a code enforcement matter regardless of material chosen.

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

Tree Trimming

Yakima requires owners to prune any tree overhanging a street or right-of-way to keep an 8-foot clear space above the sidewalk or street, and to remove hazardous limbs that threaten public safety.

Key details: Clearance height: 8 feet over street/sidewalk. Governing section: YMC § 8.77.150. Max penalty: $250 per violation, per day. City backstop authority: YMC § 8.80.080.

Violating this chapter is a civil infraction with a penalty up to $250 per violation under YMC § 8.77.210, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; the city may also prune or remove the hazard itself.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Yakima can order removal of a dead or diseased private tree that threatens life, property, or spreads disease to other trees, giving the owner 60 days to remove it at their own expense.

Key details: Removal deadline: 60 days after notice. Appeal window: 14 calendar days. Nonpayment consequence: Lien on property. Governing section: YMC § 8.77.160.

If the owner doesn't remove the tree within 60 days of notice, the city removes it and bills the owner; unpaid removal costs after 30 days become a lien on the property.

Weed Ordinances

Yakima caps hazardous vegetation on any premises at 12 inches; owners who don't cut it after a notice of violation face prosecution, and the city can send a crew to cut the weeds and bill the owner.

Key details: Height limit: 12 inches maximum. Applies to: All premises, exterior property. Enforcement: Notice, then prosecution or abatement. Cost: Billed to owner if city cuts.

Failure to cut hazardous vegetation over 12 inches after a notice of violation can lead to prosecution and city-ordered abatement, with removal costs billed to the property owner.

Rainwater Harvesting

Yakima doesn't mandate rainwater harvesting, but new commercial or industrial buildings that install one can earn a 10% credit on the building's stormwater utility charge after city engineer approval.

Key details: Credit amount: 10% of stormwater charge. Eligible buildings: New commercial/industrial only. Approval: City engineer review required. Mandate: None: voluntary incentive.

This section grants an optional fee discount rather than imposing a duty; misrepresenting a system's design or maintenance to obtain or keep the credit can result in the engineer revoking it and billing back waived charges.

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

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Yakima gives residents more room on landscaping rules. 2 of the 6 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.