Landscaping Rules in Pocatello, ID (2026)
6 verified landscaping rules for Pocatello, Idaho, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
In the City of Pocatello, branches that overhang a sidewalk must be pruned to at least eight feet of vertical clearance, and branches over a street to at least twelve feet, under City Code section 12.28.080(E). Streets designated as truck routes require fourteen and one-half feet of clearance above the roadway, and the city forester enforces the standard as part of the tree ordinance in chapter 12.28.
Pocatello Tree Clearance Over Streets Sidewalks
Some RestrictionsPocatello City Code § 12.28.080
E. Except as otherwise determined by the city forester, branches that overhang sidewalks or streets shall be pruned to provide sufficient vertical clearance of eight feet (8') above sidewalks and twelve feet (12') above streets so as not to interfere with public travel. On designated truck routes the vertical clearance shall be fourteen and one-half feet (14.5') above streets.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Along the channelized Portneuf River and within 125 feet of its ordinary high-water mark elsewhere, section 17.04.160(E)(2)(b) requires Pocatello property owners to preserve trees 8 inches or greater in diameter where possible. Removal is allowed only for a water-related use, a hazard finding, or a nondesirable riparian species, and every removed tree must be replaced under the city's urban forester.
Pocatello Portneuf River Tree Removal Rule
Some RestrictionsPocatello City Code § 17.04.160(E)(2)(b)
b. Trees of eight inches (8") or greater diameter measured at a height of four and one-half feet (4.5') shall be preserved where possible. Removal may be allowed under the following conditions: ... (3) In all cases where tree removal is necessary, replacement trees of a minimum of one and one-half inches (1.5") in caliper shall be provided at the rate of one replacement tree for every four in...
Weed Ordinances
Pocatello caps lawn grass at six inches above grade on maintained lawns and requires noxious weeds to be eradicated promptly under City Code § 8.14.040. Weeds in non-lawn areas such as gardens are held to a separate, higher twelve-inch limit.
Weed and Grass Height Limits in Pocatello
Some RestrictionsPocatello City Code § 8.14.040(B)
All front yards must be covered with healthy vegetative material except where covered by prepared surfaces, landscaping features, or driveways as allowed by this code. Lawn grass shall be kept trimmed so as to be no higher than six inches (6") above grade. Noxious weeds, as defined or listed by the Idaho department of agriculture, are prohibited and eradication measures must be taken promptly.
Water Restrictions
When Pocatello's water superintendent flags a shortage, the mayor can declare a minor, critical, or emergency water restriction under City Code section 13.04.340, cutting sprinkler and irrigation use to outside the hours of 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Section 13.04.350 lets the mayor exempt newly seeded lawns or food sources, and violators face an infraction citation under section 13.04.360.
Pocatello Water Shortage Irrigation Restrictions
Some RestrictionsPocatello City Code § 13.04.340
A. Minor Shortage; Voluntary Restrictions: If the mayor declares a minor water shortage, he shall accompany the declaration with a list of recommended water conservation measures, which shall not be required, but are voluntary on the part of the consumers. ... ... 3. Discontinuing operation of sprinkler and irrigation systems between the hours of ten o'clock (10:00) A.M. and six o'clock (6:00) ...
Native Plants
Inside Pocatello's designated Sensitive Lands, section 17.04.170(E)(1)(k) requires nonresidential landscaping to use native sagebrush-steppe plant species and caps nonliving ground cover such as rock or mulch at 50 percent of the total landscaped area. Exceptions need city approval and must still be drought tolerant and site-adapted.
Pocatello Sensitive Lands Native Plant Rule
Some RestrictionsPocatello City Code § 17.04.170(E)(1)(k)
k. Nonresidential landscaping shall include native species of the sagebrush steppe plant community, and nonvegetative ground cover shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the total landscape areas. Exceptions must be city approved, drought tolerant, and adapted to site conditions.
Composting
In the City of Pocatello, there's no separate composting permit or bin-size rule, but two City Code chapters set real conditions on backyard compost piles: they must be fully contained and inaccessible to wildlife to escape the feeding-and-attracting-wildlife ban, and they must be "properly maintained" to qualify for the property-maintenance nuisance exemption.
Residential Composting Rules in Pocatello
Light RestrictionsPocatello City Code §§ 6.04.260(C)(7), 8.14.040(B)
7. Compost piles that are fully contained and made inaccessible to wildlife. ... ... B. Maintenance Of Landscaping: All front yards must be covered with healthy vegetative material except where covered by prepared surfaces, landscaping features, or driveways as allowed by this code. ... An exemption exists for properly maintained composting activities.
Looking for Bannock County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Pocatello city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Bannock County →