Landscaping Rules in Riverside, CA (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for Riverside, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
The City of Riverside owns and maintains the ~150,000 street trees in the parkway strip between sidewalk and curb under RMC Chapter 13.06. Residents who want a private contractor to trim or remove a City street tree must first obtain a no-fee permit from the Trees & Landscaping Division of Public Works.
Tree Trimming & Street Trees: RMC Chapter 13.06 (Vegetation Management)
Some RestrictionsCal. Pub. Resources Code § 4291
4291. (a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph (B). The amount of fuel modification necessary sha...
Weed Ordinances
Riverside Municipal Code Section 6.14.020 makes it unlawful to let landscaped areas visible from the street go overgrown, weedy, or untended. Lawns, plantings, and required yard landscaping must be watered, mowed, trimmed, and kept free of weeds and debris, with enforcement scaled back only during declared water-shortage emergencies.
Riverside Landscape Maintenance: Weeds And Mowing
Some RestrictionsRiverside Municipal Code § 6.14.020(B), (C)(1)-(2)
B....1.Allow or permit on such property overgrown vegetation including trees, shrubbery, ground covers, lawns and other plantings.2.Allow or permit on such property dead, decayed or diseased trees, shrubs, or other vegetation....C.It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession or control of any property to maintain such property in violation of the following minimal standards:1...
Water Restrictions
Riverside Public Utilities runs a five-stage Water Conservation Program under RMC Chapter 14.22 that ratchets up irrigation-day and watering-hour limits as supply tightens. Some baseline rules, like a ban on runoff onto sidewalks and watering right after rain, apply at all times, regardless of which stage is active.
Riverside Lawn Watering Day Restrictions
Some RestrictionsRiverside Municipal Code § 14.22.010(B), § 14.22.060(B)(3)
B.No person shall waste water or use it unreasonably. ... each of the following actions is prohibited as an unreasonable use of water ...:1.The application of potable water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures;3.The application of potable water to...
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting from rooftop runoff is fully legal in California under the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code §10573) and is actively encouraged by Riverside Public Utilities (RPU). RPU partners with Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water$mart program to offer rebates for rain barrels and cisterns.
Rainwater Harvesting: Allowed; SoCal Water$mart Rebate via RPU
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (AB 1750); Water Code Sections 10570-10574
10570. This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012. [...] 10573. Solely for the purposes of this part, and unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions govern the construction of this part: (a) "Developed or developing lands" means lands that have one or more of the characteristics described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of para...
Native Plants
Riverside doesn't mandate native landscaping citywide, but its Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (RMC §19.570.030) lists protecting native vegetation and choosing local native plants first among the approved methods for meeting a project's water budget, and separately discourages invasive species on covered projects.
Riverside Landscape Code Favors Native, Water-Wise Plants
Light RestrictionsCity of Riverside, CA, Municipal Code Title 19 (Zoning), Sec. 19.570.030(D)(1)(a),(g) (Ord. 7454 §1(Exh. A), 2019)
1.Plant material.a.Any plant may be selected for the landscape providing the Estimated Total Water Use in the landscape area does not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following:i.Protection and preservation of native species and natural vegetation;ii.Selection of water-conserving plant, tree and turf species, especi...
Artificial Turf
Artificial turf is permitted as a residential landscape material in Riverside under RMC Chapter 19.570 (Water Efficient Landscaping), which counts synthetic turf as a 0% plant factor and therefore an acceptable water-budget compliance option. California Gov. Code §53087.7 also prevents HOAs and local governments from banning artificial turf at single-family homes.
Artificial Turf: Allowed under RMC Chapter 19.570; Gov. Code §53087.7 protects residents
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Section 4735
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a provision of the governing documents or architectural or landscaping guidelines or policies shall be void and unenforceable if it does any of the following: (1) Prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group or as a replacement of existing turf. (2) Prohibits, or includes conditions that ha...
Composting
Riverside's dumping ordinance bars burying solid waste on any lot, but Municipal Code Section 6.04.080(B) carves out yard waste: the burial ban is not to be read as prohibiting composting. Homeowners can pile grass clippings, leaves, and plant trimmings for backyard composting without a city permit, so long as the pile doesn't become an unsightly nuisance under other sections of Chapter 6.04.
Riverside Allows Home Composting Of Yard Waste
Few RestrictionsRiverside Municipal Code § 6.04.080(B)
B.Solid waste may not be buried on any lot in the City. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit composting of yard waste.
Looking for Riverside County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Riverside city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Riverside County →