Landscaping Rules in Santa Maria, CA (2026)
8 verified landscaping rules for Santa Maria, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Under Santa Maria Municipal Code Chapter 8-8 (Urban Forestry), a permit from the Director of Recreation and Parks is required before anyone may spray, prune, trim, fertilize, plant, transplant, or remove any street tree, vine, shrub, or flower, or trench within the foliage drip line. Street trees are City-managed assets and include trees in parkways from the curb to ten feet toward the home.
Permit required to trim or remove any street tree
Some RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code Chapter 8-8 (Urban Forestry); see also SMCC 8-8.05-A (removal candidates)
No person shall spray, root-prune, fertilize, trim, stake, guy, rod, cable, plant, transplant, grade or trench within the foliage drip line or remove any street tree, vine, shrub, or flower without obtaining a permit from the Director of Recreation and Parks.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Removing, cutting down or destroying any tree in a City parkway, easement, right-of-way or other public property requires a Director of Recreation and Parks permit under Municipal Code Section 8-8.12. Approved healthy-tree removals are billed to the requester and must be replaced with two 24-inch box trees.
Santa Maria Street Tree Removal Permit
Significant RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 8-8.12
It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to cut down, remove, or destroy any tree growing upon any parkway, easement, right-of-way, or other publicly owned area without first securing a permit to do so from the Director of Recreation and Parks, unless the person, firm, or corporation is operating under an approved City contract or doing work according to plans and specifications auth...
Weed Ordinances
Chapter 5-8 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code authorizes the City to declare overgrown weeds, vines, shrubs, brush, and hazardous debris on private property to be a public nuisance, post a 10-day notice to abate, hold a public hearing on objections, and, if not abated, perform the work itself and assess the cost against the parcel.
Annual weed abatement and lien-based cost recovery
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Government Code § 39501 (Removal of weeds, rubbish from grounds)
The legislative body may compel the owner, lessee, or occupant of buildings, grounds, or lots to remove dirt, rubbish, weeds, and rank growths from buildings or grounds and adjacent sidewalks.
Water Restrictions
Santa Maria Municipal Code Section 8-10.33 prohibits runoff irrigation, hosing of driveways and sidewalks, washing vehicles with an un-nozzled hose, and operating non-recirculating decorative fountains. In June 2022 the City Council enacted Stage 2 of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan, banning landscape irrigation from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. and irrigation during or within 48 hours of rainfall.
SMMC 8-10.33 outdoor water-use restrictions
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Water Code § 1058.5 (Emergency Conservation Regulations — civil liability)
Notwithstanding Section 1845, any person or entity that violates a regulation adopted by the board pursuant to this section is guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500) for each day in which the violation occurs. Any fines imposed for violations of an emergency conservation regulation shall be deposited in the Water Rights Fund, established under Section ...
Rainwater Harvesting
Santa Maria's water-efficient landscape ordinance lets smaller projects skip formal water-use calculations entirely if they meet their landscape water needs with stored rainwater captured on site or with graywater, under Municipal Code Section 12-44.03(f).
Santa Maria Landscape Code Credits Rainwater Harvesting
Few RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 12-44.03(f)
Any project with an aggregate landscape area of 2,500 square feet or less may avoid specific water use calculations by conforming to the prescriptive measures contained in the State's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, including projects that meet their Estimated Total Water Use entirely with either treated or untreated graywater, or through stored rainwater captured on site.
Native Plants
Santa Maria's landscape design standards require water-conserving plant material sited for each property's actual conditions, and specifically direct that protection and preservation of native species and natural areas be encouraged, under Municipal Code Section 12-44.04(a) and (g).
Santa Maria Landscape Rules Favor Native, Drought Plants
Few RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 12-44.04(a), (g)
Plant materials shall be appropriate for the slope, soils, proposed use, and exposure (sun/shade) of the specific site. Plant materials including turf shall be water conserving species or varieties capable of surviving on minimal irrigation once established. ... Protection and preservation of native species and natural areas shall be encouraged.
Artificial Turf
Santa Maria's Municipal Code doesn't ban artificial turf outright, but its zoning definition of 'landscaping' specifically excludes it. Section 12-2.80 defines landscaping as trees, shrubbery and plant material and states it 'shall not be construed to mean artificial turf or plants,' so synthetic lawns can't satisfy any code section that requires a landscaped area.
Santa Maria Landscaping Rules Exclude Artificial Turf
Light RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 12-2.80 (Landscaping, definition)
"Landscaping" means the configuration of trees, shrubbery and other plant material, earth patterning and bedding materials in conjunction with open space. It shall not be construed to mean artificial turf or plants.
Composting
Santa Maria does not regulate backyard composting or require a permit for a home compost bin. Santa Maria Municipal Code Section 8-21.04(a) lets single-family households manage their organic waste on-site, including through composting, as an alternative to fully subscribing to the City's mandatory Green Container organics collection service required under the same section.
Santa Maria Backyard Composting as Organics Alternative
Few RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 8-21.04(a) (Requirements for Single-Family Generators)
Shall subscribe to Jurisdiction's Organic Waste collection services for all Organic Waste generated as described below in Section 8-21.4(b). Jurisdiction shall have the right to review the number and size of a generator's containers to evaluate adequacy of capacity provided for each type of collection service for proper separation of materials and containment of materials; and Single-Family gen...
Looking for Santa Barbara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Maria city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Santa Barbara County →