Landscaping Rules in Tulare, CA (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for Tulare, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Grass Height Limits
Tulare Municipal Code § 7.28.030 declares overgrown weeds, dry grasses, and unmaintained lawns a public nuisance. Code Enforcement administratively cites properties with tall weeds or problem vegetation in front or rear yards; Tulare County's Hazard Abatement Program (operative county-wide) uses a 3-inch maintenance benchmark.
Grass and Weed Height — Nuisance Abatement
Some RestrictionsTree Trimming
Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 8.32 governs street trees and city-maintained landscaping. § 8.32.060 (Street tree and plant maintenance) authorizes the Director of Public Works to require property owners to prune or remove privately planted material interfering with street tree health. § 8.52.020 requires a permit to remove or destroy a heritage tree on private or public property within the city.
Street Tree Pruning and Removal — Chapter 8.32
Some RestrictionsWeed Ordinances
Tulare treats weeds as a fire hazard and public nuisance under TMC § 7.28.030. The city issues abatement notices through Code Enforcement; unaddressed parcels are abated by city contractors with costs liened. Tulare County's parallel Hazard Abatement Program under County Code Part 4 Ch. 11 governs unincorporated parcels and uses a 3-inch weed-height trigger before each fire season.
Weed Abatement and Fire-Hazard Vegetation
Heavy RestrictionsWater Restrictions
Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 7.32 imposes mandatory year-round outdoor watering restrictions tied to a stage-based conservation framework. Odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday and Saturday; even-numbered addresses water Wednesday and Sunday. Irrigation between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. is always prohibited (§ 7.32.050). Tulare sits in the Kaweah Subbasin, designated critical-overdraft under SGMA, making compliance unusually aggressive.
Outdoor Watering Schedule — Chapter 7.32
Heavy RestrictionsRainwater Harvesting
Tulare has no local prohibition on residential rainwater harvesting. California broadly authorizes capture under the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code §§ 10573–10574); barrels and cisterns up to 5,000 gallons that capture rainwater from rooftops are exempt from State Water Board permitting. Graywater systems are governed by California Plumbing Code (Title 24 Part 5) Chapter 16A, with no-permit Tier 1 clothes-washer-to-landscape systems allowed.
Rainwater Harvesting and Graywater
Few RestrictionsNative Plants
Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 10.196 (Landscaping) implements California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO, 23 CCR § 490 et seq.) for new and substantially renovated landscapes. Residential projects ≥ 500 sq ft of new landscape area and non-residential ≥ 500 sq ft must submit a Landscape Documentation Package with a Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet showing the Estimated Total Water Use does not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance. Native and low-water plants are strongly favored.
Drought-Tolerant and Native Landscaping — Chapter 10.196 / MWELO
Some RestrictionsArtificial Turf
Tulare permits artificial turf in residential yards. There is no Tulare Municipal Code prohibition on synthetic grass, and California Civil Code § 4735 (as amended by AB 349, 2015) voids HOA rules that prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting artificial turf or synthetic surfaces that resemble grass. Installation must still comply with TMC Ch. 10.196 landscape standards and TMC § 7.28 nuisance rules.
Artificial Turf — Allowed; Subject to Landscape Standards
Few RestrictionsLooking for Tulare County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tulare city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Tulare County →