9 rules for unincorporated Amador County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Amador County, the defensible-space ordinance (County Code Chapter 7.30) requires annual grasses and forbs in the 30-100 foot zone around structures on improved parcels to be cut down to a maximum height of four inches. There is no flat lot-wide grass-height limit.
Amador County Code Section 7.30.050(C)(3)(c)
Zone 2 - Within 30-100 feet of all structures or to the property line: ... c. Cut annual grasses and forbs down to a maximum height of four inches (4 in.).
Amador County Code Chapter 7.30 requires owners of improved parcels in the unincorporated county to keep tree branches at least 10 feet from chimneys and stovepipe outlets, remove dead and overhanging branches near structures, and create canopy spacing in the 30-100 foot zone. There is no separate routine tree-trimming permit.
Amador County Code Section 7.30.050(C)(2)
Remove dead tree or shrub branches that overhang roofs, below or adjacent to windows, or which are adjacent to wall surfaces, and keep all branches a minimum of ten feet (10 ft.) away from chimney and stovepipe outlets.
Unincorporated Amador County has no general ordinance requiring a permit to remove trees from private residential property. Oak woodlands are protected at the development-project stage through CEQA and the General Plan, and California PRC 21083.4 requires the county to mitigate significant oak-woodland conversion. Defensible-space removals are allowed and encouraged.
Amador County Code Chapter 7.30 declares all hazardous vegetation and combustible material on improved parcels in the unincorporated county a public nuisance and requires owners to abate it. 'Hazardous vegetation' expressly includes seasonal and recurrent weeds, stubble, brush, and dry leaves.
Amador County Code Section 7.30.040(F)
'Hazardous vegetation' means vegetation that is flammable and endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard, including but not limited to seasonal and recurrent weeds, stubble, brush, dry leaves, etc.
Unincorporated Amador County does not impose its own day-of-week watering schedule. Outdoor water use is governed by statewide State Water Resources Control Board prohibitions and by each retail water provider (such as Amador Water Agency). New and rehabilitated landscapes follow California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Capturing rooftop rainwater is legal across California, including unincorporated Amador County. Under the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, rooftop rainwater capture does not require a state water-right permit, and simple gravity-fed rain barrels generally need no building or plumbing permit. Larger or pressurized cisterns may need a county permit.
Unincorporated Amador County does not require native or drought-tolerant plantings for ordinary homeowners, nor does it ban them. State law (Civil Code 4735) protects a homeowner's right to install low-water and native landscaping, and the state MWELO encourages climate-appropriate plants for new permitted landscapes. Defensible-space rules limit flammable vegetation near homes.
Unincorporated Amador County has no ordinance banning artificial turf, and the county does not impose a special synthetic-turf permit for residential yards. State Civil Code 4735 bars homeowners' associations from prohibiting artificial turf used to replace lawns for water conservation. Installations must still meet drainage, grading, and defensible-space rules.
California's SB 1383 requires organic-waste (food scraps and yard trimmings) diversion statewide, including unincorporated Amador County, though rural and low-population areas may qualify for state waivers. Home backyard composting is encouraged and is exempt from the law. Compost piles must still avoid creating fire fuel or vector nuisances.
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