9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Madera County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Madera County has no decorative-lawn height limit, but its Weed Abatement ordinance (Code Ch. 7.26) controls tall, dry vegetation as a fire hazard in the unincorporated areas. On improved lots under three acres, owners may mow the entire lot to within one-half inch to one inch of the ground and keep it there through fire season.
Madera County does not publish a general permit requirement for trimming trees on private property in the unincorporated areas. The main trimming duty comes from fire law: under California Public Resources Code 4291, owners in wildfire-prone areas must remove dead limbs, keep branches clear of chimneys, and maintain defensible space around structures.
Madera County does not publish a general private-property tree-removal permit ordinance for the unincorporated areas. Native oak woodlands are addressed through the County General Plan's natural-resource policies and CEQA review (Code Title 16) on development projects, rather than a numbered tree-removal code section. Removing oaks as part of a project can trigger mitigation.
Madera County Code Chapter 7.26 declares weeds in the unincorporated areas a seasonal, recurring fire and public-health nuisance. The Fire Department mails notice on or before March 1 each year, and properties must be abated by May 1. Failure to comply brings a $250 fine plus the County's abatement costs, recoverable as a special assessment.
Madera County has no published countywide landscape watering-day schedule for the unincorporated areas; outdoor water use is governed mainly by California State Water Resources Control Board rules. State regulation (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23, § 995) permanently bans wasteful uses such as runoff onto pavement, hosing down hardscape, and irrigating within 48 hours of measurable rain.
Capturing rooftop rainwater for landscape use is broadly allowed in unincorporated Madera County. California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code § 10574) lets property owners collect rooftop rainwater without a water-right permit. Rain barrels and cisterns are generally permissible; larger or plumbed systems may need County building review.
Native and drought-tolerant landscaping is encouraged in unincorporated Madera County, and California law protects a homeowner's right to install it. Government Code § 53087.7 bars counties from prohibiting drought-tolerant living-plant landscaping on residential property, and the state Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance promotes climate-adapted, low-water plants.
Madera County does not publish a countywide ban on artificial turf for the unincorporated areas. California Civil Code § 4735 protects a homeowner's right to install synthetic grass against HOA bans. Note that the state's drought-landscaping protection in Government Code § 53087.7 covers living plants, not artificial turf.
Backyard composting of yard and food scraps is allowed in unincorporated Madera County if it does not create odor or vector nuisances. Statewide, California's SB 1383 (effective January 1, 2022) requires jurisdictions to provide organic-waste collection and requires residents to keep food scraps and green waste out of the landfill.
1 cities in Madera County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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