9 rules for unincorporated Plumas County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Plumas County has no published countywide ornamental lawn-height limit. In this forested Sierra county, tall dry grass is regulated as a wildfire fuel through California's defensible space law (Public Resources Code 4291), which requires 100 feet of clearance and keeping annual grass low near structures. Local fire and community services districts also abate knee-high weeds.
Plumas County does not publish a general ornamental tree-trimming ordinance for private yards. The main trimming duty comes from California's defensible space law (PRC 4291), which requires removing tree branches within 10 feet of a chimney and keeping roofs and structures clear. CAL FIRE guidance adds vertical and horizontal spacing between tree crowns near homes.
Plumas County has no general ornamental tree-removal permit for ordinary residential yards. Removal is mainly regulated where land is zoned Timberland Production Zone (TPZ, Title 9, Article 32), where commercial timber harvest is governed by California's Forest Practice Act. Hazardous and fire-fuel tree removal is addressed through defensible space law (PRC 4291).
Plumas County addresses hazardous weeds primarily through wildfire defensible space law (PRC 4291), which requires clearing flammable grasses and weeds within 100 feet of structures. The county also has nuisance and code enforcement authority, and in some communities, community services districts adopt weed-and-debris ordinances and cite knee-high weeds and flammable debris during fire season.
Plumas County has no countywide municipal water utility imposing day-of-week watering schedules; most residents use private wells or small water systems. Statewide rules apply: the State Water Board's permanent prohibitions ban hosing down hard surfaces, runoff onto streets, and irrigating within 48 hours of rain. The county's water efficient landscape ordinance (Article 42) caps water use on new permitted landscapes.
Rainwater harvesting is broadly allowed in Plumas County. No county permit is required to install a rooftop rain barrel system for outdoor non-potable use, under California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012. The county's water efficient landscape ordinance (Article 42) recognizes rainwater (and graywater) as conservation tools, and rooftop capture needs no state water-right permit.
Plumas County does not mandate native plants for ordinary yards, but its Water Efficient Landscape ordinance (Title 9, Article 42) steers permitted landscapes toward low-water, climate-appropriate species and requires a three-inch mulch layer. PRC 4291 defensible space favors fire-resistant, native vegetation near structures. State law also protects a homeowner's right to install drought-tolerant landscaping.
Plumas County has no published ordinance banning synthetic lawns, so artificial turf is generally allowed on private property, subject to building setbacks and drainage. State law (California Civil Code 4735) bars homeowners associations from prohibiting artificial turf. Permitted landscape projects must still meet the county's water efficient landscape ordinance for any living-plant areas.
California's SB 1383 requires organic waste (food scraps and yard trimmings) to be diverted from landfills statewide since 2022, and Plumas County is implementing collection and self-haul options. Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged as a self-haul/diversion method. The county also regulates solid waste under Title 6, Chapter 10, with bear-resistant storage important in this region.
See every category we cover for Plumas County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Plumas County Ordinance Hub →