Landscaping Rules in Tulare County, CA (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Tulare County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Unincorporated Tulare County has no general tree-trimming permit for private trees, but fire-safety clearance applies: Part IV, Chapter 11 covers fire-hazard vegetation, and California PRC sec. 4291 requires limbing and clearing within defensible space in State Responsibility Areas. Trees in the County road right-of-way require an encroachment permit.
Tulare County Tree Trimming & Defensible-Space Clearance
Some RestrictionsTulare County Ordinance Code, Part III, Chapter 7 (Obstruction and Improper Use of Streets and Highways)
It is unlawful for any person to tie, hitch or fasten animals so as to injure or cause to be injured any fruit, shade or ornamental tree growing on or adjacent to any public road, street, alley or place in any unincorporated town or village in the County.
Weed Ordinances
Part IV, Chapter 11 of the Tulare County Ordinance Code declares weeds, grass, rank growths, and combustible rubbish that create a fire hazard on private property in the unincorporated county a public nuisance, abatable by the County Fire Chief at the owner's expense after notice.
Tulare County Fire Hazardous Weeds Ordinance
Some RestrictionsTulare County Ordinance Code sec. 4-11-1065 (Fire Hazardous Weeds and Rubbish - Nuisance Declared)
Weeds, grass, rank growths and combustible rubbish growing or accumulating upon private property which do, or will when dry, create a fire hazard and which by virtue thereof constitute a danger to neighboring property or the health or welfare of residents of the vicinity are hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
Water Restrictions
Unincorporated Tulare County adopted its own Water Efficient Landscaping ordinance (Part VII, Chapter 31) in lieu of the State model, requiring a landscape documentation package for new development. Customers of County-run water systems also face staged outdoor-watering restrictions. Statewide SWRCB rules apply on top of these.
Tulare County Water-Efficient Landscaping & Outdoor Watering
Light RestrictionsTulare County Ordinance Code Part VII, Chapter 31 (Water Efficient Landscaping)
Distribution uniformity provides a measurement of how evenly water is applied to an irrigated area... For the purposes of this Chapter, distribution uniformity is to exceed 60 percent. A landscape documentation package conforming to this chapter shall be submitted to the County of Tulare as part of the building permit application, and no permit shall be issued until the County Director of Plann...
Composting
Unincorporated Tulare County residents may compost yard trimmings and food scraps on their own property instead of subscribing to organic waste pickup, but a community composting operation is capped at 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet of material on site at any one time under the County's SB 1383 organics ordinance.
Tulare County Community Composting Size Limits
Light RestrictionsTulare County Ordinance Code § 4-03-1005; § 4-03-1635(a)
"COMMUNITY COMPOSTING": means any activity that Composts green material, agricultural material, food material, and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, and the total amount of feedstock and Compost on site at any one time does not exceed 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet, as specified in 14 CCR Section 17855(a)(4), as defined by 14 CCR Section 18982(a)(8). ... [§4-03-1635(a)] Ge...
Landscaping Rules by City in Tulare County
1 cities in Tulare County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Tulare County ordinances
See every category we cover for Tulare County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Tulare County Ordinance Hub →