9 rules for unincorporated Yuba County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Yuba County does not publish a single numeric grass-height limit for the unincorporated area. Overgrown grass and weeds are handled as a public nuisance under the County's Property Maintenance Ordinance (Chapter 7.36) and state weed-abatement law, and as a fire hazard under California's defensible-space rules.
Yuba County does not impose a routine tree-trimming schedule on private trees in the unincorporated area. Trimming obligations come mainly from state defensible-space law, which requires keeping tree limbs clear of chimneys and roofs, and from the County's general nuisance authority.
Yuba County's General Plan directs the County to protect native oaks and large trees. Removing oaks of 6 inches diameter or larger, or other trees 30 inches or larger, may trigger review, and significant impacts to oak woodlands must be mitigated under state CEQA law (Public Resources Code 21083.4).
Yuba County abates overgrown weeds and combustible vegetation as a public nuisance under its Property Maintenance Ordinance (Chapter 7.36), which incorporates California's weed and rubbish abatement laws. Foothill properties in the State Responsibility Area must also maintain 100 feet of defensible space under state law.
Yuba County does not run a single countywide outdoor watering-day schedule for the unincorporated area. Day-to-day water-use rules come from each local water provider and from California's statewide conservation regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board, especially during declared droughts.
Rainwater harvesting is legal in unincorporated Yuba County and is governed by California state law, not a special county ordinance. Under the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, collecting rain from your own rooftop for outdoor non-potable use does not require a water-right permit.
Yuba County encourages, and for new development effectively requires, climate-appropriate and native landscaping through its General Plan and zoning landscaping ordinance. There is no rule forcing existing homeowners to convert lawns to natives, but new projects must use climate-suited plant materials.
Yuba County has no published ordinance banning artificial turf at private residences in the unincorporated area. Synthetic turf is generally allowed, subject to drainage and the County's zoning landscaping ordinance for projects, while a statewide law restricts potable irrigation of non-functional turf at non-residential sites.
Under California's SB 1383, unincorporated Yuba County residents must keep organic waste out of the trash. The Regional Waste Management Authority and Recology Yuba-Sutter provide a green organics cart for grass, leaves, branches, weeds and food scraps; home composting and grasscycling are encouraged alternatives.
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