Alpine County, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

Alpine County's code contains no provision that directly addresses synthetic or artificial turf - it is neither expressly authorized nor prohibited, and the county sets no infill, drainage, or quality standard for it. Because the county is entirely unincorporated, rural, and forested, artificial lawns are uncommon, and the code's landscaping-related chapters focus on wildfire fuels and scenic protection rather than ground-cover material. Any artificial-turf project is therefore subject to general rules: county zoning (Title 18) and any grading or drainage review for the site, plus, if the property is visible from a designated scenic highway corridor, the visual-compatibility expectations of Chapter 18.60, which discourage features that create a conspicuous visual contrast with the natural background. Under the statewide Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), artificial turf is treated as a non-plant, non-irrigated surface and is not counted as water-using landscape area, so it does not trigger MWELO's plant-water-budget calculations. Homeowners should also keep synthetic turf in mind for wildfire defensible space under Chapter 8.20 and PRC 4291, since some synthetic materials are combustible and the immediate Zone 0 area around structures is meant to be ember-resistant. No county permit is specifically required for artificial turf itself.