Madera County, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Where defined
- Ch. 7.40 definitions
- Included
- Turf/sod for residential use
- Excluded
- Indoor-outdoor carpet
- Scope
- Abandoned-property maintenance only
Summary
Madera County's code has no standalone artificial-turf ordinance; its only mention defines residential artificial turf and sod as qualifying 'landscape' material inside the abandoned-property maintenance chapter, not indoor-outdoor carpet.
"Landscape" includes, but is not limited to, grass, ground covers, bushes, shrubs, hedges or similar plantings, decorative rock or bark or artificial turf/sod designed specifically for residential installation. Landscape does not include weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt, decomposed granite, plastic sheeting, mulch, indoor-outdoor carpet or any similar material.
Landscape Maintenance. "Landscape maintenance" includes, but is not limited to, regular watering, irrigation, cutting, pruning, mowing and removal of all trimmings of required landscape.
"Local" means within forty road/driving miles distance of the subject property.
"Neighborhood standard" means those conditions that are present on a simple majority of properties within a three hundred-foot radius of an individual abandoned property. An abandoned property that is the subject of a neighborhood standard comparison, or any other abandoned property within the three hundred-foot radius, shall not be counted toward the simple majority.
"Notice of default" means a recorded notice that a default has occurred under a deed of trust and that the beneficiary intends to proceed with a trustee's sale.
"Out of area" means in excess of forty road/driving miles distance of the subject property.
"Owner" means any person, co-partnership, association, corporation, or fiduciary having a legal or equitable title or any interest in any real property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
The only reference to artificial turf in the Madera County Code sits inside Chapter 7.40's definitions, which governs maintenance of abandoned and distressed residential property in the unincorporated county. There, 'landscape' is defined to include grass, ground covers, decorative rock or bark, and 'artificial turf/sod designed specifically for residential installation', while excluding gravel, broken concrete, plastic sheeting, and indoor-outdoor carpet. That means synthetic turf counts as acceptable landscaping wherever this chapter requires landscape maintenance. The county has no separate, general zoning provision addressing artificial turf in ordinary residential yards outside this abandoned-property context.
Violations & Fines
This definition carries no penalty on its own; it only matters when Chapter 7.40 requires landscape upkeep on a registered abandoned property, where poor maintenance can draw daily fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use artificial turf as landscaping in unincorporated Madera County?
Is there a general artificial-turf ordinance for all yards in Madera County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
How Madera County compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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