Brownsville, TX Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

UDC section 4.6.3.E.1 tells the builder of a single-family, duplex, or townhome unit to sod all lot area not covered by a building, structure, driveway, or sidewalk, then add trees and shrubs across a landscape area equal to at least ten percent of the lot. Those plantings must come from Tables 4.6-4 through 4.6-7, the Approved Plant Materials lists, which contain only living species and mulch. Where existing landscaping is redone, turf damage or replacement exceeding fifty percent of the lawn area must be replaced with a species from that list. Retrofitting an established yard with synthetic turf falls outside the code entirely and is enforced only through the general weeds and nuisance rules in Chapter 54.