Chino Hills, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

Chino Hills does not publish a specific front-yard synthetic-turf ban comparable to some other California cities, and the City's water-conservation posture generally favors reducing thirsty lawn. The clearest code reference appears in development/zoning landscape standards: where turf is installed within a required landscape-buffer area, that turf must be drought-tolerant and may not exceed 10 percent of the total planting area of the buffer - a rule aimed at development and buffer landscaping rather than a typical residential backyard. Because the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (CHMC 16.07) focuses on reducing irrigated turf and limiting water-intensive landscape, artificial turf is often used to cut water use, but the City's published materials do not lay out a detailed residential synthetic-turf installation spec (drainage, pile, percentage of yard) the way some cities do. For that reason, homeowners planning to install artificial turf - especially in a front yard, on a slope, or as part of a permitted landscape project - should verify any material, drainage, and percentage requirements directly with the Community Development Department before installing. This is an area where the City has not published a single definitive residential rule.