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

No Yuba County ordinance was found that prohibits homeowners from installing artificial turf on private property in the unincorporated area. As a low-water surface, synthetic turf is broadly compatible with the County's water-conservation goals expressed in the 2030 General Plan, which calls for climate-appropriate landscaping and smaller lawns (Policy NR12.7) to reduce outdoor water use. For development projects, landscaping is reviewed under the County's zoning Landscaping Ordinance, Chapter 12.87, and under the statewide Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), where artificial turf areas require no irrigation and so make a project's water budget easier to meet. Statewide, Assembly Bill 1572 phases in a ban on using potable (drinking) water to irrigate non-functional turf, but that law applies to commercial, industrial, institutional and HOA common-area properties, not to single-family homes; it does not require or prohibit synthetic turf, it restricts watering of ornamental grass. Homeowners installing artificial turf should still address proper drainage so runoff does not create a nuisance, and check any applicable subdivision or HOA private rules, which the County does not enforce.