Merced, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

The City of Merced does not prohibit artificial (synthetic) turf, and converting natural lawn to synthetic turf or drought-tolerant landscaping aligns with the City's conservation push, since all of Merced's water comes from local groundwater under SGMA management. There is no published City of Merced rule outright banning synthetic turf in residential yards. That said, several layers of regulation can apply. New or rehabilitated landscapes meeting the size thresholds (new over 500 square feet, rehabilitated over 2,500 square feet at permit) fall under California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, where artificial turf typically counts toward impermeable or low-water area and must be paired with appropriate drainage and permeability. City zoning standards for front-yard landscaping, setbacks, and the proportion of a yard that may be hard or impermeable surface can also limit how much of a lot is covered, and stormwater rules discourage simply paving or sealing a yard. Practically, a homeowner replacing a backyard lawn with quality synthetic turf for personal use faces few hurdles, while front-yard conversions and larger projects should be checked against zoning and landscape requirements. Note that California's nonfunctional-turf law (AB 1572) phases out potable-water irrigation of ornamental grass at government, commercial, and HOA common-area properties on a schedule, which adds incentive to convert those spaces; single-family residential turf is exempt from that irrigation ban.