Pasco, WA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

Pasco does not have a standalone artificial-turf ordinance, so the relevant constraints come from the general landscaping standards in PMC 25.180.080. The key limiter is the live-vegetation minimum: at least 50 percent of the required front-yard area for residential property (including right-of-way but excluding driveways) must be treated with live vegetation, and for commercial/industrial frontage abutting an arterial street, no less than 65 percent of the first 10 feet of landscaped area must be live vegetation at the time of planting. Because synthetic turf is not live vegetation, it cannot be used to satisfy those required live-vegetation percentages, although it may be used elsewhere on the lot or as part of the non-vegetated balance. The code also prohibits lava rock in any commercial landscaped area, signaling the city's general preference against certain inert ground covers in regulated commercial landscaping. The code encourages mulches and ground covers in xeriscape designs. Pasco's published code does not impose a citywide ban on artificial turf in private residential yards; homeowners may install it provided they still meet the live-vegetation minimums for any required landscape areas. Property owners in HOA communities should also check private covenants, which can be stricter than the city code.