Tustin, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

Section 9267c of the Tustin City Code, in the driveways and site access part of the zoning code, treats synthetic turf as an accepted alternative to living landscaping in the front yard setback of residential lots and in the front yards of commercial and industrial lots, but only when it is maintained in accordance with the Synthetic Turf Standards and subject to Community Development Director approval. The section applies the same rule both during a declared Water Conservation Level under Chapter 10 of Article 4 and at all other times, so turf does not require drought conditions to be installed, though the required plant-material condition, weed-free versus healthy and vigorous, differs slightly between the two states.

The same subsection sets the paving palette for the rest of the setback: impervious materials such as concrete, bricks, slate or stone tile, or decorative stamped concrete are acceptable, while decomposed granite, gravel, and other loose materials are flatly prohibited. Elsewhere in Section 9267, driveway width within the front setback is capped at a minimum of 12 feet and a maximum of 24 feet for standard garages, 30 feet for three-or-more-car garages, and total paved coverage of the front setback may not exceed 50 percent of the setback area without Design Review approval from the Community Development Director.