Imperial County, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- mobile home & RV parks
- Turf status
- counted as hard surface
- Landscaping minimum
- 10% of developed lot area
- Not covered
- single-family owner yards
Summary
Imperial County allows artificial turf in mobile home and RV park developments but counts it as hard surface, not toward the required 10% landscaping minimum.
Ornamental or landscaping rock and gravel areas, artificial turf, or other areas covered with artificial materials shall be considered hard surface and not qualify as part of the ten percent (10%) landscaping minimum requirement.F.Landscaping materials including trees, shrubs and ground cover should be the type suitable for the climatic conditions of the county of Imperial and shall be low volume water use plants.G.Minimum tree size or shrub size to be planted for any new development shall be of the five-gallon capacity or larger. (Prior code § 90302.02)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 - 9-25).
Full Breakdown
In mobile home and recreational-vehicle park developments, the county's landscaping standards let owners install artificial turf, ornamental rock, or gravel, but classify all of it as hard surface rather than landscaping. That means artificial turf can't be used to satisfy the ten-percent minimum landscaped-area requirement: live plantings and irrigation are still required to reach that threshold. Homeowner-installed landscaping at single-family houses isn't covered by this chapter at all.
Violations & Fines
A landscaping plot plan that counts artificial turf toward the required 10% minimum is not approved; the applicant must substitute live landscaping to meet the threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put artificial turf in my Imperial County yard?
Does artificial turf ever count toward landscaping minimums?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Imperial County
How Imperial County compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·California rules heatmap·Compare Imperial County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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