Dublin, CA Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential ETAF cap
- 0.55
- Non-residential ETAF cap
- 0.45
- Plant reference standard
- WUCOLS / DWR-approved list
- High-water plants
- barred from street medians
- Sign-off required
- licensed landscape architect/contractor
Summary
Dublin, California requires new and rehabilitated landscapes to use water-conserving, locally native plant species under the city's Water-Efficient Landscape Ordinance. Municipal Code Section 8.88.070 directs designers to protect existing native vegetation and choose native and climate-adapted plants before any Landscape Documentation Package can be approved.
1. Plant Material.
a. The Estimated Total Water Use of selected plants in the landscape area shall not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following:
1. Protection and preservation of native species and natural vegetation.
2. Selection of water-conserving plant and turf species, especially local native plants.
3. Selection of plants based on local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
1. a lists the methods for getting there: protecting and preserving native species and natural vegetation, selecting water-conserving plant and turf species with an explicit preference for local native plants, and choosing plants suited to Dublin's climate, soil, and pest pressures. 0 for Special Landscape Areas such as recycled-water zones. f bars any plant in that high-use band from street medians altogether. g, which requires defensible-space planning under Public Resources Code Section 4291 and steers designers away from fire-prone plant material. 88 before the Community Development Department will approve it.
Violations & Fines
Landscape plans that skip the native and water-conserving plant-selection requirements cannot receive Certificate of Completion approval, and Section 8.88.130 requires a third-party irrigation audit, paid for by the applicant, to confirm compliance before occupancy. Because Chapter 8.88 sits inside Title 8, a violation is an infraction under Section 8.144.060, punishable per Section 8.144.070.B by escalating fines of $100, $200, and $500 for a first, second, and third infraction within a year, with a fourth chargeable as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dublin require native plants in every yard?
What water-use limit applies to the plants I choose?
Can I plant a lawn instead of native beds?
Who signs off on the native-plant landscape design?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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How other cities in Alameda County handle native plants.