West Jordan, UT Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Turf cap
- 250 sq ft or 35% of front/side yard, whichever greater
- Turf banned in
- park strips, narrow paths, slopes over 25%
- Mulch depth required
- 3 to 4 inches in planting beds
- Irrigation control
- smart controller with rain shutoff mandatory
- Applies to
- new construction over 1,000 sq ft landscaped area
- Existing single-family
- exempt from chapter, encouraged not required
Summary
West Jordan does not restrict which plants you use. Instead it caps lawn: sod and turf cannot exceed 250 square feet or 35% of the front or side yard landscaped area, whichever is greater, on new construction, pushing the rest of the yard toward native or drought-tolerant plantings under City Code 13-13-5.
H. The city recommends that landscapes have enough plants (trees, perennials, and shrubs) to create at least 50% living plant cover at maturity. I. Lawn/sod/turf are prohibited from being installed in: 1. Park strips; 2. Paths less than eight feet wide; or 3. On slopes with a grade greater than 25%. J. Lawn/sod/turf of all dwelling units are prohibited from exceeding the greater of 250 square feet or 35% of the front yard/side yard landscaped area, as defined in section 13-2-3.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-38: Code current through: Ord. 26-33, passed 6-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 13-13, Landscaping Requirements, applies to all new construction with more than 1,000 square feet of new landscaped area, and section 13-13-2(B) requires new single-family homes specifically to meet section 13-13-5's water efficiency standards. Section 13-13-5 bans lawn, sod and turf from park strips, paths narrower than eight feet, and slopes steeper than 25%, and caps turf everywhere else at the greater of 250 square feet or 35% of the front yard or side yard landscaped area. The city recommends, but does not mandate, that landscapes carry at least 50% living plant cover at maturity, and requires three to four inches of mulch in planting beds along with a smart irrigation controller that has automatic rain delay or shutoff.
Where an irrigation system is installed, lawn areas and planting beds must run on separate valves, and drip irrigation or bubblers are required outside sod areas. Section 13-13-2(C) exempts existing single-family landscaping entirely: owners must maintain what they have but are only encouraged, not required, to convert to the water-wise standard when they change it. Landscape and irrigation plans for covered projects go through the city's checklist under section 13-13-3, and section 13-13-4 requires a pre-certificate-of-occupancy inspection confirming the installed landscaping and irrigation match the approved plans.
Violations & Fines
Installing more turf than the 250-square-foot/35% cap, or skipping the required separate irrigation valves and mulch depth, can hold up the section 13-13-4 landscape inspection and delay a certificate of occupancy. Because chapter 13-13 carries no standalone penalty clause, a confirmed violation defaults to the citywide penalty in section 1-14B-1: a Class B misdemeanor, with corporate violators facing fines up to $5,000 per conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I replace my lawn with native or drought-tolerant plants in West Jordan?
Does my existing home have to remove grass to comply?
Is a permit needed to install water-wise landscaping at a new home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Jordan
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