Madera County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Madera County, CA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Overhead hours
- 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. only
- Trigger size
- 2,500 sq ft public/commercial landscape
- Residential cap
- New home landscape capped at 4,500 sq ft
- Efficiency floor
- 0.71 minimum irrigation efficiency
- Slope limit
- 0.75 in/hr max on slopes over 25%
- Enforced by
- Planning director, plan review + inspection
- Code chapter
- Madera County Code Ch. 13.56
Summary
Unincorporated Madera County caps overhead sprinkler irrigation to the hours of eight p.m. to nine a.m. for new and rehabilitated landscapes covered by the county's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, Madera County Code Chapter 13.56. The rule reaches public and commercial projects of 2,500 square feet or more and new single- and multi-family homes, whose landscaped area is separately capped at 4,500 square feet. The planning director reviews and enforces the irrigation design plan.
12.Overhead irrigation shall not be permitted within twenty-four inches of any non-permeable surface. There are no restrictions on the irrigation system type if the landscape area is adjacent to permeable surfacing and no overspray and runoff occurs.13.Overhead irrigation shall be limited to the hours of eight p.m. to nine a.m.14.All irrigation systems shall be equipped with the following:a.A smart irrigation controller as defined in Section 13.56.040(C)(3) of this chapter;b.A rain sensing device to prevent irrigation during rainy weather;c.Anti-drain check valves installed at strategic points to minimize or prevent low-head drainage;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
56, the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, sets irrigation design standards for the unincorporated area of Madera County; it does not reach the cities of Madera or Chowchilla. 030 triggers the chapter for public agency and private commercial projects with 2,500 square feet or more of landscape area requiring a building or landscape permit, plan check, or design review, and for new single-family or multi-family residences, whose new landscaped area is capped at 4,500 square feet. 75 inches per hour absent an engineered alternative; narrow planting strips under eight feet wide must use subsurface or low-volume irrigation; and overhead spray is barred within twenty-four inches of any non-permeable surface.
m. 040(C)(14). 060(A), and before final inspection or certificate of occupancy the applicant must file a signed certificate of completion confirming the controller was set to the approved schedule. The planning director may enter the site at any time before, during, or after installation to inspect for compliance. 55's water conservation program, which sets day-of-week watering schedules and drought-stage restrictions for county service area and maintenance district water systems.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 13.56 enforces through the permit process rather than citations: Section 13.56.060(B) blocks the certificate of occupancy or final inspection until the applicant files a signed certificate of completion showing the irrigation controller was set to the approved schedule and the system adjusted to eliminate overspray and runoff. Section 13.56.060(C) authorizes the planning director to inspect the site at any time before, during, or after installation to confirm the irrigation design, including the eight p.m. to nine a.m. overhead-watering window, was built as approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. watering window apply to my existing yard?
Can I run drip irrigation outside the 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. window?
What happens if my irrigation system doesn't meet these standards?
Is this the same as Madera County's drought watering-day rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
How Madera County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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