Washington County, UT Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Grass cap
- 8% of lot, or table limit
- Lots under 7,500 sf
- 600 sf grass max
- Lots over 31,250 sf
- 2,500 sf grass max
- Required trees
- 2 shade trees, 1.5" caliper min
- Grass banned
- strips <8 ft wide, slopes >25%
- Effective / amended
- 4-19-2022; amd. 3-19-2024
Summary
Washington County caps grass on every new single-family lot at 8% of the parcel, or a stricter sliding-scale ceiling, whichever is lower: 600 square feet on lots under 7,500 square feet, and 2,500 square feet on lots over 31,250 square feet. The rule runs through the county's Landscape and Irrigation Design Standards ordinance for the unincorporated area.
The total grass area for a single family dwelling shall not exceed 8% of the lot or parcel size, or the following, whichever is less:
Lot or Parcel size Maximum grass Up to 7,500 sf 600 sf 7,501 to 31,250 sf 8 percent of total parcel Greater than 31,250 sf 2,500 sf max
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Washington County Code section 10-27-3, every new single-family dwelling (and multi-family projects of six units or fewer) built or substantially rehabilitated in the unincorporated county must meet the grass-area table: no more than 8% of the lot, capped at 600 square feet on lots up to 7,500 square feet, 8% on lots between 7,501 and 31,250 square feet, and a hard 2,500-square-foot maximum above that. Attached multi-family lawns are capped separately at 100 square feet per unit, though projects with fewer than six units still get the 600-square-foot single-family allowance.
Grass is flatly prohibited in any planted strip narrower than eight feet and on any slope steeper than 25% (one foot of rise per four feet of run). 5-inch caliper trunk; multi-family projects submit their own tree count for county approval. If the lot exceeds one acre, the standards apply only to the one-acre portion centered on the dwelling's footprint, leaving the remainder unregulated. Non-ornamental food-production plantings, such as vegetable gardens and fruit trees, are exempt from the turf cap and may use potable water.
The ordinance also voids, going forward, any HOA covenant or CC&R recorded after the ordinance's passage that conflicts with these turf limits or effectively blocks compliance. The rule took effect under Ordinance 2022-1206-O on April 19, 2022, and was amended by Ordinance 2023-1246-O and Ordinance 2024-1252-O, with the current text dated March 19, 2024.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-27-3.B makes every landscape standard in the section "subject of code enforcement if the requirements are not followed." Because the chapter sets no standalone fine, a sustained violation falls under the county's general penalty clause, Washington County Code section 1-4-1, which allows a criminal fine up to the maximum class B misdemeanor amount under Utah Code section 76-3-301 and up to six months in jail, in addition to any corrective-action order from code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the turf cap apply to my existing lawn?
Can I still grow a vegetable garden with city water?
What happens if my lot is bigger than an acre?
Can my HOA require more lawn than the county allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah water use rules overview
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