Denton, TX Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer width
- 10 to 50 feet by use pairing
- Ground cover rule
- Turf grass not allowed in buffer
- Evergreen requirement
- At least 50% of buffer plants
- Genus limit
- No more than 50% one genus
- Inspection
- Required before certificate of occupancy
Summary
New commercial, industrial, and multifamily development in Denton must screen from adjacent land uses with a landscaped buffer, and by code that buffer can't be planted in turf grass: it has to be shrubs, trees, or other approved ground cover instead.
The entire buffer area shall be landscaped with ground cover other than turf grass. Vegetation included in the buffer shall meet the following requirements:
Plant species shall be selected from the approved landscape plant list or native plant list. At least 50 percent of the plants shall be evergreen. No more than 50 percent of the plants shall be from the same genus.
Denton, Texas - Denton Development Code 440
Print Date: July 2, 2026 Subchapter 7: Development Standards
Full Breakdown
Denton's Development Code requires a compatibility buffer wherever a commercial, industrial, or multifamily project sits next to a different land-use category: widths run 10 to 50 feet and buffers must earn 10 to 50 landscaping points from Table 7.G depending on the use pairing. Inside that buffer, turf grass doesn't count toward compliance: the code requires ground cover other than turf grass, with at least 50 percent evergreen plants pulled from the city's approved or native plant list, and no more than half from any single genus. Screening and landscaping must be installed and pass city inspection before a certificate of occupancy is issued.
Violations & Fines
Building without an approved landscape/buffer plan blocks permit issuance, and the city withholds the certificate of occupancy until required buffer screening and non-turf landscaping are installed and inspected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this ban lawns in Denton?
Who has to comply with this buffer rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denton
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Denton to another location·View the Texas water use rules overview
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