Moreno Valley, CA Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Natural turf cap
- Under 25% of landscaped area
- Artificial turf
- Expressly allowed, no stated size cap
- Governing section
- § 9.17.030(C)(2), (C)(5)
- Turf variety rule
- Drought-tolerant, warm-season only
- Mow strip
- Required except single-family homes
Summary
Moreno Valley's landscape code caps living turf at under 25% of a project's landscaped area and restricts it to gathering spaces, parks and recreational facilities, banning turf used solely for decoration. In its place, the code expressly allows 'high quality artificial turf' as a landscape element. Municipal Code § 9.17.030(C) sets both the natural-turf cap and the artificial-turf allowance.
2. Turf areas shall be limited to less than 25% and only in gathering areas with the exception of parks and similar recreational facilities. Turf shall not be used solely for decorative purposes. Turfless or xeriscape design concepts are preferred. 3. Where turf areas are allowed, drought-tolerant and warm season turf varieties shall be used... 5. High quality artificial turf is allowed as an element of a project landscape.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4887234; v10 updated 2026-04-07).
Full Breakdown
030(C), 'Turf Areas,' is part of the city's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance-based standards for any project requiring city landscape plan approval. ' Where turf is used, item 3 requires drought-tolerant, warm-season varieties, and item 4 requires a concrete mow strip between turf and adjacent groundcover, shrub areas, walls or structures on everything except single-family residences. Item 5 is the turf-replacement allowance itself: 'High quality artificial turf is allowed as an element of a project landscape,' with no stated square-footage cap or separate permit named in this subsection.
Native grasses that do not need regular mowing are required in water quality facilities in lieu of any turf, per item 6. 020, reaches 'all land uses, for all projects, in all districts requiring city approval,' a homeowner replacing a lawn with synthetic turf as part of a permitted landscape project falls under this same standard, though the chapter is written primarily around new development and modification plan submittals reviewed by the community and economic development department.
Violations & Fines
Turf-area compliance is checked at landscape plan submittal and approval, not through after-the-fact code enforcement sweeps of existing lawns. A landscape plan that exceeds the 25% natural-turf cap or uses turf solely for decoration can be rejected or conditioned before permit issuance; installing noncompliant turf under an approved plan is a municipal code violation, chargeable as an infraction ($100 to $500 escalating fines) or misdemeanor (up to $1,000 and six months) under §§ 1.01.200 and 1.01.230.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is artificial turf legal in Moreno Valley front yards?
How much natural grass can a new landscape plan include?
Does replacing my lawn with turf need city approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Moreno Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Moreno Valley to another location·View the California water use rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Turf Replacement Rebates in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle turf replacement rebates.