Redondo Beach, CA Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Nonresidential turf cap
- 20% of total landscape area
- Exception
- Turf essential to use (school/park fields)
- Minimum bed width for turf
- At least eight feet
- Plant source list
- City Recommended Trees and Water Conserving Plants
- Irrigation requirement
- Permanent underground, clock-operated system
- Governing section
- RBMC Section 10-2.1900(b)(2)(g)
Summary
Redondo Beach caps how much grass a commercial project can plant: turf cannot cover more than 20% of the total landscape area on a nonresidential development under Section 10-2.1900(b)(2)(g), pushing new projects toward drought-tolerant plants drawn from the City's own recommended-species list.
g. Nonresidential developments. Turf (grass) area (excluding parkways between the public sidewalk and street) shall not exceed 20% of the total landscape area for nonresidential developments, except that higher percentages may be permitted when turf is an essential part of the development such as for playing fields for schools or parks, or integral to the design of the project as determined through the applicable design review procedures. 1. Lower water usage turf or warm season grasses are recommended for all turf areas. 2. Use of turf shall be avoided in landscape areas with a dimension of less than eight feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4889554; v14 updated 2026-05-12).
Full Breakdown
1900 governs landscaping citywide, and its plant-type standards single out turf for nonresidential projects: excluding the parkway strip between the public sidewalk and the street, turf (grass) area cannot exceed 20% of the total landscape area for a nonresidential development. The City allows a higher percentage only where turf is essential to the use itself, such as playing fields for a school or park, or where it is integral to an approved project design under the applicable design review procedure. Where turf is used, the section pushes toward lower water-usage turf or warm-season grasses, and bars turf in any landscape strip narrower than eight feet.
The rule sits inside a broader drought-tolerant mandate: drought-tolerant plants must be used where feasible, drawn from the City's List of Recommended Trees and Water Conserving Plants maintained by the Superintendent of Parks, and any non-native or non-adapted species need either runoff irrigation from other landscape areas or a matching reduction in turf area to offset the extra water the plant requires. 1900 standards conflict, whichever sets the more stringent water-efficiency requirement controls. All planting areas must run on a permanent, underground, clock-operated, water-efficient irrigation system, with drip or other water-conserving systems required where feasible.
Violations & Fines
A landscape plan that exceeds the 20% nonresidential turf cap does not clear Community Development plan check, so the project cannot pull building permits until the plan is revised. If turf is later expanded beyond what was approved, that is a Code violation enforceable under Section 1-2.01: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, charged instead as an infraction at the City Attorney's discretion, plus a required correction of the planting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much lawn can a commercial property plant in Redondo Beach?
Can I plant turf in a narrow planter strip?
Does the City follow the state's water-efficient landscaping rules?
What kind of irrigation is required for new landscaping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redondo Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Redondo Beach to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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