Roseville, CA Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Front-yard turf cap
- 25% of planting area, single-family
- Nonresidential turf cap
- 25% of landscaped area
- Slope limit
- Barred on 1-ft-rise-per-4-ft-run slopes
- Oak protection
- No turf inside native oak protected zone
- Enforcing agency
- Environmental Utilities Director
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 6 months jail, misdemeanor
Summary
Roseville caps turf at 25 percent of the front yard planting area for developer-installed single-family landscaping and 25 percent of nonresidential landscaped area, and bars turf entirely on steep slopes and around protected native oak trees. City Code Section 14.18.050(B)(4)(e) sets these limits for every landscape plan reviewed under the Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance before a building permit issues.
e. Limitations on Turf. i. Turf shall not be permitted on slopes greater than one foot of vertical elevation change for every four feet of horizontal length. ii. Turf shall not comprise greater than 25 percent of the front yard planting area of developer-installed single-family landscaping. iii. With the exception of special landscape areas, turf shall not comprise greater than 25 percent of nonresidential landscaped area. iv. Turf shall not be permitted within the protected zone radius of any native oak tree, as defined in Chapter 19.66.
Full Breakdown
050(B)(4)(e) restricts where and how much turf a landscape plan may include. 66. The prescriptive compliance option for smaller homeowner-installed projects under 2,500 square feet carries its own turf rule: turf cannot exceed 25 percent of the landscape area, cannot go on slopes exceeding 25 percent grade, and is barred from parkways narrower than 10 feet unless the parkway abuts a parking strip used for entering and exiting vehicles, with any parkway turf limited to subsurface irrigation. 45 for nonresidential projects. The environmental utilities director or a designee reviews these calculations and the turf limits as part of the mandatory landscape package before issuing a building permit, plan check, or design review approval.
Violations & Fines
A landscape plan exceeding the 25 percent turf caps, placing turf on a barred slope, or planting turf inside a protected oak zone does not meet Chapter 14.18, and Section 14.18.150(A) makes any permit issued in conflict with the chapter null and void. Section 14.18.160 treats an installed violation as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine or six months in jail, reducible by the city attorney to a $250 infraction, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much turf can I install in a new Roseville front yard?
Can I plant turf on a sloped yard in Roseville?
Does Roseville limit turf near oak trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roseville
California rules heatmap·Compare Roseville to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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