Bakersfield — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Bakersfield Municipal Code (Title 17) requires for landscaping and screening: who must provide it, what plans must show, tree and parking-lot planting rules, required screens and perimeter walls adjacent to residential property, and prohibited fence materials. The primary controls are Chapter 17.61 (Landscape Standards) together with parcel- or zone-specific “additional requirements” in the C‑C, C‑2, M‑1/M‑2/M‑3 and residential multi‑unit sections; verify parcel-specific triggers with the city. See the city’s pages on parking and setbacks/development standards for related site requirements and circulation design.

How to read this page

• Bolded items (examples: R-1, § 17.61.020) are the actual district names and code numbers used in Bakersfield's code.
• The first natural mention of the linked topics below uses the city menu links: parking, setbacks/development standards, design review, overlay districts, ADUs, and California Building Standards Code are linked inline where first discussed.

Key internal links used in this page: see the first mentions of parking (/us/california/bakersfield/parking), setbacks/development standards (/us/california/bakersfield/development-standards), design review (/us/california/bakersfield/design-review), overlay districts (/us/california/bakersfield/overlay-districts), ADUs (/us/california/bakersfield/adu), and California Building Standards Code (/us/california/building-codes).

Controlling rules (short list)

• Landscape required where site plan approval is required; occupancy is withheld until landscaping/irrigation installed or secured by surety at the city’s discretion — § 17.61.020.
• Minimum landscape standards and detailed planting/irrigation/mulch requirements are in § 17.61.030 (and related subsections) and § 17.61.060 (landscape plan content).
• Parking‑lot tree formula and shading target: one tree per six parking spaces and tree canopy designed to achieve 40% shading of uncovered stalls at 15 years; maximum spacing and evergreen percentage rules also apply — § 17.61.030 (G–H, J).
• Drive‑thru lanes adjacent to a public street must be screened by hedge or wall/berm (minimum 4 ft) with shrub planting between wall and sidewalk if wall is used — § 17.61.030(N).
• Where commercial/industrial development abuts residentially zoned property, a solid masonry wall a minimum of six feet high is required (front-yard walls limited to four feet); along street frontages landscaping may be required in lieu of or combined with walls — see district-specific “additional requirements” (examples: § 17.26.050(E) for C‑C, § 17.30.035(E) for the relevant commercial/industrial chapter).
• Screening of roof‑top equipment and second‑floor “overlooks” into residential rear yards: see § 17.08.090 and related zone additional requirements.

District-by-district breakdown

Note: every district below references the local Bakersfield Title 17 text that ties landscaping/screening into that district’s “additional requirements.” These paragraphs summarize the landscape/screening expectations that specifically attach to each district.

R-1 (Single-Family Residential)

• Purpose & typical uses: single‑family homes and accessory uses (see the R chapters for complete lists). Landscaping standards applied to projects requiring site plan or when adjacent nonresidential projects must screen.
• Landscaping/screening emphasis: protections for rear‑yard privacy from adjacent multistory nonresidential/ multiunit development via § 17.08.090 (overlook screening applies when nonresidential buildings are within 150 ft); where a developer proposes screening the planning/building directors can require landscape plans and a long‑term solution.
• Key dimensional standards that affect screening: rear‑yard protection area is defined in § 17.08.090(A–B); where nonresidential abuts R‑1 a six‑foot masonry wall is commonly required by adjacent zones’ additional requirements (see C‑C, M‑1 references below).

R-2 / R-3 (Lower-density and medium-density multiunit)

• Purpose & typical uses: duplexes (R‑2), small multifamily (R‑3) and related residential uses. See multiunit objective standards in 17.14.
• Landscaping/screening emphasis: multiunit objective standards require landscape buffers along side/rear parking areas visible from a street (minimum two‑foot planting strip + a 3‑ft screening hedge + trees every 30 ft) and parking‑lot shade/tree ratios: one tree per six parking stalls and 40% shading target — § 17.14.030 and § 17.61.030. These rules are meant to both screen and meet shading targets.

C‑O (Commercial‑Office)

• Purpose & typical uses: office and professional services; site plan review applies.
• Landscaping/screening emphasis: landscaping must follow Chapter 17.61 and any additional buffers if adjacent to residential; mechanical equipment and rooftop equipment must be screened per the zone’s additional requirements and § 17.61. If open storage is allowed it must be enclosed and screened by at least a 6‑ft wall/fence. (See the C‑O additional requirements that defer to Chapter 17.61.)

C‑C (Central Commercial)

• Purpose & typical uses: broad commercial core uses, mixed uses.
• Key dimensional standards: front/side/rear yards can vary; site plan review is required for permitted/conditional uses.
• Landscaping/screening emphasis: commercial development adjacent to residential must be separated by a solid masonry wall minimum six feet above highest grade (front‑yard walls limited to four feet) or be landscaped along the street frontage in lieu of a wall as determined by the Development Services Director — § 17.26.050(E). Rooftop equipment must be screened.

M‑1 / M‑2 / M‑3 (Light/General/Heavy Industrial)

• Purpose & typical uses: industrial and manufacturing uses; subject to site plan review.
• Landscaping/screening emphasis: when industrial or commercial development is adjacent to residential zoning, a solid masonry wall, minimum six feet high from the highest grade is required, with front-yard wall height limited to four feet; open storage must also be surrounded and screened by a wall or fence not less than six feet high — see § 17.30.035(E–F) and similar language in the M chapters.

MX‑1 / MX‑2 (Mixed‑Use) and Multi‑unit (R‑4+)

• Purpose & typical uses: mixed residential/commercial, higher‑density housing.
• Landscaping/screening emphasis: multi‑unit standards in 17.14 require more rigorous buffer/landscape treatments for visible parking and pedestrian connections (buffers, hedges, tree spacing) and prohibit certain fence materials; parking shade target rules apply. See § 17.14.030 and § 17.61.030 for tree/shade and fencing material prohibitions.

Key standards table

Practical guidance and interpretation (plain English synthesis)

• Triggers and timing: if your project requires site‑plan approval, plan on submitting a full landscape plan that complies with Chapter 17.61 and MWELO; the city will not typically allow final occupancy until landscaping and irrigation are installed or secured by surety — § 17.61.020.
• Parking and shading are quantitative: your landscape plan must show shading calculations demonstrating 40% canopy at 15 years and tree counts (normally one tree per six parking stalls). Use the city’s master tree list (or get planning director approval for substitutions) and show calculations on the plan — § 17.61.030(G–H) and § 17.61.060(H).
• When non‑residential projects abut residential zones expect a masonry wall or a landscaping alternative along the street: most nonresidential zone “additional requirements” demand a six‑foot masonry wall or a landscaped frontage treatment; front lot walls are limited to four feet unless otherwise allowed — see § 17.26.050(E) and § 17.30.035(E). If your site design contemplates a front‑lot wall, verify the allowed height and whether landscaping may be substituted.
• Fences and materials: avoid chain‑link and vinyl as primary visible fencing on new multiunit/mixed projects; some security fencing exceptions exist (e.g., antennas), but chain link generally must be screened with landscaping — see multiunit standards and antenna/utility rules.
• Overlooks / privacy: if an office, commercial, industrial, or multifamily building higher than one story is within 150 feet of a R‑zoned property, the project must address rear‑yard overlooks — solutions can be landscape screening, wing walls, window placement changes, or other design measures acceptable to planning/building directors — § 17.08.090.

Cross‑reference notes: see the city’s pages on parking (/us/california/bakersfield/parking) for circulation/parking design that affects where tree planters and buffers go; check the setbacks/development standards page for how yard widths may constrain planting strips; design review may require elevations and plant palettes per the design review process; overlay zones may add extra requirements — consult overlay districts. If your project includes an ADU, coordinate landscaping with the ADU rules on the ADU page. Mechanical/roof screens must respect the California Building Standards Code where structural or fire separation details are implicated.

Checklist

• Determine if project triggers site plan review (site plan → Chapter 17.61 requirements).
• Prepare a formal landscape plan that meets § 17.61.060 (scale, irrigation details, plant list, tree sizes, shading calcs).
• Show parking‑lot tree counts and 15‑year canopy shading calculations (40% target). § 17.61.030(G–H).
• If adjacent to residential, show perimeter wall or landscaped frontage and note wall heights (6 ft masonry minimum; 4 ft max in front yard unless allowed). See zone additional requirements § 17.26.050(E) / § 17.30.035(E).
• Identify any drive‑thru lanes next to public streets and show a 4 ft minimum screen (hedge or wall/berm) per § 17.61.030(N).
• Avoid prohibited fence materials and specify acceptable materials/finishes per multiunit standards.
• Include MWELO compliance documentation where the thresholds apply (new or rehabilitated landscape area) — follow § 17.61.060(J).
• Plan for landscape maintenance and tree replacement obligations; maintain irrigation per the approved plan. § 17.61.040–050.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If you submit a project that needs site‑plan approval in Bakersfield, expect to submit a full landscape plan that meets Chapter 17.61 (irrigation, plant lists, tree sizes, shading math). Expect mandatory tree planting and parking‑lot shading targets, rules about fences and prohibited materials, and a six‑foot masonry wall or approved landscaping buffer where commercial/industrial land meets residential neighborhoods. Verify the zone‑specific “additional requirements” for your parcel — they often spell out the wall height and screening type.

Source References

• Bakersfield Municipal Code — Chapter 17.61, Landscape Standards: § 17.61.010–§ 17.61.060.
• Parking‑lot tree / shading and drive‑thru screening requirements (minimums and planting sizes): § 17.61.030 (G–N).
• Overlooks into residential rear yards and screening thresholds: § 17.08.090.
• C‑C zone additional requirements (masonry wall adjacent to residential): § 17.26.050(E).
• Commercial/industrial additional requirements (walls, open storage screening, rooftop screening): § 17.30.035(E–H).
• Multiunit objective standards and prohibited fence materials: § 17.14.030.
• Tree preservation and replacements: § 17.61.050.

(Verify parcel specifics with Development Services; the ordinance excerpts above are from the uploaded Bakersfield Title 17 code files.)

Retrieved passages

• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Chapter 17.61) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Section 14520) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 2 (section shall) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Chapter 17.61) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Chapter 17.61) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Bakersfield Municipal Code — Chapter **17.61**, Landscape Standards: **§ 17.61.010–§ 17.61.060**. (§ 17.61.010)
• Parking‑lot tree / shading and drive‑thru screening requirements (minimums and planting sizes): **§ 17.61.030 (G–N)**. (§ 17.61.030)
• Overlooks into residential rear yards and screening thresholds: **§ 17.08.090**. (§ 17.08.090)
• C‑C zone additional requirements (masonry wall adjacent to residential): **§ 17.26.050(E)**. (§ 17.26.050)
• Commercial/industrial additional requirements (walls, open storage screening, rooftop screening): **§ 17.30.035(E–H)**. (§ 17.30.035)
• Multiunit objective standards and prohibited fence materials: **§ 17.14.030**. (§ 17.14.030)
• Tree preservation and replacements: **§ 17.61.050**. (§ 17.61.050)
• Bakersfield_ZoningCode.md

• Official Bakersfield code library