Butte County — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

This page explains how Landscaping and Screening are regulated in unincorporated areas under Butte County’s Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 24, with a focus on where and when landscaping is required, how parking lots must be planted and screened, and the limits and materials for walls and fences. The Zoning Ordinance applies in unincorporated Butte County only (§ 24-5) and is cited and administered as the Butte County Zoning Ordinance (§ 24-1) . Use this alongside the County’s Butte County Zoning, Butte County Development Standards, and Butte County Parking pages when planning a project.

Most landscape requirements apply only in the County’s urban zones, while fence height and design standards apply countywide. Parking lots must be landscaped, shaded, and, when next to homes, screened.

What the Ordinance Covers (unincorporated areas)

• Landscaping purpose and applicability in urban zones: Division 11, §§ 24-110–24-115 (purpose; projects that must install landscaping; model water efficiency; parking lot landscaping cross-reference; landscape plan content; and standards)
• Parking lot landscaping and screening: § 24-95 (interior landscaping percentages, islands, curbs, shade trees, rainwater management; screening next to residential) and cross-reference from § 24-113
• Walls and fences: §§ 24-57–24-61.1 (measurement; maximum heights; materials/design by zone group; amortization of nonconforming fences; special rule for golf ball nets)
• Residential outdoor storage screening: § 24-151 (screen with building walls, decorative screen walls, fences, and/or landscaping to 6 ft)
• Agricultural interface “buffer” concept: § 24-56.1 (minimum 25 ft residential setback from existing orchards/vineyards in residential zones)

For submittals and review, landscaping is commonly evaluated with Butte County Design Review where applicable, and walls/fences in scenic contexts may be further shaped by Butte County Overlay Districts.

Core Standards and Triggers

• Where required: Landscaping requirements in Division 11 apply only to properties in urban zones (§ 24-111.A) .
• Triggers:
  • New or rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 sq ft+ for public or private development needing a building permit (§ 24-111.B.1–2)
  • Homeowner-provided landscapes of 5,000 sq ft+ needing a building permit (§ 24-111.B.3)
  • New or reconstructed parking lots (§ 24-111.B.4)
• Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO): When required by State law, the more restrictive of MWELO or County rules controls (§ 24-112) .
• Landscape plan contents and approvals: What to show and who approves (§ 24-114.A–D) .

Decision-Relevant Standards (selected)

District-by-District Guidance (how landscaping and screening apply)

Below, “purpose/uses” are plain-English summaries of common intent; verify specific permitted uses in Butte County Zoning. Zone abbreviations come from § 24-156 (Accessory Uses/Structures tables) .

Urban Residential Zones (VLDR, VLDCR, LDR, MDR, MHDR, HDR, VHDR)

• Purpose/typical uses: Housing at very-low to very-high densities.
• Key landscaping rules: In urban residential zones, no more than 50% of required front/side setbacks may be paved; unpaved areas must be landscaped; multi-family front setbacks must be landscaped/open space (§ 24-115.B) .
• Fences/walls: Standard height limits apply; ornamental features may extend +2 ft if non-screening (§ 24-59.C) . Urban fence materials must be decorative masonry/ornamental steel/iron/wood (§ 24-60.B.1) .
• Where it applies: Only if your residential parcel is mapped in an “urban zone” (check your map). Landscaping Division 11 applies in urban zones (§ 24-111.A) .

Mixed Use — MU

• Purpose/typical uses: Vertical/horizontal mixes of residential and commercial.
• Minimum landscaping: 15% of site landscaped based on building gross floor area (§ 24-115.C.1, Table 24-115-1) .
• Parking lots: Provide interior landscaping, shade trees (50% shade in 10 years), and screening if abutting residential (§ 24-95) .

Commercial Zones — GC, NC, CC, REC, SE

• Purpose/typical uses: Neighborhood, community, and general retail/services, recreation, service enterprises.
• Minimum landscaping: 10% (§ 24-115.C.1, Table 24-115-1) .
• Parking lots: Interior landscape minimums by site size; required islands, curbs, trees; 50% shade in 10 years; screen when next to residential (§ 24-95; § 24-113) .

Industrial Zones — LI, GI, HI

• Purpose/typical uses: Light to heavy industrial.
• Minimum landscaping: 5% (§ 24-115.C.1, Table 24-115-1) .
• Screening: Parking areas abutting residential must be screened with dense evergreen plantings (§ 24-95) .
• Fences/walls: Front/street-side fences can be up to 8 ft; barbed/razor wire allowed (§ 24-59, Table 24-59-1; § 24-60.A.3) .

Research and Business Park — RBP

• Purpose/typical uses: Office, research, technology park environments.
• Minimum landscaping: 30% (or 40% on parcels ≥10 ac) (§ 24-115.C.1, Table 24-115-1) .
• Screening: Design standards call for perimeter landscaping/berms so parking is not visually dominant (§ 24-31.A.1.b–d) .

Airport — AIR

• Purpose/typical uses: Airport and aviation-related facilities.
• Fences/walls: Treated like Ag/Industrial/Airport in the height table: up to 8 ft in front/street sides; elsewhere 8 ft (§ 24-59, Table 24-59-1) .
• Landscaping: Where development occurs in urban context, apply Division 11; verify zone mapping (§ 24-111.A) .

Rural/Resource Zones — FR, FCR, RR, RCR, AG, TM, TPZ

• Purpose/typical uses: Rural residential, foothill, agriculture, timber production.
• Landscaping: Division 11 urban landscaping rules typically do not apply unless mapped urban (§ 24-111.A) .
• Agricultural interface: New homes next to existing orchards/vineyards must observe at least a 25 ft residential setback (§ 24-56.1.A) .
• Fences/walls: Barbed/razor wire allowed; standard height table applies (§ 24-60.A.3; § 24-59) .

Practical Standards You’ll Use

• Plant selection and water use: Choose drought-tolerant, non-invasive species (County-approved list) and group plants by hydrozone; turf is prohibited on slopes ≥25%; water features must recirculate (§ 24-115.A) .
• Landscape plan submittal: Show site boundaries, existing/proposed structures, retained trees/vegetation, all new landscaping; reviewed by Development Services; changes need approval per § 24-114.A–D .
• Parking lot design: Use raised curbs to protect landscaped areas; provide islands at ends and to break up rows >10 spaces; plant and maintain for shade; manage rainwater with permeable paving and bio-retention (§ 24-95) .
• Fence measurement and materials: Height measured from adjacent finished grade on the higher side; opaque ornamental elements count toward height; urban fences must be decorative masonry/ornamental steel/iron/wood; certain materials are prohibited; conformance with the California Building Standards Code is required (§ 24-58; § 24-60.A–B) .
• Nonconforming fences: Fences that don’t meet design rules must be removed or brought into compliance after a five-year amortization period (§ 24-61) .

Checklist

• Confirm your parcel is in an “urban zone” to know if Division 11 landscaping applies (§ 24-111.A) .
• Determine if your project is triggered: ≥2,500 sq ft (most development) or ≥5,000 sq ft (homeowner-provided), or a new/rebuilt parking lot (§ 24-111.B) .
• Prepare a compliant landscape plan with all required contents (§ 24-114.A–B) and obtain approval (§ 24-114.C) .
• Apply MWELO where required by State law; use the stricter standard (§ 24-112) .
• Meet your zone’s minimum landscaped area (MU/GC/NC/CC/REC/SE/LI/GI/HI/RBP) (§ 24-115.C.1) .
• Design parking to meet interior landscaping %, islands, curbs, shade trees, and rainwater features (§ 24-95) .
• If parking abuts residential, add evergreen screening (§ 24-95) .
• In urban residential zones, keep front/side yard paving ≤50% and landscape unpaved areas (§ 24-115.B) .
• Check fence height/location against the table; get an Administrative Permit if seeking up to +2 ft (§ 24-59) .
• Choose allowed fence materials; avoid prohibited materials; urban projects must use decorative materials (§ 24-60.A–B) .
• If you have residential outdoor storage, fully screen to 6 ft (§ 24-151.B) .
• If near active orchards/vineyards (in residential zones), maintain the setback buffer (≥25 ft) (§ 24-56.1) .
• If a standard cannot be met, consider Butte County Variances and Exceptions.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If you’re building in unincorporated Butte County’s urban zones, expect to submit a landscape plan, meet a minimum landscaped area, and design parking lots with islands, trees, and rainwater features—plus screen parking next to homes. Countywide, fences have strict height and material rules by zone and location, and residential outdoor storage must be fully screened; when in doubt, check your zoning and, if needed, use Butte County Design Review and Butte County Variances and Exceptions to resolve project-specific issues.

Information Gaps

• Which specific districts are designated “urban zones” in mapping terms: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Exact section citations for Scenic Highway (-SH) overlay fencing/landscaping design provisions: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Exact section citation for the drive-through facility 25 ft landscape buffer adjacent to residential: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Detailed County-approved plant list: Not found in retrieved materials (referenced generally in § 24-115.A.1) .

Source References

• Zoning Ordinance title and applicability: §§ 24-1; 24-5 (unincorporated areas)
• Landscaping Division: §§ 24-110–24-115 (purpose, applicability, MWELO, parking lot landscaping cross-reference, landscape plan required, standards)
• Parking design/landscaping/screening: § 24-95 (including Table 24-95-2; shade/screening standards) and § 24-113 cross-reference
• Walls and fences: §§ 24-57–24-61.1 (measurement, height table, materials, amortization, golf ball nets)
• Outdoor storage screening (residential): § 24-151.B
• Residential setback from orchards/vineyards: § 24-56.1 (reference to Agricultural Buffers Division)
• RBP design screening of parking: § 24-31.A.1.b–d

Retrieved passages

• Butte County Zoning Code (article shall) High relevance show source text
• CWUIC § 65850.6 (Title 24) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Article V) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Article 13) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Section 24-157) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Section 24-156) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Article III) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Article III) Medium relevance show source text
• Butte County Zoning Code (Chapter 24) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Zoning Ordinance title and applicability: §§ 24-1; 24-5 (unincorporated areas) (title and)
• Landscaping Division: §§ 24-110–24-115 (purpose, applicability, MWELO, parking lot landscaping cross-reference, landscape plan required, standards) (§ 24-110)
• Parking design/landscaping/screening: § 24-95 (including Table 24-95-2; shade/screening standards) and § 24-113 cross-reference (§ 24-95)
• Walls and fences: §§ 24-57–24-61.1 (measurement, height table, materials, amortization, golf ball nets) (§ 24-57)
• Outdoor storage screening (residential): § 24-151.B (§ 24-151.B)
• Residential setback from orchards/vineyards: § 24-56.1 (reference to Agricultural Buffers Division) (§ 24-56.1)
• RBP design screening of parking: § 24-31.A.1.b–d (§ 24-31.A.1.b)
• ButteCounty_ZoningCode.md

• Official Butte County code library