Camarillo — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Camarillo zoning ordinance requires for landscaping, screening, fences/walls, planting/parking area standards and tree requirements. It is grounded in the Camarillo Municipal Code land-use chapters (zoning). For site-level questions about lot lines, precise zone boundaries, or interpretations, verify with the city. See also the city's pages on Camarillo Zoning, Camarillo Development Standards, and Camarillo Parking when preparing plans.

Important: this page covers only the zoning/land-use landscaping and screening rules in the local code — not building code/Title 24 requirements (see California Building Standards Code).

What the ordinance requires (core rules)

• Minimum landscape area: many commercial/industrial/planned-development zones require planting on a percentage of the net developed site — commonly 10% or 15% depending on the zone. See the zone-specific citations below (for example § 19.20.130 and § 19.22.130) and compare across zones.

• Planting area size: a planting area must be at least 24 square feet and at least 4 feet wide (exceptions for raised planters close to buildings). This is repeated throughout multiple zone chapters. § 19.20.130, § 19.24.110, § 19.22.130.

• Tree spacing and size: the code typically requires one tree (15‑gallon minimum) per a specified planter length — commonly at least one every 10 single-row parking stalls (or every 20 double-row stalls) using a minimum 36 sq ft planter or a 5 ft planter width in some chapters. See § 19.20.130, § 19.24.110, § 19.22.130.

• Permanent irrigation: required for all landscaping; portable hoses alone are not acceptable. The irrigation must be shown on the plan with pipe sizes, heads/emitters and coverage. See § 19.20.130, § 19.22.130, § 19.24.110.

• Water-efficiency compliance: landscaped areas must comply with the city’s water-efficient landscape regulations (Chapter 14.14). See repeated references in multiple zone chapters (for example § 19.22.130).

• Screening where non‑residential abuts residential: when a commercial, industrial, planned development, or similar zone rears on or sides on a residential zone, the code requires a minimum six‑foot wide landscaped area with evergreen trees/shrubs closely spaced and/or a six‑foot solid decorative masonry wall in several zones. See § 19.20.130, § 19.22.130, § 19.30.130, § 19.24.110.

• Parking screening at street: where parking abuts a public street, a screen berm, wall or landscape hedge not greater than 3 feet is required along the property line adjacent to the street/parking. See § 19.22.130.

• Refuse/recycling enclosures: outdoor refuse areas must be enclosed on all sides by at least a six‑foot high masonry wall with a solid gate; enclosures must hide contents above six feet sightline and accommodate recycling/green waste. See § 19.24.120, § 19.27.140 and related zone subsections.

• Mechanical equipment screening: ground‑mounted mechanical and electrical equipment, and satellite dishes (over 1 meter excepted), must be screened by landscaping or a solid decorative fence/wall or equivalent; rooftop equipment must be behind parapet or roof screen. See § 19.27.160, § 19.25.170, § 19.32.130.

• Landscape plan: most non‑single‑family projects (and many residential developments) must submit a scaled landscape plan (commonly minimum 1" = 30' or 1" = 20' depending on the chapter) that shows plant ID (common + botanical), container sizes, planting areas, irrigation details, soil prep and a maintenance program. See § 19.20.130, § 19.22.130, § 19.24.110, § 19.18.190.

• Fences/walls (general): side/rear walls or fences up to 6 feet are permitted; front‑yard fences are generally limited to 3 feet. Grade differential rules allow additional height where the opposite side is lower (one foot additional height per two feet of grade difference, up to 8 feet) with public works approval. See § 19.38.020, § 19.38.040.

• Special/security fences: barbed wire or concertina may be allowed only in commercial/industrial zones with a permit; director can require 6‑ft fencing around hazardous areas. See § 19.38.040 and § 19.38.030.

District-by-district summary (what to expect by zone)

Note: each district listing below identifies the Camarillo chapter where these landscaping/screening rules appear; always verify the parcel’s zoning map and the code text for any site-specific conditions.

R-C (Recreational‑Commercial) — see § 19.20.130

• Purpose & where it applies: mixed commercial/recreation zones.
• Typical planting requirement: at least 15% of the net developed site must be landscaped; all landscaping must be on a permanent watering system and surrounded by a 6‑inch concrete curb. § 19.20.130.
• Screening: when the R‑C lot rears on or sides on a residential zone, include a 6‑ft wide landscaped screen with evergreen trees/shrubs and/or a screening wall as appropriate. § 19.20.130.
• Plan scale & contents: landscape plan at minimum 1" = 30' showing plant species, irrigation design, maintenance program. § 19.20.130.

Planned Development / Planned Development Permit — see § 19.22.130 (Planned Development chapter)

• Purpose & where it applies: site‑specific planned developments; rules appear in the planned development chapter and can vary by permit.
• Planting requirement: commonly 10% of net developed site (some PDs require at least 10%, other PDs may require 10–15%). § 19.22.130.
• Parking & street screening: require 3‑ft maximum screen berm/wall/hedge between parking and street and tree planters with one 15‑gallon tree per 10 stalls. § 19.22.130.
• Review: landscape/fence plans submitted to the Planning Director; the Planning Commission may be asked to review/replace the director’s decision. § 19.22.130.

C‑N (Neighborhood Commercial) — see § 19.24.110

• Purpose & where it applies: neighborhood commercial parcels.
• Planting requirement: at least 10% of net developed site; permanent irrigation; planting areas ≥ 24 sq ft / ≥ 4 ft width. § 19.24.110.
• Screening: if the C‑N development rears on or sides on a residential zone, provide a 6‑ft wide landscaped screen (evergreen trees/shrubs). § 19.24.110.

Commercial (general chapters / CMU / COT variants) — see § 19.25.130, § 19.17–19.25 excerpts

• Purpose & where it applies: larger commercial zones.
• Planting & trees: same baseline standards — irrigation required, 15‑gallon tree per 10 single‑row stalls, planting islands ≥ 24 sq ft. § 19.25.130 (and related sections).
• Refuse/utility screening and mechanical screening requirements appear repeatedly in commercial sections. § 19.25.150–170.

Light Manufacturing / Industrial (L‑M, M‑1, M‑2) — see § 19.28.260, § 19.30.130, § 19.32.130

• Purpose & where it applies: industrial and light manufacturing zones.
• Landscaping percentage: commonly 10% of net developed site. § 19.28.260, § 19.30.130, § 19.32.130.
• Screen/yard treatment: if industrial rears on or sides on residential, provide 6‑ft wide landscaped solid screen adjacent to the property line or a 6‑ft masonry wall for exterior storage areas. § 19.30.140, § 19.28.260.

Mobilehome Park District (MHPD) — see § 19.18.190

• Landscape rules: all non‑building areas must be landscaped; subsurface automatic sprinkler systems required; at least one street tree per lot; a 15‑ft area between ROW and perimeter wall must be landscaped, and a 5‑ft landscaped area is required inside a 6‑ft perimeter wall adjacent to lots. § 19.18.190.

Fences and Walls (citywide rules) — see § 19.38.020 – 19.38.050

• Standard maximums: 6 ft maximum in side/rear yards, 3 ft maximum in front yards (special rules for corner cutbacks). Grade differential may allow increase up to 8 ft with Public Works approval. § 19.38.020.
• Security/barbed wire: permitted only in commercial/industrial with permit; hazardous areas may require 6‑ft fencing by director. § 19.38.040, § 19.38.030.

Quick decision table (most used numeric standards)

Practical guidance / how to prepare plans

• Submit a full landscape & irrigation plan at the required scale showing planting areas (dimensions and %), plant lists (common + botanical names), container sizes, irrigation piping and head schedule, and maintenance program — this is explicitly required in multiple chapters. § 19.20.130, § 19.22.130, § 19.24.110.

• For projects that abut residences, design your perimeter planting/wall to meet the 6‑ft screening standard; often the code expects evergreen species and close spacing so the screen is effective at maturity. § 19.20.130, § 19.24.110.

• If your project includes parking, incorporate required tree planters and show how parking islands meet the 36 sq ft/5 ft planter sizing and allow required wheel overhangs (the code allows some overhangs into landscaped areas). § 19.22.130, § 19.18.?? (parking references dispersed across chapters).

• Coordinate with street tree and public‑right‑of‑way requirements: the city requires street trees/parkway landscaping to be installed per approved plans prior to occupancy and trees within five feet of sidewalks require root barriers. § 19.27 (plan conditions).

• Expect the Planning Director to review landscaping/fence plans; the Planning Commission may be asked to review and replace the director’s decision for certain projects. See the city's Camarillo Design Review procedures for when design review may also be required. § 19.22.130.

• For variances, exceptions, or to use nonstandard materials (e.g., barbed wire, taller than allowed walls), use the Camarillo Variances and Exceptions route and expect stricter scrutiny in residential adjacency cases. See fence/barbed wire restrictions § 19.38.040.

Checklist

• Confirm parcel zone and any applicable overlays using Camarillo Zoning and Camarillo Overlay Districts. Verify special PD conditions if the property sits in a Planned Development. Verify with the jurisdiction. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Prepare a scaled landscape & irrigation plan (min scale per chapter) that shows plant species (common & botanical), container sizes, planting area dimensions and percent of net developed site. § 19.20.130, § 19.24.110.
• Show permanent irrigation (pipe sizes, head types) and certify compliance with Chapter 14.14 (water-efficient landscapes). § 19.22.130.
• For parking, provide tree planters sized per code and show parking screening (3‑ft max at street) and wheel overhang allowances. § 19.22.130.
• Where non‑residential abuts residential, show a 6‑ft landscaped buffer or 6‑ft masonry wall and species list for evergreen screening. § 19.20.130, § 19.24.110.
• Show screening for mechanical equipment and refuse enclosures (6‑ft masonry walls; gates to screen contents). § 19.27.160, § 19.24.120.
• If proposing fences/walls, dimension them on plans and show compliance with the city’s fence height rules (front 3 ft / side & rear 6 ft; grade exceptions). § 19.38.020.
• Pay landscape plan check fees at submittal and be ready to submit plans prepared by a registered landscape architect if required by the chapter or PD conditions. § 19.27 (plan conditions) / § 19.22.130.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English summary

Camarillo’s zoning code requires most new commercial, industrial, planned development and multi‑unit residential projects to include permanent, irrigated landscaping equal to roughly 10–15% of the developed site, plant islands and trees in parking, and to screen non‑residential uses from adjacent homes with a 6‑foot landscape buffer or wall; fences are generally 3 ft in front yards and 6 ft in side/rear yards. Key requirements and the landscape plan format are spelled out in each zone chapter. See § 19.20.130, § 19.22.130, § 19.24.110, and § 19.38.020 for the controlling text.

Source References

• Camarillo Municipal Code — Landscaping / Environmental Area (R‑C): § 19.20.130.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Planned Development landscaping: § 19.22.130.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — C‑N landscaping: § 19.24.110.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Refuse containment (commercial): § 19.24.120.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Fences and walls (citywide): § 19.38.020 – 19.38.040.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Industrial / L‑M landscaping: § 19.28.260 (and § 19.30.130, § 19.32.130).
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Mobilehome park landscaping: § 19.18.190.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Landscaping plan & general requirements / applicant conditions: multiple chapters including § 19.22.130, plan submittal requirements referenced in plan-condition summaries.
• Camarillo Municipal Code — Water Efficient Landscapes (Chapter 14.14) referenced in multiple zoning sections (see zoning citations above).

Retrieved passages

• Camarillo Zoning Code (Chapter 14.10) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (Section 19.30.240) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (Chapter 14.14) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Camarillo Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Landscaping / Environmental Area (R‑C)**: **§ 19.20.130**. (§ 19.20.130)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Planned Development landscaping**: **§ 19.22.130**. (§ 19.22.130)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **C‑N landscaping**: **§ 19.24.110**. (§ 19.24.110)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Refuse containment (commercial)**: **§ 19.24.120**. (§ 19.24.120)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Fences and walls (citywide)**: **§ 19.38.020 – 19.38.040**. (§ 19.38.020)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Industrial / L‑M landscaping**: **§ 19.28.260** (and **§ 19.30.130**, **§ 19.32.130**). (§ 19.28.260)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Mobilehome park landscaping**: **§ 19.18.190**. (§ 19.18.190)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Landscaping plan & general requirements / applicant conditions**: multiple chapters including **§ 19.22.130**, plan submittal requirements referenced in plan-condition summaries. (§ 19.22.130)
• Camarillo Municipal Code — **Water Efficient Landscapes (Chapter 14.14)** referenced in multiple zoning sections (see zoning citations above). (Chapter 14.14)
• Camarillo_ZoningCode.md

• Official Camarillo code library