Cathedral City — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Cathedral City zoning ordinance requires for landscaping and screening (plants, planters, fences, walls, trash enclosures and buffers). It pulls the local, district-level obligations (landscape plans, parking-lot planting, perimeter screening, fence heights and trash-enclosure standards) and where they live in the code so applicants can prepare plans and applications (for example for parking or design-review submittals). See Cathedral City Parking for parking-lot planting rules and Cathedral City Design Review for when plans must be routed through design review.

How the code controls landscaping & screening (by district and standard)

Below are the Cathedral City districts and the landscaping/screening controls that the ordinance attaches to them. Each subsection shows the district purpose (code language), typical uses, and the landscaping/screening items you must design for (with the controlling code citations).

R-1 — Single‑Family Residential

• Purpose & typical uses: The R-1 district is intended for low-density one‑family dwellings and related community uses; permitted uses include single‑family dwellings and related home occupations. § 9.14.010 and § 9.14.020 describe purpose and permitted uses.
• Landscaping / screening requirements that apply to R-1 projects:
  • All one‑ and two‑family dwellings must install an approved landscaping and irrigation system in the front and street side yards; landscaping must follow Chapter 8.57 standards, limit turf, and be at least 50% native/drought‑tolerant. § 9.16.130 (applies to one- and two‑family dwellings)
  • Front‑yard fences are allowed but solid front‑yard fences are limited to 42 inches and must be decorative masonry consistent with the building. Rear and side fences are generally limited to 6 feet. See § 9.80.120.

RM / R‑4 — Medium & Multiple‑Family Residential (e.g., RM, R‑4)

• Purpose & typical uses: These districts provide for multi‑family housing and related supportive uses; see § 9.18.010 (RM) and § 9.22.010 (R‑4).
• Landscaping / screening specifics:
  • Multiple‑family developments and apartment projects must install approved landscaping and irrigation in yards and common areas; turf is limited and 50% or more landscaping must be native/drought‑tolerant. § 9.22.130 and § 9.16.130.
  • Where apartment projects abut single‑family zoned property, the code requires screen walls (and screening plans are part of design/subdivision review). § 9.88.030(B).
  • At construction time the code usually requires a masonry rear/side fence of 6 feet for multi‑family (see district fencing provisions). § 9.22.110.

NBP — Neighborhood Business Park (Transition)

• Purpose & typical uses: The NBP district is a transition between residential, office and commercial uses. § 9.38.010–.030 lists purpose and permitted uses (offices, clinics, neighborhood services).
• Landscaping / screening specifics:
  • When buildings abut residential zones the code requires twenty feet of landscaping between the commercial building and residential zone (and buildings shall be set back a distance equal to their height). § 9.38.050(E) and § 9.38.060(B) require detailed plans for screening/landscaping the common boundary and that all required yards be landscaped per an approved landscape plan.

I‑1 — Light Industrial

• Purpose & typical uses: I‑1 provides for light industrial/service commercial uses that may require limited outdoor storage. § 9.40.010–.030 lists uses and intent.
• Landscaping / screening specifics:
  • Where industrial uses abut residential districts, the ordinance requires submission of detailed screening and landscaping plans and that all developments have landscape and irrigation plans approved before installation. § 9.40.060(A)–(C).
  • Outdoor storage/display must be screened with view‑obscuring walls or fences; design review determines specific materials and placement. § 9.88.030(C–D).

OS — Open Space / Parks / Public

• Purpose & typical uses: OS is for parks, drainage, utility corridors and habitat conservation. § 9.42.010–.030 describes uses. Landscaping for open space is typically driven by the use (parks, habitat) and other chapters (e.g., park design). § 9.42.020.

Recreational Vehicle / Mobile Home Parks

• Standards: RV parks and mobile‑home parks have explicit landscape and perimeter‑screening rules: required park yards and common areas must be landscaped and irrigated; perimeter screening must be a dense living plant screen that attains at least 6 feet and a decorative block wall of at least 6 feet, except reduced near entrances for sight lines; planning commission can modify where warranted. § 9.84.130–.150.

Codewide / Cross‑district standards (applies to many zones)

• Landscape plans and irrigation: Many districts explicitly require an approved landscape and irrigation plan before installation and reference the general landscape standards in Chapter 8.57. Examples: § 9.38.060(C), § 9.40.060(C), § 9.16.130(C) and others.
• Parking lot landscaping and screening: For parking areas with 4 or more spaces, at least 5% of the parking area interior must be landscaped; planters along street frontages and interior property lines are required; one 15‑gallon tree per 15 parking spaces; street trees at least one per 35 feet of frontage; required screening by fences/hedges/walls — and parking areas adjacent to residential zones must be screened by a minimum 6‑foot fence or wall. § 9.58.100(A–B). See Cathedral City Parking for related application/layout guidance.
• Trash enclosures & outdoor storage screening: Trash enclosures are required for most multi‑family, commercial and manufacturing uses; enclosures must obscure refuse from view, be constructed of approved materials compatible with surrounding buildings (no wood or chain link except gates), and be sized for functional use per design review. Chapter 9.88 (§ 9.88.010–.030).
• Fences and walls (general): Rear/side fences generally limited to 6 feet; solid front‑yard fences limited to 42 inches and must be decorative masonry consistent with the main building; chain link in front yards is prohibited; industrial zones may allow an extra 2 feet of security fencing. Height is measured from the ground or top of a retaining wall. § 9.80.120.
• Maintenance: Approved landscaping and other site improvements must be maintained in substantial conformity with the approved plans; this includes irrigation and plant replacement for dead material. § 9.78.110.
• SB9/lot‑split / small‑lot two‑unit development: The local SB9 standards require that, in addition to underlying zone requirements, landscape screening must be planted and maintained between each primary dwelling and adjacent lots. SB9 standards (local ordinance excerpt) § [SB9 local subsection G].

Key decision‑relevant standards (quick reference table)

Information Gaps / Items not in the retrieved ordinance excerpts

• The detailed contents of Chapter 8.57 (the city's technical landscape and irrigation standards: plant lists, irrigation efficiency, stormwater or bio‑retention details) were referenced but not included in the retrieved material. Not found in retrieved materials.
• Specific approved plant species lists, soil preparation details, or tree‑size / caliper minimums (beyond the parking tree ratio) are not present in the excerpts. Not found in retrieved materials.
• Any landscape fee schedules, bonding, or inspection checklists are not included in the retrieved files. Not found in retrieved materials.
• If your site is in a special Overlay (historic, downtown, or specific‑plan area), overlay‑specific landscape/screening adjustments may apply; overlay text was not found for all overlays in the excerpts — verify with Cathedral City Overlay Districts. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Checklist (what to include in a complete submittal)

• An approved landscape and irrigation plan prepared to meet Chapter 8.57 and submitted with the permit application (show plant types, sizes, irrigation details, show maintenance plan). § 9.38.060(C), § 9.40.060(C), § 9.16.130(C).
• Parking‑area planting: show ≥5% interior landscaped area, all planter dimensions, and 1 tree per 15 spaces if applicable. § 9.58.100(A–B).
• Perimeter screening and fence/wall details where site adjoins residential: show 6‑ft minimum fence/wall or living screen where required; show materials consistent with § 9.80.120 and § 9.58.100(B)(4).
• Trash enclosure design: show location, size, details and materials demonstrating contents will be obscured (comply with Chapter 9.88).
• Elevations/sections for proposed screen walls and fences showing measured height from existing grade or top of retaining wall. § 9.80.120.
• If required by the district (or if project is non‑residential, multi‑family or industrial), include design/architectural/site‑plan submittal per Cathedral City Design Review. § 9.78.110 and district sections that require architectural/site plan approval (e.g., § 9.38.060(A)).
• Maintenance commitments (plant replacement schedule, irrigation maintenance) to comply with § 9.78.110.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Cathedral City requires an approved landscape and irrigation plan for most new development, specific minimums for parking lot planting (5% interior and a tree‑per‑X rule), minimum screening (usually a 6‑ft fence/wall or living screen) where non‑residential uses abut homes, and specific trash‑enclosure construction standards — all of which are checked during design review or site plan approval. Key code citations to use when preparing plans include § 9.58.100, § 9.80.120, Chapter 9.88, and the district provisions that require landscape plan approval.

Source References

• Cathedral City parking‑lot planting and screening requirements: § 9.58.100.
• Neighborhood Business Park development yards, landscaping and screening: § 9.38.050–.060.
• Light Industrial district screening and landscape plan requirement: § 9.40.060.
• Trash enclosures and outdoor storage screening: Chapter 9.88 (e.g., § 9.88.020–.030).
• General fencing, walls and permitted enclosures (heights/materials): § 9.80.120.
• Landscaping requirements for one‑ and two‑family dwellings and reference to Chapter 8.57: § 9.16.130.
• Multi‑family (R‑4) landscaping and screening: § 9.22.130 and fencing § 9.22.110.
• Recreational vehicle park landscaping and perimeter screening: § 9.84.130–.150.
• Maintenance of approved landscaping and site elements: § 9.78.110.
• SB9 / two‑unit landscaping screening requirement: SB9 excerpt (local standards) § SB9 subsection G (landscape screening between dwellings).

Use Cathedral City Zoning to confirm the zoning designation for your parcel, Cathedral City Development Standards for dimensional design issues, and Cathedral City Overlay Districts if your site lies in a special zone. For parking‑lot layout details see Cathedral City Parking and for when plans require review see Cathedral City Design Review. Link to state building standards when structure clearances intersect the building code: California Building Standards Code. (Internal links provided through the site menu.)

Retrieved passages

• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 9.38.040.) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 11) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (section or) High relevance show source text
• Cathedral City Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Cathedral City parking‑lot planting and screening requirements: **§ 9.58.100**. (§ 9.58.100)
• Neighborhood Business Park development yards, landscaping and screening: **§ 9.38.050–.060**. (§ 9.38.050)
• Light Industrial district screening and landscape plan requirement: **§ 9.40.060**. (§ 9.40.060)
• Trash enclosures and outdoor storage screening: **Chapter 9.88 (e.g., § 9.88.020–.030)**. (Chapter 9.88)
• General fencing, walls and permitted enclosures (heights/materials): **§ 9.80.120**. (§ 9.80.120)
• Landscaping requirements for one‑ and two‑family dwellings and reference to Chapter **8.57**: **§ 9.16.130**. (§ 9.16.130)
• Multi‑family (R‑4) landscaping and screening: **§ 9.22.130** and fencing **§ 9.22.110**. (§ 9.22.130)
• Recreational vehicle park landscaping and perimeter screening: **§ 9.84.130–.150**. (§ 9.84.130)
• Maintenance of approved landscaping and site elements: **§ 9.78.110**. (§ 9.78.110)
• SB9 / two‑unit landscaping screening requirement: SB9 excerpt (local standards) **§ SB9 subsection G** (landscape screening between dwellings). (§ SB9)
• CathedralCity_ZoningCode.md

• Official Cathedral City code library