Colton — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Colton's zoning code requires for landscaping, screening, buffering, fences and walls. It pulls the rules that apply in specific zones (residential, mixed-use, industrial, public/institutional) and explains the approval triggers, who prepares plans, and common design rules you will see in reviews. For related administrative topics see the Colton zoning overview and the city’s rules for parking, development standards, design review, overlays, ADUs, and the state building code early in your project (links inline below).

• Colton zoning overview: Colton Zoning & planning overview (first use link)
• If your project touches parking, refer to the Colton parking rules: parking.
• If you need the city's numeric setback and lot rules consult development standards.
• If your design will require architectural checks, consult design review.
• If your property lies inside special overlays consult overlay districts.
• ADU applicants should also check the ADU guidance: ADUs.
• For building-code conflicts (e.g., pool safety), check the California Building Standards Code.

How Colton’s code organizes landscaping & screening (high level)

• The code separates: (A) minimum landscape coverage and tree/planting spacing for different zones, (B) screening and buffering between uses (commercial/industrial vs. residential), and (C) fence/wall materials and height limits. The code also requires landscape and irrigation plans prepared by a licensed professional for most non‑single‑family projects. See the general landscaping rules in § 18.10.190 , and the zone‑specific landscaping requirements listed below (commercial/industrial minimums are consistently 15%, while some multi‑family zones specify 30%).

District-by-district breakdown

R-1 (Low Density Residential)

• Purpose / typical uses: single‑family detached homes and compatible neighborhood uses; see § 18.12.010 .
• Landscaping trigger and standard: Front‑setback and street‑facing landscaping requirements are captured in the general standards; within the minimum front setback at least 50% live plant groundcover and two 24‑inch box trees are required (see § 18.10.190 for front setback landscaping rules) § 18.10.190 .
• Fences/walls: Side/rear fences or walls in residential zones may not exceed 6 ft; front setback fences are limited to 5 ft for open/ornamental fences or 3 ft for solid masonry/closed fences (§ 18.38.030) § 18.38.030 .
• Where it applies: typical single‑family lots across the city; design review may be required for non‑minor exterior changes (see design review link).

R-2 (Medium Density Residential)

• Purpose / typical uses: duplexes, small multi‑unit residential; see § 18.14.010 .
• Landscaping standard: General front‑setback, drought‑resistant landscaping and water‑efficient requirements apply; the same front setback planting rules found in § 18.10.190 apply (live groundcover minimum, irrigation, tree requirements) § 18.10.190 .
• Fences/walls: same residential height rules in § 18.38.030 apply § 18.38.030 .

R-3 / R-4 (Multiple‑Family Residential)

• Purpose / typical uses: denser multi‑family housing (apartments, senior housing); see § 18.16.010 .
• Landscaping standard: Minimum landscaping coverage: 30% of the lot area; planting rates tied to units or floor area (for example two trees per dwelling unit or one tree per 200 sf of office), plus size distribution for boxes and 15‑gallon minimums; plans must be prepared by a licensed landscape architect (see § 18.16.190) § 18.16.190 .
• Screening & mechanical equipment: rooftop or ground mechanical equipment must be screened per § 18.16.185 (architectural screening) § 18.16.185 .

M-U / Downtown (M-U/D) (Mixed‑Use — Downtown)

• Purpose / typical uses: walkable downtown mix of ground‑floor retail, offices and housing; see § 18.23.010 .
• Landscaping standard: Downtown parcels must provide minimum 15% landscaping coverage in most cases, but tree spacing and counts differ (e.g., one tree per five parking spaces in the Downtown provisions) — see § 18.23.4.090 for the Downtown landscape rule set § 18.23.4.090 .
• Design guidance: downtown projects are subject to the Colton Downtown Design Manual and site plan/elevation review § 18.23.4.120 .

I‑P (Industrial Park) and Commercial Zones (C‑type)

• Purpose / typical uses: office/industrial park, light industrial, supporting retail; example: I‑P zone intent in § 18.24.010 .
• Landscaping standard: Commercial and industrial zones consistently require minimum 15% landscaping coverage of lot area; plant mixes (shrubs, trees, groundcovers), one tree per three customer/employee or truck/trailer parking spaces, and specified box sizes are required. Landscape and irrigation plans must be prepared by a licensed professional (see § 18.24.130, § 18.26.130, § 18.28.130, § 18.18.130) § 18.24.130 , § 18.26.130 , § 18.28.130 , § 18.18.130 .
• Special outdoor storage rules: outdoor storage uses must provide a minimum 15 ft deep landscaped street frontage setback and a 10 ft planter at the base of buildings/screen walls facing streets (see § 18.26.130 and related code) § 18.26.130 .

M‑2 (Heavy Industrial) and buffering to residential

• Purpose / typical uses: heavy manufacturing, warehousing; see § 18.28.010 .
• Buffering requirement: Where commercial/industrial abut residential, the code requires screening along the entire lot line by dense landscaping or lumber/masonry fence and often masonry wall separation where abutting residential uses (see § 18.40.030 and zone-specific setback/field rules § 18.28.110/18.26.110) § 18.40.030 , § 18.28.110 .

P‑I (Public/Institutional)

• Purpose / typical uses: civic complexes, schools, hospitals; see § 18.29.010 .
• Special screening: Required setback areas adjoining streets are reserved for landscaping, walkways, lighting and signs; outdoor storage visible from streets must be screened by an 8‑ft sight‑obscuring wall or fence § 18.29.050(B) .

Code table — decision‑relevant standards

Practical guidance & interpretation (plain English synthesis)

• Most commercial and industrial developments must reserve 15% of the site for landscaping, use a mix of trees/shrubs/groundcover, and include tree spacing and size minimums; you will almost always need a landscape and irrigation plan prepared by a licensed professional for planning review (see § 18.24.130, § 18.26.130, § 18.28.130) § 18.24.130 , § 18.26.130 , § 18.28.130 .
• If your commercial/industrial property touches a residential zone you will be required to screen the property line with dense landscaping or a masonry/lumber fence; the specific height/finish is often decided during design review § 18.40.030 .
• Residential yard and front setback planting is regulated: expect a 50% live‑plant minimum in required front setbacks and tree requirements for visual street planting § 18.10.190 .
• Fences are regulated both by material and by height — in residential front yards low/ornamental fences are allowed while solid walls face tighter height limits; nonresidential zones allow higher walls (up to 8 ft in industrial parks) § 18.38.030 , § 18.38.040 .
• Trash and mechanical equipment must be screened from public view; expect 6‑ft screening walls around trash enclosures and masonry screening for ground‑mounted mechanicals § 18.24.140, § 18.24.150 .

Checklist

• Confirm the zoning district for your parcel (e.g., R‑1, R‑2, R‑3/R‑4, M‑U/D, I‑P, M‑2, P‑I) — see § 18.12.010, § 18.14.010, § 18.16.010, § 18.23.010, § 18.24.010, § 18.28.010, § 18.29.010
• Determine minimum landscape coverage required for that zone (e.g., 15% commercial/industrial § 18.24.130; 30% for R‑3/R‑4 § 18.16.190) § 18.24.130 § 18.16.190
• Prepare a preliminary landscape & irrigation plan by a licensed landscape architect/engineer when required § 18.24.130
• Provide required tree counts and size distributions (box sizes and 15‑gal minimums are specified in the zone rules) § 18.24.130
• For parcels abutting residential zones, plan for dense screening or masonry/lumber walls across the lot line § 18.40.030
• Check fence/wall height/material limits before construction and plan gates, sightlines, and anti‑graffiti coatings for walls facing public rights‑of‑way § 18.38.010, § 18.38.030, § 18.38.040
• Design and locate trash enclosures per the 6‑ft screening rule and city specifications § 18.24.140
• If in a hillside area, expect extra guidance on retaining walls and wall articulation (design guidelines exist); verify with the City for hillside exceptions Not found in retrieved materials for specific hillside retaining wall section.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English summary

If you’re adding landscaping, screening, or a fence in Colton: expect to dedicate a portion of your lot to live landscaping (commonly 15% for most commercial sites, 30% for some multifamily sites, and a special Downtown ratio), plant trees at code spacing/size, screen trash and outdoor storage with masonry/fences or dense planting, and follow height/material limits for fences (residential front yards stricter; industrial parks allow up to 8 ft) — see the specific code sections cited below § 18.24.130, § 18.16.190, § 18.38.030, § 18.38.040 .

Source References

• § 18.10.190 — Landscaping (front setback, live plant percentage, drought‑resistant rules)
• § 18.16.190 — Landscaping for R‑3/R‑4 (30% minimum)
• § 18.24.130 — Landscaping (I‑P / commercial)
• § 18.26.130 — Landscaping (commercial/industrial variant)
• § 18.28.130 — Landscaping (M‑2 Heavy Industrial)
• § 18.18.130 / § 18.23.4.090 — Landscaping rules in commercial & Downtown zones (tree ratios and Downtown specifics)
• § 18.24.140 / § 18.24.150 — Trash areas and mechanical screening standards (commercial/industrial)
• § 18.38.010, § 18.38.020, § 18.38.030, § 18.38.040 — Fences, hedges and walls: materials, measurement, residential & nonresidential height rules, pool fences, chain link review
• § 18.40.010, § 18.40.020, § 18.40.030 — Buffering requirements and screening between uses (commercial/industrial vs residential; screening of open storage)
• Colton zoning overview: Colton Zoning
• Colton land use reference: Colton Land Use
• Colton development standards: Colton Development Standards
• Colton parking: Colton Parking
• Colton design review: Colton Design Review
• Colton overlay districts: Colton Overlay Districts
• Colton ADU guidance: Colton ADUs

(If you need the municipal code PDF or specific subsection language, request the exact parcel and I will extract the controlling § text and identify any design‑review triggers. For any parcel‑specific questions, Verify with the jurisdiction.)

Retrieved passages

• Colton Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 12) High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (Chapter 18.36.) High relevance show source text
• CMC § 6 (Chapter 18.36.) High relevance show source text
• CMC § 1 (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 11) Medium relevance show source text
• California Fire Code Medium relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (Title 18) Medium relevance show source text
• Colton Zoning Code (§ 2) Medium relevance show source text
• CFC § 66000 (§ 66000) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 18.10.190** — Landscaping (front setback, live plant percentage, drought‑resistant rules) (§ 18.10.190)
• **§ 18.16.190** — Landscaping for R‑3/R‑4 (30% minimum) (§ 18.16.190)
• **§ 18.24.130** — Landscaping (I‑P / commercial) (§ 18.24.130)
• **§ 18.26.130** — Landscaping (commercial/industrial variant) (§ 18.26.130)
• **§ 18.28.130** — Landscaping (M‑2 Heavy Industrial) (§ 18.28.130)
• **§ 18.18.130** / **§ 18.23.4.090** — Landscaping rules in commercial & Downtown zones (tree ratios and Downtown specifics) (§ 18.18.130)
• **§ 18.24.140** / **§ 18.24.150** — Trash areas and mechanical screening standards (commercial/industrial) (§ 18.24.140)
• **§ 18.38.010**, **§ 18.38.020**, **§ 18.38.030**, **§ 18.38.040** — Fences, hedges and walls: materials, measurement, residential & nonresidential height rules, pool fences, chain link review (§ 18.38.010)
• **§ 18.40.010**, **§ 18.40.020**, **§ 18.40.030** — Buffering requirements and screening between uses (commercial/industrial vs residential; screening of open storage) (§ 18.40.010)
• Colton zoning overview: **Colton Zoning**
• Colton land use reference: **Colton Land Use**
• Colton development standards: **Colton Development Standards**
• Colton parking: **Colton Parking**
• Colton design review: **Colton Design Review**
• Colton overlay districts: **Colton Overlay Districts**
• Colton ADU guidance: **Colton ADUs**
• Colton_ZoningCode.md

• Official Colton code library