Costa Mesa — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Costa Mesa zoning/planning ordinance requires for landscaping, screening, buffers, fences, walls, and trees. It is drawn from the Costa Mesa Zoning / Land‑scaping chapters (not building codes). Where the code prescribes numeric standards or procedures the controlling code citation is shown (§ number) and the ordinance extract used is cited. Verify parcel‑specific rules with the Planning Division for site‑specific interpretations.

Key code chapters and concepts (quick)

• Landscape plan objectives and required design elements are in § 13‑104 .
• General landscaping requirements and parking lot landscaping rates are in § 13‑105 .
• Tree counts, species/size expectations, and planting standards are in § 13‑106 .
• Fences, walls, visibility triangles, chain‑link and barbed‑wire rules are in § 13‑75 .
• Perimeter open space and planned development buffering are in § 13‑61 and related planned development text (see § 13‑60) .
• Definitions (canopy tree, drought tolerant, etc.) are in § 13‑102 .

When the page mentions related topics you may need to consult, see the site pages for Costa Mesa Development Standards, Costa Mesa Parking, Costa Mesa Design Review, Costa Mesa Overlay Districts, Costa Mesa ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code for complete permitting/building intersections.

District-by-district landscaping & screening (what the zoning code actually says)

Below are the Costa Mesa districts that the landscaping/screening rules in the zoning chapter explicitly call out or treat differently. Each subsection gives the landscaping/screening items the code ties to that district and cites the controlling §.

R‑1 (single‑family) — how landscaping/screening is treated

• Purpose / permitted uses: Not found in the retrieved landscaping excerpts (verify with the zoning district text).
• Landscaping/screening rules that specifically mention R‑1: the code exempts R‑1 from certain multi‑lot parkway/wall standards — for example, the interior private‑street landscape parkway requirement applies in all residential zones except R‑1 (see § 13‑105(h)) .
• Fences and walls: many of the master‑development fence/wall standards apply to residential zones including planned development, except R‑1 (see § 13‑75(a)) .
• Where it applies: single‑family lots; check Table 13‑32 / residential development standards for other dimensional rules referenced to landscaping .

Other residential zones (for example R2‑MD, R2‑HD, R3) — multi‑unit and attached residential

• Purpose / permitted uses: full permitted‑use lists are not included in the landscaping excerpts (verify with the zoning district text).
• Key landscaping/screening rules:
  • Landscape parkways along interior private streets / common driveways — combined width 10 ft (not less than 3 ft on one side) with the house‑side parkway minimum 5 ft (§ 13‑105(h)) .
  • In master/planned developments, interior property lines of the master lot must have 6‑ft high solid opaque walls or fences; exterior master development lines require solid masonry walls meeting height/location standards and final review authority approval (§ 13‑75(a)) .
• Note: planned developments that are residential are discussed under the Planned Development subsection below (see § 13‑60 – § 13‑62) .

Commercial zones (including PD‑Commercial; includes TC (Town Center) as a special case)

• Typical uses: commercial retail/office (full list not within the landscaping excerpts — verify with the zone tables).
• Parking lot landscaping:
  • 25 sq ft of irrigated landscaping per surface parking space for commercial zones (except TC); TC district parking areas use 15 sq ft per space and must include one tree per eight surface spaces (§ 13‑105(b)(1)) .
  • Landscaping must be distributed across the lot and separated from circulation by a continuous 6‑inch concrete curb (§ 13‑105(c),(d)) .
• Screening and walls:
  • Where commercial property lines abut residential property, the code requires solid masonry walls along those interior property lines, generally 6–8 ft high unless an environmental study requires more (see § 13‑75 commentary on masonry walls) .
  • Fences/walls in commercial zone landscape setbacks may be limited to 40% solid (measured per Figure 13‑75(b)) (§ 13‑75(g)) .

Industrial zones (including PD‑Industrial)

• Screening: a solid masonry wall at least 6 ft high is required along property lines abutting a residential or commercial zone; maximum 8 ft unless increased by environmental study (§ 13‑75(e)) .
• Chain link and visibility: chain‑link visible from streets is restricted (see below, § 13‑75(n)) .

Planned Development (PD) (planned development residential, commercial, industrial)

• Buffering and open space: PDs must keep required perimeter open space permanently landscaped; in some PD types the perimeter open space may include architectural/hardscape features if the planning commission finds them appropriate (§ 13‑61) .
• Screening/parking: parking areas in PDs must be screened from public rights‑of‑way (with an exception noted for single‑family small‑lot subdivisions) (§ 13‑16? / PD standards in § 13‑16 excerpted; see § 13‑16(e)(2)) .
• Walls/fences: PDs are explicitly covered by the fence/wall standards used for residential zones — master development lots have additional masonry/wall design controls and final review authority approval requirements (§ 13‑75(a)) .

Special districts referenced in the landscaping chapter

• TC (Town Center) — different parking landscaping rate (15 sq ft/space; one tree per eight spaces) (§ 13‑105(b)(1)) .
• North Costa Mesa Specific Plan — referenced in density/open space sections; special perimeter/open space rules can apply (see § 13‑59–§ 13‑61) .
• Overlay and specific plan impacts: the code indicates overlay and specific plans may modify or supersede some standards (verify specific plan language) — see § 13‑59(g) for areas where planning actions differ and the North Costa Mesa references .

Most decision‑relevant numeric standards (table)

Practical guidance and interpretation

• Start with a site‑specific landscape plan that references § 13‑104, § 13‑105, and § 13‑106: show tree counts, planter sizes, irrigation, and where you provide screening for trash, utilities and parking (these are the explicit plan objectives the code expects) .
• If your project abuts residential property, expect a solid masonry wall or approved alternative and additional screening; cite § 13‑75 early in your submittal to avoid surprises .
• Use canopy trees in parking to meet both the parking standard and the tree count requirement—one canopy tree per six spaces and ~36 sq ft planter target per tree is explicit in § 13‑106 .
• Visibility/trip‑sight triangles are strictly limited to 2.5 ft; keep plantings and fence elements below that height near driveways or intersections (§ 13‑75(i)) .
• The code prioritizes evergreen screening material for visual buffers and requires a mix of sizes so plantings function as immediate screens and long‑term canopy cover (§ 13‑106(a)) .
• Chain link and security treatments that are visually aggressive (barbed wire, electrified fences) are restricted—plan alternatives early and coordinate with planning staff (§ 13‑75(l),(m),(n)) .

Checklist (applicant must satisfy)

• Provide a landscape and irrigation plan addressing the landscape objectives in § 13‑104 (screening, water conservation, erosion, solar access) .
• Show parking‑area landscaping square‑footage and tree calculations per § 13‑105(b) and § 13‑106(a) (25 sf/space commercial; TC exception; 1 tree/6 spaces for canopy trees) .
• Demonstrate tree counts, species/size and planter sizing (1 tree/200 sf of landscaped area; 50% evergreen; 25% 24‑inch box or larger) per § 13‑106(a) .
• If the site abuts residential property, show masonry wall or approved alternative and state wall heights (6–8 ft where required) per § 13‑75 .
• Keep landscaping and fences within visibility triangles below 2.5 ft (§ 13‑75(i)) and show these triangles on the site plan .
• Indicate irrigation strategy and drought‑tolerant species compliant with the water efficient landscape guidelines referenced in § 13‑104(g) and the drought‑tolerance requirement in § 13‑106(a) .
• Note any proposed exceptions (e.g., alternative wall materials or mixed wall/fencing) and reference the final review authority approvals required in § 13‑75(a) .
• Coordinate with Planning Division for compatibility review if a fence/wall sits adjacent to a public street (§ 13‑75(h)) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Costa Mesa requires landscape plans that use drought‑tolerant plantings, provide specific tree counts and parking‑lot planting areas, and use evergreen plantings to screen trash, utilities, and parking; fences and walls are tightly regulated (masonry buffers where commercial/industrial adjoin residential, visibility triangles capped at 2.5 ft, chain link limited), and planned developments have extra perimeter/open‑space buffering rules — see § 13‑104, § 13‑105, § 13‑106, and § 13‑75 for the controlling text .

Source References

• Costa Mesa Zoning / Landscaping standards — § 13‑104. Landscape plan objectives (design intent; mounding limits; screening) .
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Landscaping standards — § 13‑105. Landscaping requirements (street setback landscaping; parking lot landscaping rates; parkway widths) .
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Landscaping standards — § 13‑106. Required landscaping materials (tree counts, tree sizes, drought‑tolerant requirement) .
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Fences & Walls — § 13‑75. Fences and walls (walls/fences in residential/commercial/industrial zones; visibility triangle; prohibited materials) .
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Planned Development and Perimeter Open Space — § 13‑60 / § 13‑61 (planned development open space/perimeter buffer criteria) .
• Definitions and glossary relevant to landscaping (canopy trees, drought tolerant, etc.) — § 13‑102 .
• Table/Residential Development Standards (landscaping reference in residential tables) — Table 13‑32 / § 13‑32 .

Information Gaps (what was NOT found in the retrieved materials)

• Full text of the City’s water‑efficient landscape ordinance with a clear section number showing the landscape‑architect threshold was present as narrative but a precise § citation for that paragraph was not extractable from the retrieved snippets — Confirm with the Planning Division or the complete municipal code online (not found in retrieved materials). .
• Complete permitted‑use lists and the stated purpose paragraphs for each zoning district (R‑1, R‑2, C‑N, etc.) are not included in the landscaping chapter excerpts — verify permitted uses in the zoning district chapters for parcel‑level guidance (Not found in retrieved materials). .
• The imagery for Figures 13‑75(a–d) was omitted in the retrieved file snippets; those figures are needed to interpret “40% solid” measurement, retained wall details, and visibility triangle illustrations (Figure images not present in retrieved materials). .

Retrieved passages

• Costa Mesa Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Costa Mesa Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Costa Mesa Zoning Code (§ 13-104.) High relevance show source text
• Costa Mesa Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Costa Mesa Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Costa Mesa Zoning Code (chapter conflict) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 2 (ARTICLE 9) High relevance show source text
• Costa Mesa Zoning Code (§ 1m.) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Costa Mesa Zoning / Landscaping standards — **§ 13‑104. Landscape plan objectives** (design intent; mounding limits; screening) . (§ 13)
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Landscaping standards — **§ 13‑105. Landscaping requirements** (street setback landscaping; parking lot landscaping rates; parkway widths) . (§ 13)
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Landscaping standards — **§ 13‑106. Required landscaping materials** (tree counts, tree sizes, drought‑tolerant requirement) . (§ 13)
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Fences & Walls — **§ 13‑75. Fences and walls** (walls/fences in residential/commercial/industrial zones; visibility triangle; prohibited materials) . (§ 13)
• Costa Mesa Zoning / Planned Development and Perimeter Open Space — **§ 13‑60** / **§ 13‑61** (planned development open space/perimeter buffer criteria) . (§ 13)
• Definitions and glossary relevant to landscaping (canopy trees, drought tolerant, etc.) — **§ 13‑102** . (§ 13)
• Table/Residential Development Standards (landscaping reference in residential tables) — **Table 13‑32 / § 13‑32** . (§ 13)
• CostaMesa_ZoningCode.md

• Official Costa Mesa code library