Fontana — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Fontana Zoning and Development Code requires for landscaping, screening, buffers, fences, walls, and trees on private development sites in Fontana. It is grounded in the Zoning and Development Code (not building-code/Title 24); for context see the city's Fontana zoning & planning overview and Fontana Zoning. For development standards and setbacks consult Fontana Development Standards.

Note: Where the Code delegates discretion to the Director of Community Development or Planning Commission we flag that below — verify with the jurisdiction for parcel‑specific interpretations.

What the Code requires (plain‑English synthesis, with controlling § references)

• General landscape baseline: The Zoning Code establishes a General Landscape Article (referenced throughout the Code) that sets minimum landscape area, tree quantities and sizes, plant spacing, irrigation, and LID (low‑impact development) measures. Many zone‑specific rules explicitly apply “in addition to the general landscaping requirements in § 30‑667” .

• Minimum landscape area: Many non‑residential projects must provide a stated landscape percentage; for example the Code calls for a minimum 15% of total site area (excluding building footprint) to be landscaped (see the general landscape provisions) — see § 30‑667 for the general requirement as applied in multiple district rules .

• Trees and plant sizes: Typical city standards require roughly one tree per 300 sq ft of landscaped area (or other district‑specific ratios), with minimum sizes such as 24‑inch box / 1.5 in caliper (and a percentage of larger 36‑inch box trees) for street and major project trees; these appear repeatedly in the General Landscape and district rules (see § 30‑667, § 30‑669) .

• Street trees: All new developments must provide street trees sized at a minimum 36‑inch box / 2.5 in caliper, spaced at the tree's mature canopy or per linear‑foot spacing rules; in tight parkways the tree may be placed in the abutting yard area — see § 30‑667 and related district sections .

• Parking lot landscaping: Parking areas must be broken up with planters and trees (e.g., one tree per five parking spaces or one tree per four stalls depending on the district), interior parking landscaping equal to 10% of parking area in many cases, perimeter planters at least 5 ft wide, protective curbs, and minimum planter widths for finger/end‑of‑aisle — see § 30‑667 and district subsections for the precise ratios and dimensions . See the city's guidance on parking for context.

• Irrigation and water conservation / LID: An automatic irrigation system is required for virtually all landscape areas; the Code also requires a minimum of two LID measures on new projects and cross‑references the City's Landscape & Water Conservation Ordinance (Chapter 28, Art. IV) — § 30‑668, § 30‑669, and cross‑references to Chapter 28 (FMC) .

• Turf limitations: Turf (lawn) is prohibited in all commercial districts and in all industrial districts the Code likewise prohibits turf; residential turf is limited (for common open space) to a percentage cap (e.g., no more than 35% of landscaped area for some common areas) — see § 30‑667, § 30‑669, and district rules .

• Screening of equipment, storage, loading and trucks: All mechanical equipment, storage and loading areas must be completely screened from public rights‑of‑way and sensitive uses by building placement and/or decorative walls; landscape alone may not be the sole means of screening for loading/service areas and a sight‑line analysis is often required — see § 30‑663(n) and related screening subsections (sight‑line analysis requirement) .

• Walls / fence materials and heights: The Code requires decorative, durable materials and prohibits chain‑link, wood, barbed wire and similar materials for finished walls. Typical maximum heights:

  • Front landscape setback: solid wall max 42 in (3.5 ft) (open fences sometimes allowed to 6 ft)
  • Side/rear (behind required setback): solid wall up to 8 ft
  • Special screening walls (incidental outdoor storage, truck bays): up to 14 ft in some contexts (see Table 3 / screening wall rules)
    These are set out in the fences/walls table and related design standards — see § 30‑663(n) and Table 3 (Standards for Fences, Walls and Screening) .

• Buffers between industrial/warehouse and residential: Warehouse, distribution and some industrial projects that adjoin residential require a minimum 10‑ft landscaped perimeter buffer with 8‑ft solid decorative wall(s) and evergreen 36‑inch box trees spaced no more than 40 ft on‑center as a minimum treatment; very large warehouses (>400,000 sq ft) may require 20‑ft wide buffers measured to sensitive receptors — see the warehousing/distribution overlay rules and district guidelines (e.g., § 30‑650 et seq. and the overlay design guidelines) .

• Sight triangle / intersection clearances: Landscaping and walls must not create sight obstructions in the driveway/street corner cut‑off area; objects in the sight triangle may not exceed 30 in above street level — see § 30‑443 .

• Root barriers & tree placement near hardscape: Root barriers are required where trees are within 6 ft of sidewalks, curbs, foundations, utility boxes, or walls; tree species must conform to the City's Urban Greening Tree Palette when required — see the planting and root‑barrier rules in the landscape article (§ 30‑667 et seq.) .

• Maintenance: Landscaped areas, irrigation, and paved areas must be maintained in a neat, healthy condition; the Code cross‑references maintenance obligations (see FMC Section 24‑108) and Landscape & Water Conservation ordinance provisions — see § 30‑? cross‑references and maintenance language in the signs/landscape sections .

District‑by‑district breakdown (purpose, typical uses, where the landscaping/screening rules apply)

Note: The Code contains numerous named districts (e.g., R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑4, C‑1, C‑2, M‑1, M‑2, P‑PF, OS‑N, OS‑R, and overlays such as Auto Center Overlay (ACO), Valley Business Park, and the Warehouse Distribution/Logistics Overlay). See Table No. 30‑408 for the official list of districts and overlays .

Residential — R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑4, R‑E, R‑PC

• Purpose / typical uses: Single‑family and multi‑family housing types; R‑2 and R‑3 include medium‑ and multiple‑family projects; R‑4 overlay encourages medium/high density and affordable housing in transit areas .
• Key landscape/screening rules:
  • Landscaping required in front, side, and corner side yards; developer must provide trees/shrubs and parkway trees per § 30‑669 (in addition to § 30‑667) — typical trees: two 15‑gal minimum per lot plus at least one 24‑inch box in the parkway for single‑family lots; minimum tree and shrub sizes and spacing are specified in § 30‑669 .
  • Fences/walls: wood/chain‑link/barbed wire prohibited for finished fences; front setback solid walls capped at 42 in; side/rear behind setback up to 8 ft (see Table 3) — § 30‑663(n) and related residential rules apply .
  • Corner sight triangles: no planting/obstruction over 30 in in corner cut‑off area — § 30‑443 .
• Where it applies: See Tables No. 30‑434 and 30‑444 for R‑2/R‑3 additional standards (setbacks, parking setbacks) and § 30‑669 for residential landscaping specifics .

Commercial — C‑1, C‑2 and general commercial projects

• Purpose / typical uses: Community and general commercial uses.
• Key landscape/screening rules:
  • Turf is prohibited in commercial districts; minimum landscape percentages and tree requirements are set in the general landscape article and implemented per project type — see § 30‑667 and the respective commercial development standards .
  • Parking lot landscape, perimeter planters (min 5 ft), tree ratios, and screening of mechanical/storage apply (see general landscape rules) — see § 30‑667 and parking rules .
  • Walls visible from public right‑of‑way must be decorative materials; ten‑foot landscape setbacks are required where a residential zone abuts a continuous wall along a collector/arterial — see § 30‑? cross‑references (residential wall setback rules appear in the landscape section) .
• Where it applies: Applies to all commercial zoned parcels; parking‑setbacks to rights‑of‑way are specified in Tables No. 30‑464 A‑C and related district tables .

Industrial — M‑1, M‑2 and Warehouse/Distribution Overlay

• Purpose / typical uses: Light and general industrial, warehousing, logistics.
• Key landscape/screening rules:
  • No turf in industrial districts; tree requirements are often one tree per 600 sq ft of landscaped area in some industrial rules, with a high proportion of 24‑inch box trees required — see industrial landscape rules and § 30‑536 / § 30‑650 for overlay rules .
  • Where an industrial/warehouse use abuts residential, a solid masonry wall not less than 8 ft is required (front yard exceptions via site plan review), plus minimum perimeter buffers (e.g., 10 ft buffer, trees as specified) — § 30‑650 and overlay standards; very large warehouses (400k+ sq ft) require 20‑ft buffering to sensitive receptors .
  • Parking and drive aisle setbacks, building setbacks, and LID measures are set in the industrial development standards (§ 30‑536 and related tables) .
• Where it applies: M‑1/M‑2 development standards in Division for industrial facilities and special overlay districts such as the Warehouse Distribution/Logistics and Valley Business Park overlays — see § 30‑534 et seq. and overlay sections .

Public facility and Open Space — P‑PF, OS‑N, OS‑R

• Purpose / typical uses: Public facilities, parks, natural and resource open space.
• Key landscape/screening rules:
  • Landscaping levels determined through entitlement; parks/medians must follow Engineering Department Standard Landscape Specification Manual and Park Design Standards; irrigation must be subsurface/drip and meet City engineering specs — see § 30‑613–30‑672 and § 30‑672 for parks and parkways .

Overlays (examples) — Auto Center Overlay (ACO), R‑4 Overlay, Valley Business Park, Warehouse Distribution/Logistics Overlay

• Purpose: Overlays contain extra design, screening, and landscaping rules that amend or supplement the underlying zoning. See the overlay map and section list in Table No. 30‑408 .
• Key provisions:
  • Auto Center Overlay (ACO): requires coordinated landscape setbacks, coordinated edge treatments along the I‑210, prohibits solid block walls along the freeway, requires coordinated street tree/landscape treatments and vehicle display pad landscaping — see § 30‑641 – § 30‑642 and overlay design rules; design review or site plan review is required for projects in the overlay (see design review) .
  • R‑4 Overlay: overlays R‑4 development standards and defers to specific sections for design and landscaping; see § 30‑663 and related sections .
  • Warehouse/Valley Business Park Overlays: include special buffering, tree size/spacing, turf prohibition, parking shading targets (e.g., 35% shade of parking within 15 years), and larger buffer widths for big buildings — see the overlay design standards (§ 30‑650 and related sections) .
• Where it applies: Overlays apply to mapped parcels — review the overlay maps and the overlay section text in the Zoning Code (Table No. 30‑408 and the overlay divisions) .

Quick decision‑relevant standards (table)

Checklist — what an applicant must submit / satisfy for landscape & screening review

• Landscape plan showing total landscape area % (calculate with and without building footprints) and demonstrate minimum 15% (where required) per § 30‑667 .
• Plant schedule with species, # of trees/shrubs, sizes (show required 24‑inch and 36‑inch box trees where specified) and spacing; show root barriers where trees are ≤6 ft from hardscape — § 30‑669, § 30‑667 .
• Irrigation plan showing automatic irrigation (subsurface/drip where required) and water‑conservation measures; show head‑to‑head coverage and LID measures per § 30‑668 .
• Parking/planter dimensions and counts: perimeter planters ≥5 ft, interior planters to meet minimum widths; tree counts for parking (1 per 4–5 stalls) and curb protection details — § 30‑667 .
• Walls/fences detail: materials, heights, articulation, anti‑graffiti coatings, and proof of decorative finish on both sides; show compliance with Table 3 height limits and prohibited materials (no chain‑link, barbed wire, wood as finished material) — § 30‑663(n) and Table 3 .
• Sight‑line analysis for screening of loading bays and major service areas (site plan + cross‑sections per required sight‑line points) — § 30‑663(n) .
• Overlay compliance: if site is within an overlay (ACO, Warehouse, Valley Business Park, R‑4), include overlay‑specific landscape, buffer, and design review documentation — see overlay sections and Fontana Overlay Districts .
• Maintenance and legal document: identify owner/HOA maintenance responsibilities and reference maintenance obligations (FMC Section 24‑108, and Chapter 28 water rules) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Fontana's zoning code requires meaningful landscaping on most projects (trees, shrubs, irrigation, LID measures), forbids low‑quality fencing (chain‑link, barbed wire, raw wood), limits front yard solid walls to low heights, requires substantial screening (walls + landscape) for loading and industrial adjacencies, and enforces sight‑triangle and maintenance rules — check the relevant district and overlay rules (residential R‑1/R‑2/R‑3, commercial C‑1/C‑2, industrial M‑1/M‑2 and overlays such as the Auto Center and Warehouse overlays) because overlays and the Director/Commission have discretionary authority on many details. Verify site‑specific items with the planning staff before final design.

Source References

• Fontana Zoning and Development Code, General Landscape & Screening provisions (general landscape article referenced throughout the Code) — § 30‑667 et seq.
• Residential landscaping requirements — § 30‑669 (single‑family and multi‑family landscape rules)
• Fences, walls, screening, and Table 3 (Standards for Fences, Walls and Screening) — § 30‑663(n) and Table 3
• Parking lot landscaping/planter requirements — general landscape parking subsections (e.g., 1 tree per 5 stalls, 5‑ft perimeter planter) — § 30‑667 (parking subsections)
• Industrial/warehouse overlay buffer and shading rules — Warehouse Distribution/Logistics Overlay and Valley Business Park rules (§ 30‑650 and related)
• Unobstructed corner cut‑off / sight triangle — § 30‑443
• Low‑impact development requirements — § 30‑668
• Auto Center Overlay design & site planning guidance — § 30‑641 – § 30‑642 (Auto Center Overlay)
• Zoning District list and mapping reference (Table No. 30‑408) — Table and district names § 30‑408

Retrieved passages

• Fontana Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (Article XI) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (Section No.) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (section graphics) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (chapter and) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (Section 30-663) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (§ 10) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (Chapter 28) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (§ 6) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 615 (Article X.) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (§ 8) High relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (Article XI.) Medium relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (§ 9) Medium relevance show source text
• Fontana Zoning Code (Article II) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Fontana Zoning and Development Code, General Landscape & Screening provisions (general landscape article referenced throughout the Code) — **§ 30‑667** et seq. (article referenced)
• Residential landscaping requirements — **§ 30‑669** (single‑family and multi‑family landscape rules) (§ 30)
• Fences, walls, screening, and Table 3 (Standards for Fences, Walls and Screening) — **§ 30‑663(n)** and Table 3 (§ 30)
• Parking lot landscaping/planter requirements — general landscape parking subsections (e.g., 1 tree per 5 stalls, 5‑ft perimeter planter) — **§ 30‑667** (parking subsections) (§ 30)
• Industrial/warehouse overlay buffer and shading rules — Warehouse Distribution/Logistics Overlay and Valley Business Park rules (**§ 30‑650** and related) (§ 30)
• Unobstructed corner cut‑off / sight triangle — **§ 30‑443** (§ 30)
• Low‑impact development requirements — **§ 30‑668** (§ 30)
• Auto Center Overlay design & site planning guidance — **§ 30‑641 – § 30‑642** (Auto Center Overlay) (§ 30)
• Zoning District list and mapping reference (Table No. 30‑408) — Table and district names **§ 30‑408** (§ 30)
• Fontana_ZoningCode.md

• Official Fontana code library