Lakewood — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Lakewood's zoning ordinance requires for landscaping and screening (fences, walls, hedges, and tree planting) across the city's zones. It interprets the Lakewood development rules and points you to the specific code controls you must follow when you prepare site plans or applications. For a general starting point on local rules see the city's Lakewood zoning & planning overview. The technical design and objective dimensional rules appear in the city's Lakewood Development Standards and are reviewed by the Lakewood Design Review process where required.

Important cross-topics you will encounter: site landscaping is tied to parking design and review (see Lakewood Parking), fences/walls are subject to Development Review Board (DRB) discretion and exceptions, and certain lot- or project-specific standards are held in on-file charts and diagrams the Director maintains. Where the code references the state building rules, consult the California Building Standards Code. For ADU projects note the ordinance references an Administrative Manual; ADU-specific design interactions are discussed on the city's Lakewood ADUs page.

How the ordinance controls landscaping and screening (quick anchor points)

• Mandatory minimum planting area and tree counts vary by zone: commercial/manufacturing sites require 4% site landscaping and a tree per every 300 sq ft of landscaped area (§ 9346) .
• Multiple-family residential developments carry a higher landscape and tree expectation (expressed as percent of lot, trees per unit and planter sizing) (§ 9330) .
• Fences, walls and hedges have different maximum heights depending on whether they are in a front yard setback or rear/side yards; measurement rules and DRB exceptions are in § 9384 .
• Parking-area landscaping, planter sizes, and irrigation are required and tied to parking plan approval by the DRB (§ 9493–9494) .

Below is a district-by-district breakdown to help you quickly find the rules that usually apply.

R-1 and R-A (Single‑Family Residential)

• Purpose: preserve single-family suburban character and protect light/air/open space. See the Administrative Manual references for ministerial design rules for R-1/R-A lots (§ 9480) .
• Typical permitted uses: single-family dwellings and accessory uses allowed in R-A/R-1 (refer to Part 2). Verify use lists in Lakewood Zoning.
• Key landscaping/screening standards:
  • Front-yard fences/hedges within required front-yard setback: max 42 inches high unless approved by the DRB (§ 9384.B) .
  • Rear/side yard fences/hedges (in the portion not adjacent to front yard): max 7 ft 6 in unless approved by the DRB (§ 9384.A) .
  • Fence/wall height measured from finished grade on either side; berms/retaining walls change measurement and must respect the six‑inch setback from transitional berm edges (§ 9384.C) .
• Where it applies: standard single‑family lots throughout Lakewood; R-1/R-A lots are explicitly subject to the Administrative Manual for objective SB 9 ministerial standards (§ 9480 & Administrative Manual reference) .

M‑F‑R / MFR (Multiple‑Family Residential)

• Purpose: accommodate higher-density residential while maintaining open space, landscaping and residential character (§ 9330) .
• Typical permitted uses: multiple family dwellings and accessory uses (see Part 3 listings).
• Key landscaping/screening standards:
  • Minimum 5% of total lot area must be permanently maintained as landscaping (§ 9330.F.1) .
  • A minimum of one tree per dwelling unit (minimum 24‑inch box size) is required on the lot (§ 9330.F.6) .
  • Parking-related landscaping: at least 5% of paved driveway/open parking area visible to dwelling units or public right‑of‑way must be landscaped; provide one 24‑inch box tree per 10 open parking spaces (§ 9330.F.2) .
  • Planter dimensions and minimum planter areas are specified (typical planter width 3 ft, minimum area nine sq ft; for some lots a min. 18‑inch planter separates driveway from dwelling) (§ 9330.F.4–F.5) .
  • Automatic irrigation for required landscaping is mandatory (§ 9330.F.3) .
• Where it applies: all M‑F‑R zoned properties and projects reviewed by the DRB; site landscaping plans are required for permit issuance (§ 9484.2) .

C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) and C-3 (Intermediate Commercial)

• Purpose and use scope: commercial retail and service uses; C-3 generally allows everything C-1 does plus uses oriented to larger commercial lots (see §§ 9342–9347) .
• Key landscaping/screening standards:
  • Required site landscaping: minimum 4% of the total site area (excluding right-of-way) must be landscaped (§ 9346.A) .
  • Tree requirement: one tree (min. 15‑gal) per 300 sq ft of landscaped site area (§ 9346.B) .
  • Planter area sizing: minimum 25 sq ft and minimum width 3 ft; planter curbs and raised planter details are required (§ 9346.C) .
  • All landscaping must have an adequate automatic irrigation system (§ 9346.D) .
  • Site landscaping plans must be approved by the DRB prior to a building permit; the DRB uses the on‑file charts and standards in the Director's office (§ 9346.E) .
• Screening/fencing in Commercial/Manufacturing: perimeter walls/fences/hedges allowed up to 8 ft; higher may be authorized by DRB with findings (§ 9384.F & § 9384.E) .
• Chain‑link is generally prohibited for street‑facing perimeter fences in commercial projects; tubular steel or materials approved by the Community Development Director are preferred (§ 9384.F) .

Commercial & Manufacturing Zones (screening rules)

• Perimeter fences/walls/hedges: 8 ft allowed; DRB can authorize taller for safety or necessity (§ 9384.F) .
• Chain link: not acceptable for street‑view perimeter fencing on developed commercial projects (§ 9384.F) .
• Exceptions: public buildings, parks and schools are generally still limited to 8 ft unless DRB authorizes a higher fence (§ 9384.G) .

A (Agriculture) Zone and Subdivisions

• Nursery stock and tree planting expectations for subdivisions and agricultural lots appear in subdivision-specific sections (street trees, parkway plantings, guarantees, and bonds) (e.g., §§ 9223.15–9223.18 and § 9338) .
• Where agricultural uses involve commercial nursery or orchard, setbacks and dust/odor buffers (100 ft) apply to protect adjacent properties (§ 9338.B) .

Quick reference table — most decision‑relevant standards

Practical guidance and interpretation

• Prepare a landscape plan early: the ordinance requires site landscaping plans be approved by the DRB (commercial) or included with site plan/conditional use submittals for M‑F‑R and other discretionary approvals (§ 9346.E; § 9493; § 9484.2) .
• Trees count matters: when designers calculate compliance, they must use the code's tree sizing and counts (15‑gal vs 24‑inch box), not informal counts (§ 9346.B; § 9330.F.6) .
• Front property treatments are constrained: low front yard fences (max 42") preserve street openness; any higher front-yard treatment needs DRB findings (§ 9384.B & § 9484) .
• Planter/irrigation are prescriptive: planter sizes, curbing, and automatic irrigation are mandatory where landscaping is required; parking landscape islands must be irrigated (§ 9346.C–D; § 9330.F.4; § 9493) .
• Materials and aesthetics: the code empowers the DRB/Director to require compatible materials and can prohibit chain‑link in visible areas (§ 9384.F; § 9484) .

Checklist

• Include a site landscaping plan in your submittal showing existing/proposed trees, shrubs, planter dimensions and irrigation layout (§ 9484.2; § 9346.E) .
• Calculate and document minimum percent landscaping (commercial 4%, M‑F‑R 5%) and show how trees meet the required counts and sizes (§ 9346.A; § 9330.F.1, F.6) .
• Provide automatic irrigation design details for all required landscape areas (§ 9346.D; § 9330.F.3) .
• Dimension all planters and show planter curbs where required (25 sq ft minimum for commercial planters; 3 ft avg width for M‑F‑R planters) (§ 9346.C; § 9330.F.4) .
• For fences/walls show finished grade measurement points and demonstrate compliance with front vs rear/side height limits (front 42", rear/side 7'6") or include DRB exception justification (§ 9384.A–C; § 9484) .
• If the project includes parking, include parking‑landscaping in the parking plan for DRB review (§ 9493; § 9494) .
• If the project sits in an overlay or abuts open space (e.g., West San Gabriel River Open Space), check the on‑file maps and special exceptions for fence rules (see § 9384.I and maps on file) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Lakewood requires modest but specific landscaping on commercial and multifamily projects (typically 4%–5% of the site), minimum trees, defined planter sizes, and automatic irrigation; fences are limited to low heights in front yards (42") and higher in rear/side yards (7'6"), with DRB exceptions for safety or necessity — all detailed in the Lakewood Municipal Code and enforced through the Development Review process (see §§ 9346; 9330; 9384; 9484) .

Source References

• § 9346 (Site landscaping standards for commercial/manufacturing: 4% requirement, trees, planters, irrigation, DRB approval)
• § 9330 (Multiple‑Family Residential Zone — required landscaping, 5% requirement, trees per unit, planter sizing, irrigation)
• § 9384 (Wall, Fence, or Hedge: front yard 42", rear/side 7'6", measurement, DRB exceptions, commercial 8' rule)
• § 9493–9494 (Parking plans, parking landscaping and DRB parking review)
• § 9484–9485 (Development Review Board powers, site plan approval, findings)
• § 9223.15–9223.18 (Subdivision/parkway tree and improvement provisions)
• Administrative Manual references for ADU/SB9 ministerial objective standards (Administrative Manual described in § 9480 and related text) — text of the Manual not included in retrieved materials (see § 9480)
• California Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) materials in uploaded files for reference on defensible‑space concepts — not a Lakewood zoning text; verify with Fire Department (uploaded WUI file)

Information Gaps

• The specific charts, diagrams and on‑file "standards" that the Director uses to interpret planter curb details and parking‑landscape geometry are referenced in the code but not included in the retrieved materials. Obtain these from Community Development. Not found in retrieved materials .
• The city's Administrative Manual (objective ADU/SB9 standards) is cited but the full manual text was not in the retrieved files. Not found in retrieved materials .
• No list of approved plant species or a formal plant palette was present in the retrieved zoning excerpts — the code requires “species satisfactory to the City” but the specific list appears to be maintained administratively. Not found in retrieved materials .
• Local Fire Department defensible‑space or species restrictions that could affect allowable plantings were not in the zoning text and should be checked separately. Not found in retrieved materials .

Retrieved passages

• Lakewood Zoning Code (Section 9492.P.) High relevance show source text
• Lakewood Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Lakewood Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Lakewood Zoning Code (§ 9223.15.) High relevance show source text
• CWUIC § 65850.6 (Title 24) High relevance show source text
• Lakewood Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Lakewood Zoning Code (Chapter in) High relevance show source text
• Lakewood Zoning Code High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 9346** (Site landscaping standards for commercial/manufacturing: 4% requirement, trees, planters, irrigation, DRB approval) (§ 9346)
• **§ 9330** (Multiple‑Family Residential Zone — required landscaping, 5% requirement, trees per unit, planter sizing, irrigation) (§ 9330)
• **§ 9384** (Wall, Fence, or Hedge: front yard 42", rear/side 7'6", measurement, DRB exceptions, commercial 8' rule) (§ 9384)
• **§ 9493–9494** (Parking plans, parking landscaping and DRB parking review) (§ 9493)
• **§ 9484–9485** (Development Review Board powers, site plan approval, findings) (§ 9484)
• **§ 9223.15–9223.18** (Subdivision/parkway tree and improvement provisions) (§ 9223.15)
• Administrative Manual references for ADU/SB9 ministerial objective standards (Administrative Manual described in **§ 9480** and related text) — text of the Manual not included in retrieved materials **(see § 9480)** (§ 9480)
• California Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) materials in uploaded files for reference on defensible‑space concepts — not a Lakewood zoning text; verify with Fire Department **(uploaded WUI file)**
• Lakewood_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.md

• Official Lakewood code library