Marysville — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page explains what the City of Marysville’s zoning ordinance requires for landscaping and screening (planting, parking‑lot trees, buffers, fences and walls), where those rules live in the code, and how they differ by zoning district. It focuses exclusively on the Marysville zoning/planning ordinance; for broader land‑use context see Marysville Zoning and Marysville Land Use. The controlling landscaping chapter is Chapter 18.86 of the Marysville zoning code (see § 18.86.010 – § 18.86.070) .

Note: this page does not cover building‑code (Title 24) technical requirements — see the California Building Standards Code for that topic.

How to use this page

• If you need the city’s design/plan checks, cross‑reference this page with the city’s development checklist and Development Standards. The parking‑related planting rules are tied to the city’s parking standards in Marysville Parking. Project scope or design review questions should be routed to Marysville Design Review or the appropriate Overlay Districts (historic or other overlays) pages.

What the code says — key chapters and sections

• The landscaping standards apply to all zoning districts unless a project was approved before the landscaping ordinance’s effective date; certain single‑family exceptions are noted for specific items (see § 18.86.010) .
• Purpose statement for landscaping (aesthetic, water conservation, noise/dust reduction, privacy) is in § 18.86.020 .
• The landscape plan submittal, irrigation and installation standards are in § 18.86.030 and related irrigation details (including minimum piping burial and no‑overspray requirements) are spelled out in the plan criteria .
• Tree requirements (spacing, size at planting, replacement of removed trees, tree wells) are in § 18.86.040 .
• Parking lot planting rules (minimum buffer widths, tree wells, size of planting areas, shading targets) are in § 18.86.050 .
• Ground cover, limits on decorative rock, and water‑conservation rules are in § 18.86.060 and § 18.86.070 .
• Yards, fence height limits and restrictions on barbed/razor wire are in § 18.84.070 (fences in residential districts, masonry wall where commercial abuts residential, and special rules for security fencing) .
• Many zone district development standard tables call out where landscaping is required (front/streetside yards, strips along rights‑of‑way) and where outside storage must be screened by a solid fence 6–8 ft high; those appear in the C, M and R district tables (see e.g. § 18.24.030, § 18.24.040, § 18.24.050, § 18.34.030, § 18.16.050) .

District‑by‑district breakdown (where landscaping/screening matters most)

Note: for each district I list the purpose/use context, the typical development standards that affect landscaping/screening, and where the landscaping requirement is stated in the code. Always verify for individual parcels because overlays or site‑specific approvals can change requirements.

R‑1 (Single‑Family Residential)

• Purpose / typical uses: single‑family homes and accessory uses; front yard, side and rear setbacks guide where planting occurs. See the R district tables for precise dimensional rules. Landscaping rules apply to non‑model single‑family projects differently (single family detached has specific exemptions for some landscape plan submittal requirements) — see § 18.86.030 and R district tables .
• Key standards that affect landscaping/screening: required front yard landscaping, allowed fence heights in yards: 3.5 ft maximum in the front yard and street side yard of corner lots; 6 ft in rear yard and 7 ft in interior rear/side yards up to the front yard line in R districts (§ 18.84.070(e)) .
• Where it applies: citywide R‑districts; consult the specific R‑table (R‑1/R‑2/R‑3) for yards and lot coverage references (e.g., § 18.16.050 for R‑3 shows landscaping calls; single‑family specific exceptions are noted) .

R‑2 / R‑3 / R‑4 (Medium‑density Residential)

• Purpose / typical uses: duplexes, multifamily, townhomes depending on zone. Multifamily and non‑single‑family residential uses are subject to landscape plan submittal in § 18.86.030 .
• Key standards: Required landscaping in all required front or street side yards and parking area shading and tree counts per § 18.86.040 and § 18.86.050; R‑3 and R‑4 development tables include explicit references to Chapter 18.86 for required landscaping (see § 18.16.050 and § 18.16.060) .
• Where it applies: multifamily projects must submit a landscape plan for approval prior to final map or building permit except for certain single‑family cases (§ 18.86.030) .

C‑1 / C‑2 / C‑3 / C‑H (Commercial & Highway Commercial)

• Purpose / typical uses: neighborhood and general commercial, highway‑oriented uses. Development tables require a 5‑ft landscape strip along street rights‑of‑way and landscaping in front yards; where a commercial parcel abuts a residential zone the code commonly requires a 6‑ft masonry wall along the property line and specific setback treatments (see § 18.24.030 / § 18.24.040 / § 18.24.050) .
• Key standards that affect screening: outside storage must be screened by a solid fence 6–8 ft high (except vehicle sales); where commercial abuts residential, a masonry wall is commonly required (§ 18.24.040, § 18.24.050) .
• Where it applies: street frontage landscape strips and screening requirements are triggered by the zone tables cited above; parking and loading areas must meet Chapter 18.60 parking rules and the parking‑lot landscaping rules in Chapter 18.86 .

M‑L / M‑1 / M‑2 (Manufacturing / Industrial)

• Purpose / typical uses: light to heavy industrial, warehousing. Required yards abutting streets are to be landscaped and outdoor storage must be screened. When manufacturing abuts residential, the code requires a 6‑ft masonry wall or equivalent screening and may require additional setbacks (§ 18.34.030, § 18.34.040) .
• Key standards: outside storage screening 6–8 ft solid fence, yard landscaping for street frontages, and fences/walls rules in § 18.84.070 (including special rules for security fencing in manufacturing zones) .

A concise standards table (decision‑relevant)

Practical guidance and plain‑English interpretation

• Landscape plans are required for most commercial, industrial and multifamily projects — don’t assume a site plan alone meets this need; the city planner must approve the plan prior to building permits or final maps (§ 18.86.030) .
• If your site has parking, design planting islands that meet the 50 sq ft / 5 ft minimum and count trees toward the required tree total; at maturity, parking lots must be 50% shaded at solar noon on June 21st (§ 18.86.050, § 18.86.040(c)) .
• When commercial or industrial property abuts residential, expect a 6‑ft masonry wall or equivalent screening along the shared property line; plan for the extra setback/detail in your site design (see district tables and § 18.24.040 / § 18.24.050) .
• Fences in residential yards are limited in height (front yard 3.5 ft, rear yard 6 ft, interior rear/side 7 ft); ornamental security wire like barbed wire is generally prohibited unless the planning commission grants a use permit (§ 18.84.070) .
• Tree removals in the public right‑of‑way or major removals on private property trigger replacement or a tree work permit per Chapter 11.16 and the replacement size rules in § 18.86.040(f–g) .
• Use low‑water plantings and respect the water conservation constraints in § 18.86.070 and irrigation details in § 18.86.030 when preparing plans; irrigation piping burial depths and anti‑overspray requirements appear in the irrigation plan criteria .

Checklist

• Prepare a landscape plan (prepared by licensed landscape professional where required) and submit to the city planner — § 18.86.030
• Include irrigation plans that meet the plan criteria (controller/valves, piping depths, backflow protection, anti‑overspray measures) — § 18.86.030 / irrigation spec excerpts
• Provide tree calculations: 1 tree / 300 sq ft of landscaped area and parking tree counts (1 / 10 spaces) — § 18.86.040
• Parking lot planting: design islands ≥ 50 sq ft, protected by curbs, and tree wells ≥ 4 ft diameter (tree well or ≥5 ft landscape area) — § 18.86.050, § 18.86.040(h)
• If property abuts residential: plan for 6‑ft masonry wall or equivalent screening where required by the district table — (see § 18.24.040, § 18.24.050)
• Confirm fence heights: front yard ≤3.5 ft, rear ≤6 ft, interior rear/side ≤7 ft in R districts — § 18.84.070(e)
• If you plan security/barbed wire fencing, prepare a justification and expect a use permit; barred fencing is prohibited in residential and where it abuts residential — § 18.84.070(f)
• Obtain tree work permit for any work to trees in the public right‑of‑way (Chapter 11.16) — § 18.86.040(g)
• Verify whether your property sits inside any Overlay Districts (historic or other overlays) that add design review requirements — see Marysville Overlay Districts and Marysville Design Review pages.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

Marysville’s zoning code requires landscaping and screening on most commercial, industrial and multi‑family development, sets tree counts and parking‑lot planting requirements (including a 50% shading goal), restricts fence heights in residential yards, and generally requires solid screening (6–8 ft) for outside storage and masonry walls where commercial meets residential; the specific triggers and technical irrigation/tree details are in Chapter 18.86 and the zone development tables — verify parcel specifics with the city planner.

Source References

• Marysville zoning code, Chapter 18.86 (Landscaping Regulations): § 18.86.010 – § 18.86.070 (Applicability; purpose; landscape plan; trees; parking lot landscaping; ground covering; water conservation) .
• Yards and fences: § 18.84.070 (fence heights, barbed wire/security fencing rules) .
• Zone district development standards (examples showing required landscape strips and outside‑storage screening): § 18.24.030 (C‑1) ; § 18.24.040 (C‑2) ; § 18.24.050 (C‑3) ; § 18.34.030 (M‑L) ; § 18.16.050 (R‑3) .
• Screening for large collection facilities: § 18.92.070(2) (opaque fence ≥6 ft plus landscaping) .
• Wireless telecommunications facility screening: § 18.95.070 (landscaping per Chapter 18.86) .
• Irrigation plan and technical irrigation requirements: irrigation subitems within § 18.86.030 and related plan criteria (piping burial, anti‑overspray, valves) .

(For program pages and context: Marysville Zoning, Marysville Land Use, Marysville Development Standards, Marysville Parking, Marysville Design Review, Marysville Overlay Districts, Marysville ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code were referenced for navigation and context in this page.)

Retrieved passages

• CPC § 8 (§ 8) High relevance show source text
• Marysville Zoning Code (§ 5) High relevance show source text
• Marysville Zoning Code (§ 5) High relevance show source text
• Marysville Zoning Code (§ 6) High relevance show source text
• Marysville Zoning Code (§ 5) High relevance show source text
• Marysville Zoning Code (§ 5) High relevance show source text
• Marysville Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 2 (title and) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Marysville zoning code, Chapter **18.86** (Landscaping Regulations): **§ 18.86.010 – § 18.86.070** (Applicability; purpose; landscape plan; trees; parking lot landscaping; ground covering; water conservation) . (§ 18.86.010)
• Yards and fences: **§ 18.84.070** (fence heights, barbed wire/security fencing rules) . (§ 18.84.070)
• Zone district development standards (examples showing required landscape strips and outside‑storage screening): **§ 18.24.030** (C‑1) ; **§ 18.24.040** (C‑2) ; **§ 18.24.050** (C‑3) ; **§ 18.34.030** (M‑L) ; **§ 18.16.050** (R‑3) . (§ 18.24.030)
• Screening for large collection facilities: **§ 18.92.070(2)** (opaque fence ≥6 ft plus landscaping) . (§ 18.92.070)
• Wireless telecommunications facility screening: **§ 18.95.070** (landscaping per Chapter **18.86**) . (§ 18.95.070)
• Irrigation plan and technical irrigation requirements: irrigation subitems within **§ 18.86.030** and related plan criteria (piping burial, anti‑overspray, valves) . (§ 18.86.030)
• Marysville_ZoningCode.md

• Official Marysville code library