Norco — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Norco’s zoning ordinance (Title 18) and the citywide landscape chapter set clear, zone-specific rules for landscaping, screening, trees, and walls/fences. Key rules live in site/zone chapters (for example § 18.24.10, § 18.29.70, § 18.29.80) and in the water‑efficient landscape ordinance (Chapter 18.55, e.g., § 18.55.02, § 18.55.05). These rules cover minimum landscape area, parking‑lot planting, screening of mechanical/trash/loading areas, wall/fence heights and materials, and submittal/maintenance requirements.

Note: when this page refers to site layout items like parking, setbacks or design review it links to the city menu pages for quick cross reference: parking, development standards, design review, overlay districts, ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code are linked inline in relevant paragraphs below.

How this page is organized

• District-by-district breakdown of the Norco zoning rules that specifically control landscaping and screening (zones that have explicit landscaping/screening rules in the ordinance text).
• A single decision‑relevant standards table.
• A practical applicant checklist and a short plain‑English summary.
• Source references and flagged information gaps where the ordinance text in the supplied materials is unclear.

District-by-district landscaping & screening (Norco excerpts)

Below are the districts/zone labels that the Norco ordinance text directly addresses with landscaping/screening rules in the supplied materials. Each subsection names the zone (bold), the controlling code locations (the § citation), the practical purpose, typical uses covered by the chapter language, and the key dimensional/planting/screening standards that an applicant must follow or expect to be reviewed against.

M-1 (referenced in § 18.24.10)

• Purpose / typical uses: industrial/warehouse/service uses where site design must screen service areas and loading docks. Rules on screening, refuse and equipment appear in § 18.24.10 and related exhibits.
• Key standards and where they apply:
  • Screening of loading docks, trash, outdoor storage, and equipment with walls/fences and landscaping; loading docks should not face public rights‑of‑way and must be screened (see § 18.24.10(A)(3–5)).
  • Parking‑lot landscaping: at least 25% of required landscaping must be inside the parking area; one canopy tree per five parking stalls (trees may be clustered) (see the parking lot landscaping rules in § 18.24.10(D)).
  • Screening materials: solid screening walls for equipment/trash/outdoor storage; chain‑link fencing is prohibited as the primary screening; security fences allowed to be wrought iron/tubular steel (see § 18.24.10(D)(2)(a–d)).
  • Parking-edge screening (when parking abuts the street): opaque screening minimum 36 inches, maximum 42 inches (see § 18.24.10(D)).
  • Tree/shrub specs: trees for screening should be evergreen, drought‑tolerant, minimum 36‑inch box, shrubs minimum 15 gallons, spacing 25–30 ft on center for screen trees (see § 18.24.10(D)(3)(b–c)).

Practical note: where M-1 properties abut “A” or “R” (agricultural or residential) or LD/OS zones the code may require larger masonry walls and setback/screening — see the masonry wall rules in the same site design section.

M-2 (referenced in § 18.29.70 and § 18.29.80)

• Purpose / typical uses: heavier industrial and manufacturing uses; the chapter establishes screening/buffering rules for sensitive adjacencies and public view. § 18.29.70 and § 18.29.80 contain the M‑2 screening and landscaping rules.
• Key standards:
  • Minimum site landscaping: 15% of total property area must be landscaped for properties with buildings/structures (see § 18.29.80(A)(1)).
  • Boundary planting: a 10‑foot planting strip adjacent to the right‑of‑way and along street abutting lot lines is required (see § 18.29.80(B)(1)).
  • Parking lot requirements: 25% of required landscaping must be in the parking lot; one canopy tree per five parking stalls (see § 18.29.80(C)(2)(i–ii)).
  • Screening and buffering: opaque screening to buffer sensitive uses, mechanical equipment, trash enclosures, loading areas and surface parking; parking abutting the public right‑of‑way requires opaque screening 36–42 inches tall (see § 18.29.70).
  • Trash enclosures must be screened and enclosed per § 18.29.60 and § 18.29.70.

Practical note: the M‑2 chapter explicitly ties screening decisions to site plan review; expect the Planning Commission or Planning Director to review adequacy during that process.

CG (Commercial General) — Table 2 / Development Standards references § 18.29.80

• Purpose / typical uses: commercial uses (see the CG development table in the code). The CG development table points applicants to the same landscaping rules used elsewhere (notably § 18.29.80) for landscaping obligations.
• Key standards:
  • Landscaping for CG sites is controlled by § 18.29.80 (minimum landscape area, parking lot landscaping, boundary planting widths). Refer to § 18.29.80 for the numeric and planting requirements.

C-4 (referenced with special masonry wall requirement) — see § 18.23.x / § 18.23.24–32

• Purpose / typical uses: more intensive commercial/retail uses. The C‑4 zone language reiterates screening and trash enclosure rules and imposes masonry wall requirements when abutting residential/agricultural zones (see the C‑4 site standards).
• Key standards:
  • Where property in C-4 abuts A or R zones, a masonry wall six feet in height must be erected and maintained along the abutting lot line; the Planning Commission can require six‑foot screening walls for open storage during site plan review (cited in the C‑4 zone text).
  • Trash areas and enclosure screening are addressed by site plan review requirements in the same chapter.

Decision‑relevant standards (quick reference table)

Practical guidance and interpretation (plain‑English synthesis)

• Minimum landscape amounts and detailed planting/tree requirements vary by zone. The more recent/zone‑specific site design sections (for example § 18.24.10 and § 18.29.80) require more landscaping and stricter screening than older legacy zone provisions; the ordinance says the stricter landscaping requirement applies when there is any conflict. See § 18.55 (landscape chapter) for the city’s overarching goals and conflict rule.
• Screening is not cosmetic only — the code requires that mechanical equipment, trash enclosures, loading docks and outdoor storage be hidden from public view and integrated architecturally; the adequacy of screening is evaluated during site plan review and/or architectural review (see § 18.29.70, § 18.24.10). Expect the Planning Department / Planning Commission to require masonry walls, berms, and plantings on a case‑by‑case basis.
• Landscape plans are required before the city will issue building or occupancy permits in most non‑exempt projects; the Landscape Documentation Package (Chapter 18.55) has explicit content and a landscape architect seal requirement for projects that meet the chapter thresholds (§ 18.55.02, § 18.55.05).
• For parking design, the code ties tree counts and shade goals to a time horizon (e.g., 35% shade cover in parking within 15 years), so tree species selection and adequate planting size matter. See § 18.24.10(D)(3)(a) and § 18.29.80.

While the ordinance sets minimums, many screening details (materials, exact wall heights beyond minimums, integration with building design) are evaluated in Site Plan Review and Architectural Review — see the code sections governing those processes for project‑level expectations. For design review specifics, consult the city’s design review guidance. Norco Design Review

Links to related topics you will commonly need during permit or design work: Norco Parking, Norco Development Standards, Norco Overlay Districts, Norco ADUs, and for building‑code intersections see the California Building Standards Code.

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for landscaping & screening in Norco)

• Prepare and submit a landscape documentation package signed/sealed by a CA landscape architect when thresholds in § 18.55.02 apply (follow § 18.55.05 checklist).
• Show minimum site landscaping percent required by the zone (commonly 15%, confirm zone text: § 18.29.80 or the applicable zone section).
• Provide boundary planting strips (usually 10 ft along streets) and any zone‑specific front setback planting width (see § 18.29.80(B) / § 18.24.10(D)).
• Provide parking‑lot landscaping equal to 25% of required landscaping and 1 canopy tree per 5 stalls (show tree locations and caliper/box size). § 18.29.80(C)(2).
• Show screening for mechanical equipment, trash enclosures, loading areas with materials, heights and adjacent landscaping (refer to § 18.29.70, § 18.24.10).
• If the site abuts an A or R zone (or other sensitive use), show required masonry wall(s) and any additional buffers called for by the applicable zone section (verify § 18.29.50 / § 18.24.10 language).
• Provide permanent irrigation details and maintenance plan; confirm that irrigation and plant selection meet the water‑efficient landscape requirements in Chapter 18.55.
• Demonstrate sight‑triangle compliance: landscaping within 25 ft of a driveway/street intersection must not exceed 3 ft in height. § 18.29.80(D)(4).

Verify whether your project triggers Site Plan Review or Architectural Review and bring the landscape package to those hearings if required. Norco Design Review

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

If you develop or change a property in Norco you will generally need to show a landscape plan that meets a minimum percentage of landscaped area (commonly 15% in the newer site standards), plant trees in parking (usually 1 canopy tree per 5 stalls), screen trash/mechanical/loading areas with walls and plantings (no chain‑link for primary screens), and submit a sealed Landscape Documentation Package when Chapter 18.55 applies; site plan/architectural review will check materials, heights and irrigation. Key controlling rules appear at § 18.24.10, § 18.29.70, § 18.29.80, and Chapter 18.55.

Source References

• Norco Municipal Code, Site Design / M‑1 standards — § 18.24.10 (landscaping, screening, parking lot standards).
• Norco Municipal Code, M‑2 zone screening & landscaping — § 18.29.70 (screening & buffering) and § 18.29.80 (landscaping requirements).
• Zone development table that points the CG zone to landscaping rules — Table 2 / Development Standards referencing § 18.29.80.
• C‑4 zone screening and masonry wall language — C‑4 site standards (see related sub‑sections in Chapter 18.23).
• Citywide Water‑Efficient Landscape Ordinance — Chapter 18.55, including § 18.55.02 (applicability) and § 18.55.05 (Landscape Documentation Package requirements).
• Sight‑triangle and planting height limits; parking lot planting exhibits — § 18.29.80(D)(4) and Exhibits 18.29.80‑5/6/7.

(If you want direct links to the city's online code pages I can fetch the live municipal code URLs; the materials I used above are the uploaded Norco ordinance text excerpts.)

Retrieved passages

• Norco Zoning Code (§ 18.29.60.) High relevance show source text
• Norco Zoning Code (§ 18.29.40.) High relevance show source text
• Norco Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Norco Zoning Code (§ 18.29.90.) High relevance show source text
• Norco Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Norco Zoning Code (Title 18.) High relevance show source text
• Norco Zoning Code (chapter and) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Norco Municipal Code, Site Design / M‑1 standards — **§ 18.24.10** (landscaping, screening, parking lot standards). (§ 18.24.10)
• Norco Municipal Code, M‑2 zone screening & landscaping — **§ 18.29.70** (screening & buffering) and **§ 18.29.80** (landscaping requirements). (§ 18.29.70)
• Zone development table that points the **CG** zone to landscaping rules — Table 2 / Development Standards referencing **§ 18.29.80**. (§ 18.29.80)
• C‑4 zone screening and masonry wall language — C‑4 site standards (see related sub‑sections in Chapter 18.23). (Chapter 18.23)
• Citywide Water‑Efficient Landscape Ordinance — **Chapter 18.55**, including **§ 18.55.02** (applicability) and **§ 18.55.05** (Landscape Documentation Package requirements). (Chapter 18.55)
• Sight‑triangle and planting height limits; parking lot planting exhibits — **§ 18.29.80(D)(4)** and Exhibits 18.29.80‑5/6/7. (§ 18.29.80)
• Norco_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.md

• Official Norco code library