Baldwin Park landscaping rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Baldwin Park, California homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

Depends. Ordinary planting, mulch and mowing need no permit. A building permit is required only for retaining walls over 3 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. Front-yard fences and walls need Planning Division approval first, with a site plan. Baldwin Park's water-efficient landscape rules (the city's version of the state MWELO law) apply when a landscape project of 500 sq ft or more is new, or 2,500 sq ft or more is rebuilt, and it needs a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review. Permit fees were not found.

Who to ask: City of Baldwin Park Planning Division (fences, landscape review) and Building and Safety (retaining walls) (website)

The rules

• In R-1, R-G and R-3 zones, at least 50 percent of the front yard between the street and the house must be fully landscaped. The rest can only be used for walking and driving access. At least 20 percent of the whole lot must be landscaped.
• Street-side yards on corner lots also need at least 50 percent fully landscaped.
• The owner must maintain all landscaping, including the parkway strip: watering, pruning, fertilizing and replacing dead plants.
• Shrubs, flowers, plants and hedges may not be taller than 3 feet under the city's general landscape standards.
• Solid walls, fences or hedges in the required front yard are limited to 3 feet. Open fences like wrought iron can reach 5 feet. Side and rear yards allow up to 6 feet.
• Chain link, vinyl or plastic, corrugated metal, electrified fences and barbed or razor wire are prohibited as fence materials, with some exceptions.
• Under the prescriptive path for projects of 2,500 sq ft or less, turf can be no more than 20 percent of the residential landscape area, no turf on slopes steeper than 1 foot of rise per 4 feet, at least 3 inches of mulch, and compost worked into the soil.
• Valley County Water District: no watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., none for 48 hours after measurable rain, no runoff onto the street, and fix leaks within 7 days of notice. The district is in a Stage 1 water supply emergency.

Call before you dig

DigAlert (Southern California 811): dial 811. California law requires notice at least 2 working days, and no more than 14 calendar days, before digging. DigAlert's other number is (800) 422-4133.

Local conditions

Baldwin Park has hot, dry summers and mild winters. The average July high is 89 degrees, and the record high is 118. Most rain falls in winter, about 18 inches a year by one realty estimate.

• Summer heat and almost no summer rain mean lawns and thirsty plants need steady irrigation, which is why the city pushes low-water plants.
• Watering is banned 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Valley County Water District's area, so timers should run at night or early morning.
• Valley County Water District's water comes from wells in the Main San Gabriel Groundwater Basin, and some of its wells are shut down because of old industrial contamination.
• Heavy winter storms can cause runoff, so slopes need groundcover or mulch.
• USDA and Sunset climate zones for the city were not confirmed.

Good to know

• Three water providers are listed on the city's utilities page: Valley County Water District (5121 Lante St., 626-338-7301), San Gabriel Valley Water Company (El Monte, 626-448-6183) and Valley View Mutual Water Company (13730 Los Angeles St., 626-960-2759). Which one serves a home depends on the address.
• Valley County Water District serves nearly 60,000 people through about 12,470 connections, including parts of Irwindale, West Covina and Azusa.
• Valley County Water District offers a Water-Wise Landscape recognition for established residential front yards: a certificate, a one-time $25 bill credit and a lawn sign.
• San Gabriel Valley Water Company told state regulators it offers residential customers rebates on rotating nozzles and weather-based irrigation controllers.
• SoCal Water$mart runs the regional turf replacement and weather-based controller rebates. Its base turf rate has been about $2 per square foot in 2026 for MWD-area programs, and amounts depend on your water agency and funding. Use its Estimate Your Rebate tool, and get approval before removing grass.
• Baldwin Park's city code says the owner is responsible for parkway landscaping, and a separate section protects street trees from removal or damage.
• Organic waste (grass, leaves, branches, garden trimmings) is covered by California's SB 1383. The city says it is still working on a hauling agreement for organics collection for homes and businesses, with no start date given. Waste Management is the city's trash hauler.
• Baldwin Park's record high is 118 degrees and its record low is 21 degrees.