Landscape Plan Review

A review of a project's landscape plans to verify compliance with local landscaping ordinances, including plant selection, irrigation efficiency, screening requirements, and water conservation standards.

What Is Landscape Plan Review?

Landscape plan review is the evaluation of a project's landscaping design for compliance with local landscape ordinances and water-efficiency standards. Many jurisdictions require landscape plans as part of the building permit or site plan review process, particularly for new commercial construction, parking lots, and projects above a certain size threshold. In California, the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) sets statewide standards that most jurisdictions enforce.

What Gets Reviewed

Reviewers evaluate plant species selection (including requirements for drought-tolerant or native species), irrigation system design and water efficiency, minimum planting areas and canopy coverage, parking lot shading requirements, screening and buffering between land uses, soil preparation and mulch standards, water budget calculations, and compliance with any local tree preservation ordinances. The review ensures that landscaping serves both aesthetic and functional purposes — stormwater management, heat island reduction, and habitat creation.

When It's Required

Most jurisdictions require landscape plan review for new commercial and multi-family construction, significant building additions or renovations, new parking lots or parking lot expansions, and projects requiring design review or site plan approval. Some jurisdictions also require landscape plans for large single-family developments. The threshold and specific requirements vary by jurisdiction.

Typical Timeline

Landscape plan review typically takes 2 to 4 weeks and usually runs concurrently with other plan reviews (building, fire, engineering). However, landscape plans are often among the last drawings completed by design teams, so late submittals can create bottlenecks. Resubmittals for corrections typically add 1-2 weeks per cycle. In jurisdictions with complex water-efficiency requirements, the landscape review can occasionally take longer than the building plan review itself.