Utah is a city with a multitude of rock formations. The geographic landscape is primarily made of mountains, elevated plateaus, and deserts. Salt Lake City is its capital and is a popular spot for skiing. There’s an average of 500 inches of snow each year. The architectural landscape must keep up with the volatile temperatures.
Familiarize yourself with Utah’s geography to ensure your landscaping is a success. The annual precipitation is around six to eighteen inches. This poses multiple challenges to gardening and landscaping. There are diverse vegetation and soil type. It requires a fair amount of work to prosper though.
Your property may be under your jurisdiction but that doesn’t exempt you from the law. There are many rules you need to follow when it comes to outdoor construction or gardening. For example, you can build a structure of 12 feet in your yard but not a single inch over.
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Landscaping Laws in Utah You Need to Know
The landscape codes you need to follow in Utah may be a tad confusing. This article will help you avoid any major mishaps. You might think it’s your responsibility to fix curbs or sidewalks by your home. It’s not! Even if it poses a threat to the public.
It might not seem like a big deal to get it sorted but there are some policies you need to follow. You need to get a street improvement permit first. There’s a $25 fee involved too. The engineering department will do a follow-up to assess the damage. They’ll set certain guidelines to make your job easier.
Let’s talk about pools now. The common assumption is to call a landscaper and get it sorted. That’s not all. You need to acquire a building permit first. This is applicable for most other states too. Your yard will be examined to see if it’s appropriate for a pool.
The law states that a pool must have at least five feet distance from all property lines. The estate must also have fences around six feet tall. You must submit a comprehensive drawing of the pool too. This includes a cross-section design of the plumbing, wiring, gates, and fencing.
What About Driveways?
Residents often want to take the responsibility of constructing driveways themselves. It could be renovation or expansion. Either way, there are regulations to follow here too. Your driveway must be at least twelve feet long. The maximum length you can go for is thirty feet.
Whatever your chosen design is, it must be approved by the city’s engineer first. Downward sloping driveways aren’t typically permitted either. The topography isn’t ideal for this. Your driveway must also curve away from your home. The slope or curve must be at least two percent.
Gardening Laws in Utah You Need to Know
Gardening laws in Utah are rather particular. You can’t sell any plant that germinates any noxious seeds. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small part of it. These weeds or seeds cannot harm crops, livestock, soil, or the public. Some examples include bermudagrass, bindweed, and broad-leaved peppergrass.
Then there are some seeds you can sell in small amounts. You can either sell them mixed or alone at a maximum of 27 seeds per pound. These seeds include dodder, jointed goat grass, poverty weed, and wild oats. All of them must be properly labeled and sold in appropriate quantities.
Crops, flowers, shrubs, or trees must be treated with care. Whatever you’re using to treat it with must be conspicuously labeled. Some substances are commonly recognized and can be used by the public. Calcium carbonate, zinc hydroxide, and blue-stone are a few of many.
Treatment of Plants and Seeds
When it comes to gardening, you need to be transparent. If you’ve treated a plant with any chemical substance, you need to label it as “Treated Seed.” You must also include the name of the chemical you used. For added measure, add any procedures individuals can follow in case of poisoning.
Chemicals are marked with various levels of toxicity. The use of each should cohere to all state regulations. More importantly, the state can choose to modify the details of such substances. They may even choose to prohibit the use of some. You need to conform to all the regulatory changes accordingly.
Conclusion
Despite the unconventional topography, you can build a colorful and rich landscape here. It’s a challenging process but a rewarding one. There are different soil types to work with. So you can nurture a plethora of plants. The plant palette is worth the trouble! Abide by gardening and landscaping laws in Utah and you’re good to go.
Also Read: Gardening and Landscaping Laws in New Hampshire – State Gardener
