Definitely not an expert but rocket junipers or Hollywood juniper would be pretty amazing with all that sun and add privacy and character IMO !

Your choices are good ones but a couple things to consider. What is planted on the other side of your fences? You want to avoid a neighbor's tree blocking yours as they both grow. And, maybe the neighbor plantings will give you some of the privacy you want. Consider the mature growth shape & size to determine how far from your fence & into your yard your tree choice will need to be placed.. Magnolia Little Gem is round, 20' tall & @ 10' wide - so, 5' into your yard so your neighbor doesn't have to whack half of one side that's hanging into their yard. Podocarpus gracilor 20-60 ft tall x 10-20 wide. Can be pruned as hedge but lots of work. I didn’t look up the rest on your list but I think you get the idea. Decide the shape you want then find plants that fit. I think that’s why @Melissa A made the suggestions she did - narrow & drought tolerant once established. IMO there are prettier & better choices. Unless your landscaper is more than hardscape & sprinkler installer, it’s well worth the time & effort to take pictures of your yard & visit a good nursery to get help & info. Also, take picures of mature plants in other yards that appeal to you.

ETA: looked up Rhus & Ligistrum - both have toxic leaves, berries or sap - do you have pets or kids? Rhus may be messy. I may be reading about a different variety for some of your list but a good bit of reading about each is advised! I’m now not so sure those are good choices for your space.

Was curious about the 3 Geijera you will have - advise caution! see what I found at this link

Geijara - willow

Huge & maybe unpleasant fragrance. Maybe there’s another variety for your area but I’ve lost confidence in your landscape person. Sorry to be negative but I have gone through the installation of brand new landscapes in my brand new houses 4 times.. I’ve been more knowledgeable each time learning from past errors - some major!

For evergreen, drought and heat tolerant trees that don't get too wide or grow too slow the australian acacias are great! We have A. Aneura, A. Salicina and A. Jennerae and love them all.

If you get the Rhus Lancea keep a lookout for volunteers as our neighbor has one that is trying to send its progeny into our yard:)

The arbutus and podocarpus are attractive but can‘t handle the heat and sun in our yard. I‘ve seen them look good in coastal SoCal.

Only plant native trees to your area. it is the ecologically responsible thing to do. you can find evergreens -/ look up your zipcode in Calscape.org

I think the magnolias might want more water than you'd like to give them.

How about fern pine ?

I am a landscape designer and like the Geijeras. They are reliable. Rhus are toxic and can bother some people causing a poison-oak like rash. We also use Laurus nobilis Saratoga - drought tolerant. Not terribly speedy growers. Stay away from the Magnolia. Too hot and too little water in CA for them and birches any more. For every healthy one you see, there will be 20 struggling ones.

Mock orange (pittosporum tobira) can be an option but is a bit slow growing (in this climate) and will not get very high, maybe only 5 or 6 feet within the 6 years.

Nageia nagi (Nagi podocarpus) can have interesting ornamental foliage, but the tree might eventually get a little bigger than you want and require too much pruning maintenance, and will also require consistent summer watering.

Camellia bushes are also possible in this climate, but are not really the most suitable plants for the climate, may not do as well in too much sun and heat.

Maybe a small cork oak tree? They are slow growing and probably won't get too tall anytime soon. Will probably remain a large bush size for the next 8 years. There are some other evergreen scrub oaks such as turbinella oak which remain more of a bush, and are very adapted to dry conditions, if they do not get watered too much after being established.

There are some cultivars of olive that do not grow too tall, such as 'Skylark' (fruitless).

Maybe a rockrose bush (the taller species are Cistus laurifolius and Cistus ladanifer, might only get 5 feet tall) or Mediterranean cypress.

There's also California sagebrush. An ornamental banana may also be an option (yes, they can survive zone 9b, but may require more water).

Satsuma mandarin, if you are willing to consistently water during the summer and want delicious citrus fruit. They can make nice evergreen bushes that can easily be pruned to 5 or 6 feet in height, perfect for a privacy bush, though the bottom 2 feet might not be entirely blocked.

Murraya paniculata is another citrus relative, with fragrant flowers that look and smell similar to orange blossoms or jasmine. That could be a good one, though again may require just a little more water. It can grow in zone 9b.

Do they have to be trees? There are plenty of tall shrubs that would provide privacy from the neighbors.

Even your smaller trees would hang over the neighbors yard unless you plant them at least 6 feet back from the fence.

I agree some of the ones you mention are very messy and would be rude to the neighbors to have to deal with them. Privet? Ugh.

We have tall bushes that are not from California and provide for pollenators so not sure why they have to be native to our area (Bay Area)

Tiger Swallowtail love our Cape Plumbago. Hummers and Finches love our Tecomaria. Ceanothus is native. Bees love Bottlebrush. Our Butterfly Bush does attract butterflies, lots of options. They grow very tall in our Climate (Redwood City).

Cape Plumbago

I wish these "Pros" would stop reviving old threads....3 years old!!! Sheesh.

Sometimes the general information they add is useful, even if not to the original poster.