Vestavia Hills's Landscaping Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles landscaping rules a little differently. In Vestavia Hills, Alabama, there are 4 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Water Restrictions

When the mayor declares a stage 3 or 4 drought emergency, Code Sec. 17-2 restricts lawn watering to two assigned days a week outside of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., based on whether your address ends in an even or odd number, with police enforcement.

Key details: Trigger: mayoral drought stage declaration. Stage 3-4 watering hours: not 7 a.m.-8 p.m.. Even addresses: water Mon. & Thurs.. Odd addresses: water Tues. & Fri.. Stage 5: outdoor watering banned.

Sec. 17-2(h) directs every police officer of the city to diligently enforce the restrictions once a Stage 3, 4 or 5 declaration is published, as part of their regular duties. Parents are made responsible under the same subsection for violations committed by their minor children. Enforcement only applies while a declared water service emergency is in effect; there is no standing day-of-week watering schedule outside a declared drought stage.

Weed Ordinances

Vestavia Hills makes it a misdemeanor to let grass, weeds or other spontaneous vegetation grow past 12 inches, and section 11-11 lets the city compliance officer demand a cut within 48 hours before setting the matter for a city council hearing on nuisance abatement.

Key details: Height limit: 12 inches for grass, weeds, underbrush. First demand window: 48 hours to cut after notice. Hearing notice: At least 10 calendar days before council hearing. Exception: Agricultural-zoned property exempt. Cost recovery: Unpaid abatement becomes a weed lien.

Letting grass or weeds exceed 12 inches is a misdemeanor under section 11-11(a)(1). If an owner ignores the 48-hour cutting demand and the city council orders abatement after a hearing, the city can cut the growth itself and bill the owner, with unpaid costs collected as a weed lien against the property under Code of Ala. 1975, § 11-67-66.

Native Plants

Vestavia Hills requires every landscape plan submitted for design review to use native, drought-tolerant vegetation where practicable, and the applicant must identify which plants on the plan are native species. The rule sits in the Planting, Installation and Maintenance article of the Zoning Ordinance, section 9.5.1(2), and applies to the landscaping required for new multi-family, non-residential and mixed-use development citywide.

Key details: Governing section: Zoning Ordinance section 9.5.1(2), Planting. Standard: Native, drought-tolerant vegetation where practicable. Plan review: Design Review Board, before Building Permit issues. Applies to: Multi-family, non-residential and mixed-use landscaping. Maintenance duty: Owner replants dead natives next planting season.

Letting required plantings, including the native species shown on an approved landscape plan, die or go unreplaced past the next planting season violates Zoning Ordinance section 9.5.3 and is punishable as a misdemeanor under section 13.7, each day of noncompliance a separate offense under Title 11-45-9, Code of Alabama. The Zoning Official can also withhold a Certificate of Occupancy under section 9.5.2 until required plantings are installed.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Vestavia Hills gives residents more flexibility on native plants.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Vestavia Hills requires a tree permit from the Design Review Board before anyone removes, relocates, destroys or damages a Protected Tree, defined as a tree with at least a six-inch caliper, under Zoning Ordinance §9.6.3. Existing single-family lots and PUD-zoned land are exempt, but new subdivisions of five or more lots must submit a tree-save plan, and violators face separate-offense misdemeanor penalties.

Key details: Protected Tree: 6-inch caliper or larger. Permit authority: Design Review Board (DRB). Exempt land: Single-family lots and PUD zoning. Subdivision trigger: 5+ lot subdivisions need tree-save plan. Appeal window: 10 working days to Commission.

Removing, relocating or damaging a Protected Tree without a permit is enforced under §9.6.7: the Building Official may issue an immediate stop-work order on active construction sites or a formal citation on developed sites, and each tree removed without a permit counts as a separate violation. Convicted violators face misdemeanor penalties under §13.7 and Title 11-45-9, Code of Alabama, for each offense.

The Bottom Line

Vestavia Hills's landscaping rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Vestavia Hills is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Vestavia Hills can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.