Landscaping Rules in Council Bluffs, IA (2026)
6 verified landscaping rules for Council Bluffs, Iowa, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Property owners abutting a Council Bluffs public right-of-way must keep trees and shrubs clear of the street and sidewalk. CBMC 10.52.080 sets minimum clearances: eight feet over sidewalks, twelve feet over ordinary streets and alleys, and fifteen feet over primary road extensions, plus a thirty-inch cap on vegetation kept within three feet of the pavement edge.
Council Bluffs Tree Trimming Clearance Rules
Some RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs Municipal Code § 10.52.080
All shrubs, hedges, flowers, plants or other vegetation shall be kept trimmed back from all streets, sidewalks or alleyways so that vehicular and pedestrian traffic thereon is not impaired. All shrubs, hedges, flowers, plants or other vegetation in the public right-of-way shall be kept trimmed to a height not greater than thirty (30) inches above the street pavement level and shall be trimmed a...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
In the City of Council Bluffs, removing a tree from a public right-of-way or other public property requires a permit from the director of parks, recreation and public property under Council Bluffs Municipal Code § 10.52.010. The director can refuse the permit under § 10.52.020 if removing a healthy, desirable tree would harm the area's appearance or if the applicant has no reasonable justification for the removal.
Permit Required to Remove Right-of-Way Trees, Council Bluffs
Significant RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs Municipal Code § 10.52.010
No person, firm, corporation, association or other legal entity shall remove any tree in or upon any public right-of-way or any other public property within the city limits of the city of Council Bluffs without first obtaining a permit as provided herein. ... The director of parks, recreation and public property may refuse to issue a permit herein under any of the following conditions: The prop...
Weed Ordinances
In the City of Council Bluffs, weeds, grass, vines, bushes and volunteer trees under three inches in diameter are a nuisance once they exceed eighteen inches in height under CBMC 1.97.030, and any noxious weed defined by Iowa Code is a nuisance at any height. CBMC 4.19.010 makes cutting them the owner's duty, subject to the exceptions in CBMC 4.19.050.
Council Bluffs 18-Inch Weed and Grass Height Limit
Some RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs Municipal Code § 1.97.030
All weeds, vines, bushes, volunteer trees less than three inches in diameter, grass and other growths which exceed a height of eighteen (18) inches, and all noxious weeds of any dimension as defined by the Iowa Code growing on lots and parcels of ground within the corporate limits of the city, except for those exemptions contained in CBMC 4.19.050;
Water Restrictions
Council Bluffs regulates outdoor watering only through its Emergency Water Conservation Plan, adopted by reference in CBMC Chapter 8.90. The city does not print odd/even watering-day schedules directly in the municipal code; instead the mayor is authorized to activate restrictions from the 1990 plan on file with the city clerk, with violations enforced as a municipal infraction or misdemeanor.
Council Bluffs Emergency Water Conservation Rules
Some RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs Municipal Code §§ 8.90.010, 8.90.020, 8.90.030
The emergency water conservation plan, as approved and adopted by the Council Bluffs water works board of trustees on August 21, 1990, by Resolution 901-01-07, a copy of which is now on file in the office of the city clerk, is hereby adopted by reference as the emergency water conservation plan for the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa. ... The mayor is authorized and directed to take appropriate ac...
Native Plants
In the City of Council Bluffs, a purposefully planted flower garden, including ornamental grasses and natural grasses, is exempt from the citywide 18-inch weed-height limit. CBMC 4.19.050 protects the bed as long as it's kept free of weeds, giving homeowners room for native or ornamental grass plantings that would otherwise trip the weed nuisance rule in CBMC 1.97.030.
Council Bluffs Flower Garden Height Exemption
Few RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs Municipal Code § 4.19.050
Flower Garden. Purposefully planted flower gardens shall include ornamental grasses as well as natural grasses, shall be permitted to exceed eighteen (18) inches in height if they are maintained free from weeds.
Composting
Council Bluffs generally bans burying solid waste anywhere but an approved landfill, but CBMC 4.12.030 carves out an exception for leaves, garden and lawn trimmings: residents may compost and bury that yard debris on the same premises where it was generated, without a permit or landfill trip.
Council Bluffs Backyard Composting Exception
Few RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs Municipal Code § 4.12.030
The following items may be buried upon the following terms and conditions: Inorganic construction debris (rubble) buried pursuant to appropriate city permit; Materials, such as sludge, which are allowed to be buried pursuant to state statute or regulation; and Leaves and garden and lawn trimmings may be composted and buried on the premises upon which they are generated.