Landscaping Rules in Durham, NC (2026)
5 verified landscaping rules for Durham, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Owners of property bordering a Durham street must keep trees trimmed so limbs don't overhang a sidewalk or city right-of-way at less than seven feet of vertical clearance, block sight lines, or obscure traffic signs. The city manager can order corrections and recover costs as a civil penalty if an owner won't comply.
Durham Street Tree Clearance Rule
Some RestrictionsDurham City Code § 26-221(a)
The owner or agent of the owner of any real property bordering on any street and upon whose property there are trees shall maintain those trees so that they do not interfere with or endanger the use of the public streets; interfere with or obstruct illumination of street lights; obscure sight distance or create a traffic hazard; interfere with the visibility of any traffic-control device or sig...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Durham-Durham County's joint Unified Development Ordinance requires new development in the Urban, Suburban, and most Compact Neighborhood tiers to preserve a set percentage of tree coverage, with credit incentives for saving "major specimen trees": evergreens 18 inches dbh or larger, hardwoods 12 inches or larger, and understory trees eight inches or larger. Once an area is designated preserved tree coverage on an approved site plan, it can't be disturbed except for narrow trail and utility exceptions.
Durham Major Specimen Tree Preservation
Significant RestrictionsDurham-Durham County UDO § 8.3.1.D (Preserved Tree Coverage); § 17.3 (Specimen Tree, Major)
Preserved tree coverage areas shall not be disturbed, except the following: Unpaved walking paths and foot trails constructed with minimal disturbance of tree roots and existing vegetation. No tree six inches dbh or greater shall be removed for the construction of the trail. ... All buildings, utilities, and stormwater facilities shall be set back at least 10 feet from the edge of any preserved...
Weed Ordinances
Durham's nuisance-abatement code caps weeds, grass, vines, and briars at 10 inches within 100 feet of a street or 50 feet of a building, and requires owners to cut them back to four inches or less. Violations draw a housing code administrator notice, a misdemeanor charge up to $500 per day, and escalating civil penalties.
Durham Weed and Grass Height Limit
Some RestrictionsDurham City Code § 26-183(2)(a)
It is further found and determined that there exist in the city lots and tracts of land ... upon which dense growths of weeds, vines, briars or undergrowth have been allowed to grow, accumulate or remain ... they are hereby declared to be a public nuisance. (Sec. 26-181) -- A place of dense growth of weeds, grass, vines, or briars, or an area reasonably considered as a lawn, over 10 inches in h...
Water Restrictions
When Durham declares a water shortage, Section 70-566 layers mandatory stages on top of the year-round sprinkler schedule. Stage 1 cuts spray irrigation to one day a week; Stage 2 bans spray irrigation outright and stops vehicle and surface washing; Stage 3 bans nearly all outdoor watering; Stage 4 prohibits all outdoor water use. The city manager declares and lifts each stage.
Durham Drought Stage Irrigation Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsDurham, N.C. Code of Ordinances § 70-566
(a)Stage 1 water shortage. Upon declaration of a stage 1 water shortage, users shall comply with the following measures:(1)Spray irrigation. Users shall not operate spray irrigation systems more than one day per week as specified by the director and based on the location address. Irrigation may not occur between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. ... (b)Stage 2 water shortage. Upon declaration of a stage...
Rainwater Harvesting
Durham does not mandate rainwater harvesting citywide, but its Unified Development Ordinance rewards it downtown. A Downtown Design District project that installs rooftop cisterns sized to capture the first inch of rainfall off impervious roof area, reused on-site for toilet flushing or irrigation, earns 15 additional feet of building height in the Core and Support 1 sub-districts under UDO § 16.3.3(C)(1).
Durham UDO Rooftop Cistern Height Bonus
Light RestrictionsUDO § 16.3.3(C)(1)
Provide cistern(s) to collect stormwater from on-site rooftop impervious surfaces with a minimum volume to accommodate the first one inch of rainfall. To receive this credit the runoff must be captured and used on site for the purposes of flushing toilets or irrigation.
Looking for Durham County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Durham city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Durham County →