Landscaping Rules in Erie, PA (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for Erie, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Grass Height Limits
Grass and weed height in the City of Erie is regulated under Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program), adopted by Ordinance 39-2018 on October 17, 2018, and codified at codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/erie/. Article 1129 defines weeds as all grasses, annual plants, and vegetation (excluding cultivated flowers, gardens, trees, and shrubs) and authorizes any public officer to issue a quality-of-life ticket for high grass and weeds. Erie code enforcement issues notice and may abate at the owner's cost, recovered via municipal lien.
Erie PA Grass Height and Quality of Life Ticketing
Some RestrictionsTree Trimming
Trimming a wholly private tree on a property in the City of Erie generally does not require a City permit. Trees on streets and municipal property fall under Article 165 of the Erie Codified Ordinances (Urban Forest Committee), and no person may plant, maintain, remove, or disturb a tree or shrub on a street or municipal property without first filing an application and obtaining a permit from the City Arborist. Pennsylvania common-law self-help allows trimming a neighbor's overhanging branches up to the property line.
Erie PA Tree Trimming and Urban Forest Committee Rules
Some RestrictionsTree Removal & Heritage Trees
Tree removal in the City of Erie is governed by Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee). No person may remove a tree or shrub on a street or municipal property without filing an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist, and Article 165.07(c) imposes a $50 administrative fee for tree-removal applications (waivable for City-confirmed hazard removals). Routine removal of dead, diseased, or hazardous trees on private property is generally exempt from City permitting.
Erie PA Tree Removal Rules
Some RestrictionsWeed Ordinances
Weed control in the City of Erie combines local Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program) high-grass-and-weeds enforcement with Pennsylvania's statewide noxious-plant framework under 3 Pa.C.S. §255 (the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act administered by the PA Department of Agriculture's Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee). Locally, Erie Code Enforcement issues notice-and-abate tickets for rank vegetation; statewide, the PA Department of Agriculture maintains a tiered controlled-plant list including Japanese knotweed and Tree-of-Heaven.
Erie PA Weed and Noxious Plant Rules
Some RestrictionsWater Restrictions
Erie Water Works, the regulated water utility serving the City of Erie, draws from Lake Erie and historically reports no shortages even during regional PA Drought Watch declarations. Outdoor watering restrictions are tied to declarations under the Pennsylvania Drought Emergency Act (3 P.S. §1701+) issued by PA DEP and the Commonwealth Drought Task Force; during a Drought Emergency, mandatory restrictions apply statewide. Erie Water Works is a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) regulated utility under 66 Pa.C.S.
Erie PA Water Restrictions and Lake Erie Supply
Few RestrictionsNative Plants
The City of Erie does not mandate native-plant landscaping on residential property. The Erie Environmental Advisory Council (codified at eCode360 https://ecode360.com/43570009) is established under the Pennsylvania Environmental Advisory Council Act (53 P.S. §11304) and promotes sustainability education. The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Erie County and PA DCNR provide free native-plant guidance. Pennsylvania's Right to Farm Act (3 P.S. §951-957) protects qualifying agricultural operations from nuisance suits raised more than one year after operations begin.
Erie PA Native Plants and Environmental Advisory Council
Few RestrictionsComposting
Backyard composting in the City of Erie is permitted and encouraged. The City operates a curbside compost-collection program that picks up grass clippings, leaves, hedge and shrub trimmings, and garden clippings in approved compostable bags (ASTM D6400) or hard containers (50-lb limit) on regular trash days. PA Act 101 (53 P.S. §4000.101+) requires Pennsylvania municipalities over 5,000 population to provide yard-waste collection. Open burning of leaves is prohibited under 25 Pa. Code §129.14.