Landscaping Rules in Fort Lauderdale, FL (2026)

Fort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 18, secs. 18-3 (Definitions) and 18-12(a) (Ordinance No. C-09-18)

Overgrowth means lawn, grass or weeds in excess of six (6) inches in height. ... It is declared unlawful and a public nuisance for any owner or occupant of any real property, including any lot, tract or parcel of land, improved or unimproved in this city to maintain such property, including swale areas, sidewalks and waterways abutting such real property, or permit such property to be maintaine...

Fla. Stat. 163.045(2) and (3) (Tree pruning, trimming, or removal on residential property)

A local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on residential property if the property owner obtains documentation from an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree presents an unacceptable risk to persons or property. A l...

Fort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances ch. 18, sec. 18-12(a) (Ordinance No. C-09-18)

It is declared unlawful and a public nuisance for any owner or occupant of any real property, including any lot, tract or parcel of land, improved or unimproved in this city to maintain such property, including swale areas, sidewalks and waterways abutting such real property, or permit such property to be maintained in such a manner that there is any accumulation or untended growth of weeds, un...

Fla. Stat. 373.62(1) (Water conservation; automatic sprinkler systems)

Any person who purchases and installs an automatic landscape irrigation system must properly install, maintain, and operate technology that inhibits or interrupts operation of the system during periods of sufficient moisture.