Landscaping Rules in Murfreesboro, TN (2026)
4 verified landscaping rules for Murfreesboro, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Trees and shrubs on public or private property in Murfreesboro must leave seven feet of clearance over sidewalks and 15.5 feet over travel lanes, or the City Arborist can declare them a public nuisance.
Murfreesboro Street & Sidewalk Tree Clearance
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro City Code § 32.5-8(A)(2)
Any tree, shrub, or other plant, or portion thereof, whether located on public property or private property, that obstructs the free passage of pedestrian (seven feet minimum clearance) or vehicular traffic (15.5 feet minimum clearance) or which obstructs a traffic signal or traffic sign.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Murfreesboro requires a City Arborist permit before anyone plants, prunes, removes, or otherwise disturbs a tree in a public area or street right-of-way, with Landmark Trees getting extra protection from removal.
Murfreesboro Public Tree Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro City Code § 32.5-6
No person other than the City Arborist, designee, or a contractor employed by the City Arborist, may perform any of the following acts on a tree in a public area without first obtaining a permit: plant, maintain, treat, prune, remove, replant, replace or otherwise disturb any tree.
Weed Ordinances
Murfreesboro caps weeds, rank grass, and noxious growth at 12 inches on small tracts, house lawns and unimproved lots of two acres or less, under the City's Weed and Refuse Ordinance, with a lighter twice-yearly mowing rule for bigger unimproved parcels.
Grass and Weed Height Limit Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro City Code § 14-53(A)
Small tracts of land, whether improved or unimproved within the City, shall be kept cut, clipped, or controlled through chemical means as frequently as necessary to ensure that weeds, rank grass, and noxious growths do not exceed a height of 12 inches. Small tracts are defined as building lawns, sidewalk neutral strips, walkways, gardens, decorative landscaped areas, and unimproved lots of two ...
Water Restrictions
Murfreesboro doesn't restrict lawn watering day-to-day, but once the Mayor or City Council declares a water shortage emergency, watering lawns, gardens, trees, and shrubs becomes a banned 'nonessential use' under the water conservation ordinance.
Murfreesboro Lawn Watering Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsMurfreesboro City Code § 33-104(B)(5)
(B)Nonessential use category 1. The following uses are declared to be nonessential uses, category 1:(1)Washing sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios or other exterior paved areas, except by the City for the public safety.(2)Filling or refilling a swimming pool.(3)Noncommercial washing of privately owned motor vehicles, trailers and boats.(4)Any use of water from a fire hydr...
Looking for Rutherford County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Murfreesboro city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Rutherford County →