Brush Clearance: Brandon vs Temple Terrace

Hillsborough County requires property owners in wildland-urban interface areas, particularly the rural eastern county and agricultural zones near Plant City, to maintain defensible space. Tall grass, palmetto, and accumulated vegetation must be cleared within 30 feet of structures during dry season.

Temple Terrace requires residential lots be kept clear of dead vegetation, dry brush, and combustible debris as nuisance conditions under city code. There is no formal defensible-space zone like western states, but overgrown lots in violation can be abated by the city with costs billed to the owner.