Landscaping Rules in Chesterfield County, VA (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Chesterfield bars property owners from letting a hedge, shrub or tree branch overhang a street, sidewalk or public alley enough to block safe passage, or from leaving dead limbs positioned to fall into the roadway. Sec. 11-32(c) treats overgrown, hazardous limbs alongside tall grass and weeds under the county's property-maintenance code.
Chesterfield County Overhanging Tree Limb Rule
Some RestrictionsChesterfield County Code § 11-32(c),(d),(g)(2)
(c)No owner of any lot or parcel of land shall permit to grow or remain thereon any hedge, shrub, tree or other vegetation, the limbs, branches or other parts of which overhang, extend or protrude into any street, sidewalk or public alley in a manner which obstructs or impedes the safe and orderly movement of persons or vehicles thereon, or, in the case of trees, when the dead limbs or branches...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Chesterfield requires tree preservation, not homeowner tree permits. During subdivision or site development, plans must preserve or replace trees to meet Virginia's tree-canopy targets under Va. Code Sec. 15.2-961.1, and the county's landscaping ordinance protects trees three inches DBH or larger.
Tree Preservation Permits During Development
Some RestrictionsVa. Code Sec. 15.2-961.1
The ordinance shall require that the site plan for any subdivision or development provide for the preservation or replacement of trees on the development site such that the minimum tree canopy or tree cover percentage 20 years after development is projected to be as follows
Weed Ordinances
Chesterfield's weed ordinance requires grass and weeds to be kept under 12 inches at occupied dwellings and 18 inches at unoccupied ones. Ignore a written notice and the county cuts it, billing you the cost plus a $35 fee.
Tall Grass and Weeds Ordinance
Some RestrictionsVA Code § 15.2-1215
[Counties may require owners to cut grass or lawn area] when growth on such grass or lawn area exceeds 12 inches in height... Violation of such ordinance may be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $100.
Water Restrictions
Chesterfield County assigns landscape watering to three fixed days a week by street address once the director declares voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions. Odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; even-numbered addresses (and those with no street number) water Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Watering is banned outright on Mondays.
Chesterfield County Landscape Watering Day Rules
Some RestrictionsChesterfield County, VA, Code of Ordinances § 18-153(4)
(4)Established landscaping. Watering is limited to three days per week by address. Addresses ending with an odd number may water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Addresses ending with an even number and locations with no street number may water only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Watering is prohibited on Mondays. Watering with buckets of up to five gallons per day is permitted a...
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