9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Cumberland County and Fayetteville set no single numeric grass-height number in the general code; instead, heavy undergrowth or noxious plant growth on an occupied lot is a property-maintenance violation abated by code enforcement.
Fayetteville Code Sec. 14-35(b)(4)
Heavy undergrowths or accumulations of plant growth which are noxious or detrimental to health shall be prohibited on the lot on which the structure is located.
Existing single-family homes are exempt from Fayetteville's landscaping and tree-protection standards, so you can trim trees on your own lot without a permit. The rules apply to new development, not routine homeowner pruning.
Fayetteville UDO Sec. 30-5.B.6.b.2
The following development shall be exempt from these standards: ... Existing single-family detached residential dwellings except for trees planted to fulfill the street tree requirements of Section 30-5.B.4.a; and Installation and maintenance activities conducted by utility providers within utility easements, public lands, or public right-of-way.
Homeowners at existing single-family homes may remove trees on their own lot without a Fayetteville permit. Tree-protection rules, including specimen-tree limits, apply to new development. A specimen tree is any healthy tree 30 inches caliper or larger.
Fayetteville UDO Sec. 30-5.B.6.e.1
Any healthy tree with a caliper measurement meeting or exceeding 30 inches shall be considered to be a specimen tree unless exempted under Section 30-5.B.7.a.2.
Noxious or health-detrimental plant growth on a residential lot is prohibited under Fayetteville's property-maintenance code, and Cumberland County's public health director retains authority to abate overgrown lots as public health nuisances.
Cumberland County Code Sec. 9-40
Nothing herein shall be deemed or interpreted to abrogate or limit the authority of the county public health director to abate public health nuisances.
Fayetteville PWC water customers follow a year-round odd-even sprinkler schedule: even-numbered addresses water Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday; odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Hand watering is allowed any time.
Fayetteville PWC Year-Round Odd-Even Watering Schedule
Even Addresses (ending in 0,2,4,6,8) Monday, Wednesday, & Saturday. Odd Addresses (ending in 1,3,5,7,9) Tuesday, Thursday, & Sunday. It only applies to sprinklers (through your hose or automatic systems). You can still hand water, wash your car, etc. any time.
Neither Cumberland County nor Fayetteville prohibits residential rain barrels or rainwater harvesting. North Carolina encourages capturing rainwater for outdoor use, and PWC promotes it as a water-conservation practice; no permit is needed for typical backyard barrels.
Fayetteville encourages native, drought-tolerant landscaping and requires that at least 50 percent of new trees planted on regulated development sites be native. Homeowners are not required to use native plants in their own yards.
Fayetteville UDO Sec. 30-5.B.3.e.2.g
The use of native, drought tolerant vegetation is encouraged to reduce dependency upon irrigation. Fifty percent of all new trees planted shall be native.
Cumberland County and Fayetteville have no ordinance specifically banning artificial turf on residential lots. UDO landscaping requirements for development are met with live plant material, but homeowners may generally install synthetic lawns; check HOA covenants first.
Backyard composting is allowed in Cumberland County and Fayetteville. No ordinance bans home compost piles, but they must be managed so they do not create odors, attract vermin, or become a public health nuisance.
1 cities in Cumberland County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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