9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Forsyth County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
In Winston-Salem it is a nuisance to let grass or unmanaged vegetation exceed eight inches. Owners must cut and remove it. Registered turf lawns must also stay under eight inches; violations bring a civil penalty plus abatement cost.
Winston-Salem City Code Sec. 62-2(c)
It is hereby declared a nuisance to permit the growth of noxious vegetation on one's business or residential lot to a height greater than eight inches... It shall also be the duty of the owner to cut and remove all noxious vegetation as often as necessary so as to comply with this subsection.
Winston-Salem's Urban Forestry program cares for and enforces rules on trees in the public right-of-way. Topping street trees is against city ordinance. On your own private trees you may generally prune freely, but street and right-of-way trees need city coordination.
There is no general permit to cut down a tree on your own home lot. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County tree-preservation rules attach to development and land-disturbing (erosion control) permits, not to homeowners removing their own trees without construction.
Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untended growth. Owners must cut and remove it or face a civil penalty and abatement costs.
Winston-Salem City Code Sec. 62-2(c)(1)
Noxious vegetation includes, but is not limited to, non-native grasses that are not turf, nuisance plants that cause a traffic or health hazard, exotic invasive plants, poisonous plants, plants causing rashes, profusely and vigorously growing vegetation, and untended vegetation exceeding a uniform size and shape.
North Carolina has no statewide homeowner watering ban, and there is no permanent year-round schedule in Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Mandatory odd/even watering days and night-only hours apply only when WSFC Utilities declares a drought/water-shortage stage.
Collecting rainwater is legal in North Carolina, and no county or city may prohibit cisterns or rain barrels used for irrigation. Forsyth County sets no ban. State law expressly protects rainwater collection for non-potable use.
Since 2024 Winston-Salem lets residents replace lawns with registered Natural Landscape Areas of native plants. Turf grass must stay under eight inches, areas need a 5-foot setback and defined borders, and registration is required if plants will exceed eight inches.
Winston-Salem City Code Sec. 62-2(c)(7)
Natural Landscape Registration is required if a proposed landscape includes grasses that exceed or are expected to exceed 8 inches in overall height. Registration applications shall be submitted to the City Sustainability Department... Turf grass is eliminated, and native plants, trees and shrubs are planted.
Neither Winston-Salem nor Forsyth County has a specific ordinance banning or mandating artificial turf for home lawns. Its use is governed by general zoning, setback, stormwater, and property-maintenance standards rather than a dedicated turf rule.
Home backyard composting is allowed in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. There is no ordinance requiring or banning it, but a compost pile must not become a nuisance that harbors rodents or vermin, and food furniture/refuse rules still apply.
1 cities in Forsyth County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Forsyth County Ordinance Hub →