9 rules for unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Henrico County requires grass and weeds to be kept at or below 12 inches on residential yards, platted subdivision lots, and property near homes. The county governs countywide, since it has no incorporated towns.
Henrico County Code, Ch. 10, Art. V (Weeds and Grass)
The County Code restricts weed growth to 12 inches in height on the following properties: 1) Any vacant or developed property that is located within the boundaries of a platted subdivision... 3) Owners of residential properties are required to maintain their yard areas at 12 inches or less.
Ordinary trimming of your own trees is not regulated in Henrico. Routine and seasonal pruning is expressly exempt from the county tree-protection standards, and single-family homes on individual lots are exempt from the landscaping division entirely.
Henrico County Code § 24-5302.B.2
In addition to the exemptions in subsection 1 above, the following are exempt from the standards of Sec. 24-5313, Tree Protection: (a) Routine or seasonal pruning in accordance with Sec. 24-5306, Maintenance...
A homeowner removing trees from an individual single-family or duplex lot is exempt from Henrico's tree-protection rules. Tree-removal regulation targets new development, subdivisions, and protected trees near streets, buffers, and Chesapeake Bay areas.
Henrico County Code § 24-5302.B.1
The following are exempt from all standards in this division: (a) Development of a single-family detached or duplex dwelling on an individual lot; however, the standards do apply to a single-family detached or duplex subdivision...
Henrico defines regulated 'weeds' broadly and caps growth at 12 inches on residential and subdivision property. Trees, ornamental shrubbery, flowers, and garden vegetables are excluded from the definition.
Henrico County Code, Ch. 10, Art. V (Weeds and Grass)
[Weeds means] any grass, weeds, bushes, poison ivy, poison oak, or any other vegetative growth other than trees, ornamental shrubbery, flowers, and garden vegetables.
Henrico has no mandatory watering schedule ordinance and has not imposed mandatory restrictions since the early 2000s. During drought the county requests voluntary conservation rather than enforcing odd/even watering days.
Henrico County water conservation request (July 2026)
Henrico is not asking residents to follow a watering schedule at this time, but is asking everyone to conserve in the ways that work best for them.
Henrico County sets no ordinance prohibiting residential rain barrels or rainwater harvesting, and it promotes stormwater capture for water-quality reasons. Virginia law generally encourages, rather than restricts, private rainwater collection.
Henrico does not require native plants in ordinary yards, but land inside a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area must keep a vegetated buffer at least 100 feet wide. New lawn areas and clear-cutting are prohibited in that buffer.
Henrico Environmental Compliance Manual § 6.3.1 (Sec. 24-106.3)
A vegetated buffer area no less than 100 feet in width located adjacent to and landward of the components listed in subsections a. through d. above, and along both sides of any water body with perennial flow. The full buffer area shall be designated as the landward component of the RPA.
Henrico County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting artificial turf in residential yards. Single-family homes on individual lots are exempt from the county landscaping-division standards, so synthetic lawns are generally allowed.
Henrico County does not prohibit residential backyard composting. There is no permit for a home compost pile, but it must be maintained so it does not become a nuisance, harbor rodents, or violate the weed ordinance.
See every category we cover for Henrico County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Henrico County Ordinance Hub →