Landscaping Rules in Jefferson Parish, LA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Trees growing on Jefferson Parish public property, including the grassy strip between the sidewalk and the street, cannot be pruned, trimmed, or removed without a permit from the department of parkway. Property owners may trim vegetation fronting their own lot without a permit, but removing a tree always requires one, and only a parish-licensed tree service can do the cutting.
Jefferson Parish Rules on Trimming Street Trees
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Sec. 37-19(a)-(b)
(a)Except as otherwise provided in this article, no person, or contractor, other than a parish-licensed tree service operator or parish-licensed landscaper shall plant, prune, trim, remove or decorate any tree or other vegetation in or on public property without a permit from the department of parkway. Such permitting is not required for plantings that have been approved by the parish under a s...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Cutting or clearing a protected tree, generally any oak, elm, magnolia, sycamore, or other significant canopy tree of 8 inches or more in diameter, requires sign-off from the parish landscape architect, landscape planner, or parish arborist. Removal is allowed only if a licensed arborist certifies the tree is diseased or hazardous, or the tree sits in a zoning district's designated uncontested removal area, and replacement or a fee-in-lieu payment is due either way.
Protected Tree Removal Permit in Jefferson Parish
Significant RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Sec. 33-6.27.7(d)
(d)Cutting or clearing protected trees. The parish landscape architect, landscape planner, or parish arborist may allow, through the applicable development approval procedures, the cutting or clearing of a protected tree under the following circumstances:(1)The protected tree is diseased or hazardous, as certified by a licensed arborist.(2)Trees removed within the uncontested tree removal area,...
Weed Ordinances
Jefferson Parish caps grass and weeds at eight inches within 150 feet of any building on a lot. Sec. 19-18 declares taller growth, plus any other deleterious or unhealthful vegetation, a nuisance, and it also reaches uncontrolled or unmaintained flowerbeds, gardens and landscaping, not just an unmowed lawn.
Jefferson Parish Weed and Grass Height Limit
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Sec. 19-18
It shall be unlawful for any person or proprietary party to maintain, permit or allow on any premises, within one hundred fifty (150) feet of an existing building, the growth of grass or weeds, other than trees, shrubs, cultivated flowers, gardens, and any vegetation that is part of an approved stormwater management plan, to exceed a height of eight (8) inches or more, or to permit or allow on ...
Native Plants
Jefferson Parish's low impact development standards let site plans meet part of their stormwater and landscaping obligations by choosing native plants over conventional shrubs and turf. Section 33-6.26 lists native species as a preferred best-management practice for absorbing rainfall, and the planning director can let a project substitute native grasses for required shrubs when the substitution serves an approved stormwater system.
Native Plants Encouraged in Jefferson Parish Site Design
Few RestrictionsJefferson Parish Unified Development Code § 33-6.26(d)(6)
(6)Choose native plants that are easy to maintain, adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, and possess the ability to intercept and hold rainwater and decrease water flow velocity; and(7)Maximize natural lands or existing vegetation set aside for conservation or preservation and protect them from clearing, grading, and other construction-related impacts.
Composting
Backyard composting in Jefferson Parish does not trigger the zoning and licensing rules that apply to a commercial composting operation. The parish's Unified Development Code defines 'composting facility' as a business-scale operation and expressly carves small-scale residential composting for a resident's own use out of that definition.
Jefferson Parish Exempts Home Composting From Facility Rules
Few RestrictionsJefferson Parish Unified Development Code § 33-10.2 (Definitions)
Composting facility shall mean a facility where organic matter is processed by natural or mechanical means to aid the microbial decomposition of the organic matter. Composting facility as defined in this section shall not include small-scale residential composting for use by the resident.
All Jefferson Parish ordinances
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