9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 5 cities in Salt Lake County, Utah.
Verified from official government sources
Salt Lake County does not actively enforce a grass-height ordinance at the county level - the Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) explicitly states it cannot investigate noxious weed or overgrown vegetation complaints. In incorporated areas (Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy, Murray, South Salt Lake, etc.), each municipality enforces its own grass and weed height limit. Salt Lake City Code Sec. 9.16.040 caps weeds and grass at 6 inches; South Salt Lake Code Sec. 8.04 applies the same 6-inch standard.
Salt Lake City Code Sec. 9.16.040 - Weed Control Specifications
Weeds shall be maintained at a height of not more than six inches (6") at all times, and the cuttings shall be promptly cleared and removed from the premises. Low-growing puncturevine, poison ivy, and bindweed must be removed regardless of height. Weeds which are eradicated by chemicals must be done so before their height exceeds six inches (6"), or they must be cut at a level not exceeding six...
Salt Lake County itself does not maintain a stand-alone tree-trimming ordinance for private property. In incorporated cities, street-tree pruning requires a permit: Salt Lake City Code Sec. 2.26.190 makes adjoining private property owners responsible for street-tree maintenance and requires a permit from the Department of Public Lands before pruning or removing any public tree. In the Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone (Title 19 Chapter 19.72), no vegetation may be removed outside the approved limits of disturbance.
Salt Lake County does not require a permit to remove most healthy trees from a private lot outside an overlay zone. Inside the Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone (Chapter 19.72), no trees or vegetation may be removed outside approved limits of disturbance. In Salt Lake City, any removal of a public tree (street tree, park-strip tree, park tree) requires a permit from the Department of Public Lands under Code Sec. 2.26, and the permittee may be required to compensate the city by replacement or monetary assessment.
Salt Lake County administers the state Utah Noxious Weed Act (Utah Code Title 4 Chapter 17) but does not actively investigate residential complaints. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food maintains the state noxious weed list and the county weed program provides identification and best-management guidance. Salt Lake City Code Sec. 9.16.030-9.16.040 enforces a 6-inch height limit on weeds and grass, with mandatory removal of puncturevine, poison ivy, and bindweed regardless of height.
Salt Lake County is not a water utility and does not set outdoor watering schedules. Restrictions are set by the water provider serving each property - Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD wholesale), Granger-Hunter Improvement District, Hexagon Water (Murray), and Sandy City Public Utilities. Utah Division of Water Resources' Weekly Lawn Watering Guide is the regional baseline. Watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is widely prohibited or strongly discouraged during the irrigation season (typically May 1 - October 1).
Utah Code Sec. 73-10-34 - Secondary water metering
A secondary water supplier that supplies secondary water within a county of the first or second class and begins design work for new service on or after April 1, 2020, to a commercial, industrial, institutional, or residential user shall meter the use of pressurized secondary water by the users receiving that new service... [A] secondary water supplier shall meter the use of pressurized seconda...
Rainwater harvesting in Salt Lake County is allowed but state-regulated under Utah Code Sec. 73-3-1.5. Capture is limited to two underground containers of up to 2,500 gallons each, OR up to two above-ground containers of up to 100 gallons each, and requires free registration with the Utah Division of Water Rights when over 100 gallons. Captured water must be used on the parcel where it is collected.
Salt Lake County encourages native, drought-tolerant landscape under Title 19 Chapter 19.77 (Water Efficient Landscape Design Standards). For new development and certain redevelopments, turf grass shall not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the area to be landscaped, with a strong preference for water-wise and native plants. Utah Code Sec. 17-50-339 (HB 282, 2022) prohibits HOAs from banning water-wise or native plants in front, side, or rear yards.
Salt Lake County does not prohibit artificial turf on private residential lots. Inside Salt Lake City limits, Chapter 21A.48 (Landscaping and Buffers) prohibits artificial turf in any location where landscaping is regulated by the chapter, including required front-yard landscape areas and park strips, after a March 2024 City Council clarification. Suburban Salt Lake County cities have varied rules - confirm with the local planning office.
Backyard composting is permitted and encouraged in unincorporated Salt Lake County for residential yard and vegetable kitchen waste. Compost bins must be maintained to avoid odor, vermin, and leachate nuisance. Large-scale composting requires a UDAF registration or a state solid waste permit depending on volume and feedstock.
5 cities in Salt Lake County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
8 verified rules • Artificial Turf, Grass Height Limits
8 verified rules • Artificial Turf, Grass Height Limits
8 verified rules • Artificial Turf, Grass Height Limits
8 verified rules • Artificial Turf, Grass Height Limits
5 verified rules • Grass Height Limits, Native Plants
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