6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Yolo County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Yolo County does not impose a specific lawn or grass height limit in the County Code. Overgrown vegetation can still be abated as a public nuisance under Title 6, and on parcels in or adjoining wildland fuel, California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures, with intensified fuel reduction within 5-30 feet.
California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291(a)
A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material, shall at all times do all of the following: (1) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not be...
Yolo County Code Sec. 8-2.1005 requires that trees located within 20 feet of intersected street lines have their main trunks trimmed free of branches to a height of 7.5 feet above the curb grade, preserving sight lines for vehicles. The County does not impose a general residential tree-removal permit, but it has adopted a Hazard Tree Removal Program (Title 6, Chapter 22) for fire-damaged trees, and an Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan that encourages voluntary protection of oak habitat.
California Civil Code Sec. 3346(a)
For wrongful injuries to timber, trees, or underwood upon the land of another, or removal thereof, the measure of damages is three times such sum as would compensate for the actual detriment, except that where the trespass was casual or involuntary, or that the defendant in any action brought under this section had probable cause to believe that the land on which the trespass was committed was ...
Unincorporated Yolo County does not maintain a comprehensive 'heritage tree' permit ordinance comparable to that of the cities, but native oak removal and agricultural tree work are addressed through the General Plan's oak woodland conservation policies and through specific Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review for development projects. The cities of Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento operate their own tree-protection ordinances. Statewide street-tree rules under Streets & Highways Code Sec. 22500 may also apply.
Yolo County does not adopt a numeric weed-height ordinance for residential parcels. Noxious-weed control on agricultural and conservation lands is coordinated through the Yolo County Weed Management Area (a voluntary cooperative program run with the Yolo RCD), with herbicide application permits issued by the Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner. Wildland fuel reduction defaults to California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291 (100-ft defensible space).
California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291(a)(1)
A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material, shall at all times do all of the following: (1) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not be...
Unincorporated Yolo County is subject to a tiered drought-response ordinance at Title 6, Chapter 8 of the Yolo County Code. Under the permanent Level 1 restrictions, potable water cannot be applied to landscapes in a manner causing more than incidental runoff, and landscape watering with sprinklers is prohibited between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Higher levels (up to Level 5, targeting a 50% reduction) can be triggered by the Board of Supervisors during declared drought emergencies.
California Water Code Sec. 1058.5 (State Water Board emergency conservation authority)
Any person or entity that violates a regulation adopted by the board pursuant to this section is guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500) for each day in which the violation occurs. The board may issue emergency regulations regarding water waste, use, diversion, recycling, and conservation. The board must make findings that the regulation addresses water...
1 cities in Yolo County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Yolo County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Yolo County Ordinance Hub →