Hillsborough County requires property owners in wildland-urban interface areas, particularly the rural eastern county and agricultural zones near Plant City, to maintain defensible space. Tall grass, palmetto, and accumulated vegetation must be cleared within 30 feet of structures during dry season.
Code Enforcement and Fire Rescue coordinate with the Florida Forest Service on brush hazard reduction. Owners of undeveloped and improved parcels must remove dead vegetation, trim low tree limbs, and keep grass under 18 inches near buildings. The Firewise USA program is promoted for neighborhoods near pine flatwoods and conservation lands. Prescribed burns on adjacent state preserves are common in winter and spring.
Initial notice: 10 days to abate. Failure to clear: county contractor abatement with lien on property plus administrative fee. Repeat violations: special magistrate fines up to 250 dollars per day.
Hillsborough County, FL
Hillsborough County Animal Control Ordinance treats continuous barking over 10 minutes, or intermittent barking over 30 minutes, as a public nuisance enforce...
Hillsborough County, FL
Construction noise in unincorporated Hillsborough County is restricted to 7 AM through 7 PM Monday to Saturday, with no Sunday or legal holiday work except f...
Hillsborough County, FL
Hillsborough County has no leaf-blower-specific ordinance. Gas blowers are allowed during construction/landscape hours (7 AM to 7 PM) and must not exceed gen...
Hillsborough County, FL
In unincorporated Hillsborough County, retaining walls are regulated under Land Development Code Part 6.07.00 (Fences and Walls) for setback and dimensional ...
Hillsborough County, FL
Corner lots in Hillsborough County must maintain a sight visibility triangle: no fence, wall, or landscaping over 30 inches within 25 feet of the intersectin...
Hillsborough County, FL
Florida has no shared-cost fence law. FL §823.11 prohibits spite fences erected maliciously. Each owner is responsible for their own fence in Hillsborough Co...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Hillsborough County.
See how other cities in Hillsborough County handle brush clearance.
See how Brandon's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.