Cupertino requires property owners to clear hazardous weeds and brush under Municipal Code Chapter 9.08, enforced through the Santa Clara County Weed Abatement Program. In the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area, adopted Fire Code Chapter 49 mandates 30 to 100 feet of defensible space.
Municipal Code Chapter 9.08 declares hazardous weeds a public nuisance and fire hazard and requires owners to remove them; Cupertino uses the countywide Santa Clara County Weed Abatement Program, which notices non-compliant parcels annually, holds a hearing, and can abate at the owner's cost. Separately, in the adopted Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area, Cupertino's amendments to California Fire Code Chapter 49 (CMC 16.40.200) require clearing flammable vegetation within 30 feet of buildings, extending to 100 feet where the fire code official finds steep terrain warrants it. Other rules require clearing 10 feet around chimneys, driveways, and LPG tanks and keeping roofs free of dead vegetation. Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone parcels also meet state defensible-space standards.
If an owner fails to abate after notice, the Santa Clara County Weed Abatement Program can do the work and place the cost, plus charges, as a lien on the tax bill. WUI defensible-space gaps can trigger separate fire orders.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Under California's SB 1383, Cupertino residents and businesses must keep food scraps and yard trimmings out of the trash and use Recology South Bay's organic...
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Artificial turf is not counted as drought-tolerant landscaping in California, and under SB 676 (Government Code 53087.7) cities like Cupertino may regulate s...
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Cupertino's Water-Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 14.15) implements California's MWELO and caps turf at 25% of landscape area, favoring...
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Cupertino places no ban on residential rainwater harvesting and actively encourages on-site rainwater and graywater capture in its Water-Efficient Landscape ...
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Cupertino has permanent water-waste prohibitions under Municipal Code Chapter 15.32, banning runoff, hosing pavement, and un-nozzled hoses. Water is supplied...
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Cupertino declares overgrown weeds and dry brush a fire nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 9.08, enforced through a Santa Clara County weed abatement prog...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how other cities in Santa Clara County handle brush clearance.
See how Cupertino's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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