The City of Fort Myers requires lawns, grass, weeds, and underbrush on all property in the city - including the abutting public right-of-way - to be kept cut to no more than 12 inches in height. The standard is administered by Fort Myers Code Compliance (Community Development Department). Vacant and overgrown lots are among the most commonly cited code violations in Fort Myers. If the owner does not abate, the city will cut the vegetation and lien the cost against the property. Lee County contains designated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas mapped by the Florida Forest Service, particularly in unincorporated pine flatwoods and palmetto-dominated parcels east and north of the city, and the 2006 Caloosahatchee Fire Complex destroyed 15 homes and burned 2,000 acres in Lee County.
Fort Myers Code Compliance enforces lot-maintenance standards on all property within the city. Per the city's published Common Code Violations guidance issued by the Community Development Department, weeds, grass, and underbrush must be kept cut to no more than 12 inches in height on all property, including the property owner's portion of the abutting public right-of-way. Accumulation of any material that constitutes a nuisance or threat to public health and safety is also prohibited. The procedure: Code Compliance issues a written notice with a compliance deadline; if the owner does not abate, the city contracts the cutting, bills the owner, and records a lien for unpaid costs against the property. Vegetation height, accumulation of debris/yard waste, and unmaintained vacant lots are among the most frequently cited violations in Fort Myers. Wildfire context for Lee County: the Florida Forest Service Caloosahatchee Forestry Center monitors fire weather and the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) for Lee, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, and Collier counties; pine flatwoods with saw palmetto understory east and north of Fort Myers carry seasonal wildfire risk. The 2006 Caloosahatchee Fire Complex (fueled by debris from 2004 Hurricane Charley) burned 2,000+ acres in Lee County, destroyed 15 homes, and caused $2 million+ in damage. Lee County contracted SWCA Environmental Consultants in 2024 to develop the county's first Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Within City of Fort Myers limits, brush clearance is enforced through the 12-inch lot-maintenance rule (Chapter 54 nuisances framework) rather than a defensible-space ordinance. Florida Administrative Code 5I-2 (Florida Forest Service Open Burning) requires a Florida Forest Service authorization for any non-recreational pile burning and sets a 25-foot setback from any forested area, 50 feet from any paved public roadway, and 150 feet from any occupied building other than the landowner's (residential pile burning).
Code Compliance issues a notice of violation requiring the owner to cut vegetation within the compliance period. If not abated the city contracts the work and recovers cost as a lien against the property. Continuing violations may be cited daily. Vacant lots can also be liened for repeated mowing cycles each season.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Fort Myers, FL
The City of Fort Myers Code of Ordinances does not prohibit artificial turf on residential property. Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FS 373.185) protects water...
Fort Myers, FL
Florida Statute 373.185 establishes Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) as a protected statewide policy. A local government ordinance or HOA covenant may not ...
Fort Myers, FL
Fort Myers Code of Ordinances Chapter 90, Article III (Water Shortage Regulations) enforces year-round landscape irrigation limits aligned with SFWMD Chapter...
Fort Myers, FL
Fort Myers Code Compliance enforces a citywide 12-inch maximum height for grass, weeds and underbrush on all property, including vacant lots, plus the adjace...
Fort Myers, FL
Fort Myers Chapter 138 (Vegetation) of the Land Development Code, including Section 138-46, governs protected-tree removal and requires permitting through th...
Fort Myers, FL
On a single-family residential lot, Florida Statute 163.045 prevents the City of Fort Myers from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or m...
See how Fort Myers's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.