Fort Worth's weed and brush ordinance requires property owners to keep grass under 12 inches and brush cleared, with enforcement by Code Compliance on a complaint and inspection basis.
Chapter 11.5 of the Fort Worth City Code addresses weeds, grass, and rubbish on private property. Grass and weeds over 12 inches in height are declared a public nuisance, and owners must keep the entire lot, alley edge, and parkway mowed. Accumulated brush, dead limbs, and yard debris that could harbor rodents or fuel a fire must be removed. Fort Worth does not have formal WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) fire code maps like California or Colorado, but the Fire Marshal encourages 30-foot defensible-space clearing around homes near large undeveloped tracts or the Trinity River greenbelt. Code Compliance inspects on complaint; if the owner does not abate within 10 days of notice, the city can enter, mow, and assess the cost as a lien against the property. Tall-grass complaints are the single highest-volume category handled by Fort Worth Code Compliance each summer.
Initial notice gives 10 days to comply. City-contracted mowing is billed to the owner at cost plus administrative fees, typically $250 to $600, and attaches as a lien. Repeat violations within 12 months can skip the notice step and go directly to citation.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Tarrant County.
See how other cities in Tarrant County handle brush clearance.
See how Fort Worth's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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