Milwaukee has no wildland brush clearance mandate. Vegetation management is handled through the weed and nuisance ordinance in Chapter 80 with an 8-inch grass height standard.
Unlike western and Mountain West cities, Milwaukee faces no wildfire threat requiring defensible space clearance. The City instead enforces Chapter 80 weed abatement, which caps grass and noxious weeds at 8 inches. Vacant lots and foreclosed properties are monitored by the Department of Neighborhood Services. Property owners who fail to cut weeds after a 10-day notice face City contractor abatement with the cost added to the tax bill. Brush piles and accumulations of combustible vegetation near structures fall under fire prevention rules in Milwaukee Fire Department code enforcement.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Milwaukee code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee has no city ordinance restricting lawn ornaments on residential property. Chapter 80 nuisance authority and Chapter 275 property maintenance provis...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee has no city ordinance regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Chapter 80-63 noise standards could theoretically apply to overnight blow...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee has no municipal ordinance regulating residential holiday lights. Timing, brightness, and animation are governed by HOA/condo covenants and Histori...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee requires building permits for outdoor kitchens with gas lines, electrical wiring, plumbing, or structural roofs. Permits route through DNS LMS Onli...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee has no specific smoker ordinance. Chapter 80 (Public Nuisance) and Chapter 200-50 (Health Code) provide nuisance authority for excessive smoke. Wis...
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Fire Code (Chapter 215) adopts the 2015 IFC with local amendments. IFC 308.1.4 prohibits open-flame cooking devices and LP-gas tanks over 1 lb on c...
See how Milwaukee'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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.