Chatham County Code Sec. 21-502 requires premises be kept clear of overgrown grass or weeds eighteen (18) inches or more in height. For disposal, Sec. 21-306 lets residents burn their own yard and storm debris for weed, pest and disease abatement, but only under the open-burning exceptions near cities.
Two rules govern vegetation. Property-maintenance Sec. 21-502 makes it unlawful to allow overgrown grass or weeds of a height of eighteen (18) inches or more, or other unkempt vegetation, that could endanger health or safety or impair neighboring property values. For disposal, Sec. 21-306 allows on-site burning of your own materials for weed abatement, disease and pest prevention and disposal of vegetative debris from storm damage, but only on the property that generated the waste and, near cities or subdivisions, only under the listed exceptions. Chatham is coastal lowcountry, so there is no California-style defensible-space mandate; the Georgia Forestry Commission manages wildland fuels and no longer requires a permit for hand-piled leaf and limb burning.
Overgrowth and open-burning violations are Code offenses. The county may notify the owner, abate the nuisance, and charge costs; penalties reach a $500 fine and/or 30 days, each day a separate offense (Sec. 21-309, Sec. 21-506).
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Chatham County, GA
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Chatham County, GA
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Chatham County, GA
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Chatham County, GA
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Chatham County, GA
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Chatham County, GA
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See how Chatham County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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