Palm Beach County requires property owners in unincorporated areas to maintain vegetation to prevent fire and nuisance hazards under PBC Code Chapter 14 (Property Maintenance) and ULDC Article 5. Defensible space practices recommended by Florida Forest Service apply to wildland-urban interface areas near the Everglades.
PBC Code §14-32 requires owners to keep lots free of overgrown weeds, dead vegetation, and combustible debris that creates a fire hazard or harborage for vermin. PBC Code Enforcement may issue a Notice of Violation requiring abatement within 10 days. If the owner fails to comply, the county may abate and lien the property under §14-37. In unincorporated areas adjoining the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge, J.W. Corbett WMA, Pal-Mar, and the Everglades Agricultural Area, Florida Forest Service recommends a 30-foot defensible space zone with low fuel vegetation and a 100-foot reduced fuel zone. Pine flatwoods and palmetto/saw grass communities in western PBC carry significant wildfire risk during dry season (Jan-May). PBCFR participates in Firewise USA programs in several western communities.
Overgrown lot violations: 10-day Notice to Abate, then county abatement plus lien for actual costs and 75 dollars administrative fee per PBC Code §14-37.
Palm Beach County, FL
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Palm Beach County, FL
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Palm Beach County, FL
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Palm Beach County, FL
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Palm Beach County, FL
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Palm Beach County, FL
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See how Palm Beach County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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