Woodbury has no wildfire-driven defensible-space mandate, but cleared brush may not simply be burned: a free Section 8-3 brush fire permit (single-family homeowners only) is needed for any open burn, and only clean natural wood under 4 inches may be burned. Leaves and grass are barred from all burning under city and state law.
Woodbury is a suburban Twin Cities community with no California-style wildland-urban-interface or fire hazard severity zones, so there is no published ordinance requiring a fixed clearance radius around homes. The main fire-code restrictions on disposing of brush and yard vegetation come from how it may be burned. Under City Code Section 8-3, a single-family homeowner who wants to burn cleared brush must obtain a free brush fire permit, apply at least 24 hours in advance, pass an inspection, and keep the fire to a maximum of 6 feet in diameter with individual wood pieces no larger than 4 inches in diameter, during daylight hours only. The burn must be at least 5 feet from property lines and not within 25 feet of a structure, with no burning when wind exceeds 10 mph. Only clean, dry, natural wood is allowed; treated or painted wood, plastic, rubber, leaves and grass may never be burned. Minnesota Statutes 88.171 reinforces that open burning of rubber, plastics, chemically treated materials and other noxious-smoke sources is prohibited statewide. When a DNR burning ban is in effect, all open burning of brush is prohibited and permits are cancelled. Homeowners who do not wish to burn can use the city's yard waste and brush disposal options instead.
Open burning of brush without a Section 8-3 permit, oversized burns, or burning prohibited materials such as leaves and treated wood violates city code and Minn. Stat. 88.171. The Woodbury Public Safety Department / EMS Fire Division (651-714-3600) enforces these rules.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
woodbury-mn
Backyard composting is allowed in Woodbury and is one of the city's recommended ways to comply with Minnesota's landfill ban on yard waste. Residents may com...
woodbury-mn
Woodbury does not publish a specific ordinance authorizing or banning residential artificial turf. There is no dedicated synthetic-turf code section, so inst...
woodbury-mn
Woodbury allows native and pollinator-friendly landscaping. Native plantings, bee lawns and water-saving gardens are exempt from the eight-inch grass-height ...
woodbury-mn
Woodbury allows and encourages rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels and rain gardens are promoted as ways to cut summer water use under the city's strict water...
woodbury-mn
Woodbury enforces a year-round Lawn & Landscape Watering Policy. Residential properties may irrigate only two days per week based on an assigned irrigation z...
woodbury-mn
Woodbury enforces an eight-inch height limit on weeds and grass as a nuisance, and requires property owners to control or eradicate noxious weeds. Noxious we...
See how Woodbury'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.