Anaheim Grass Height Limits Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

The City of Anaheim's property maintenance standards are established in Anaheim Municipal Code Title 6 (Sanitation and Health) and are enforced by the Code Enforcement Division, a unit within the Planning and Building Department. These standards require all property owners and occupants to maintain their properties — including front yards, side yards, rear yards, and adjacent parkway strips — in a condition that is free from overgrown vegetation, accumulated debris, and conditions that create fire hazards or harbor vermin. Anaheim's warm, semi-arid climate promotes rapid grass growth during the spring and early summer months, and properties that go unmaintained for even several weeks can develop vegetation conditions that draw code enforcement attention.

The Anaheim Municipal Code does not establish a single specific numeric maximum for grass height in the way some cities do (e.g., specifying an exact 8-inch or 10-inch limit). Instead, the code relies on a nuisance-based standard: vegetation that has become overgrown to the point of creating a fire hazard, harboring rodents or insects, or materially degrading the appearance and property values of the surrounding neighborhood constitutes a public nuisance subject to enforcement action. In practice, Anaheim code enforcement officers generally treat grass exceeding approximately 12 inches in height as presumptively overgrown and subject to citation. However, officers exercise judgment based on the totality of conditions, including whether the vegetation is intentional drought-tolerant landscaping, whether it creates genuine fire or pest concerns, and the overall property appearance.

Anaheim has increasingly encouraged drought-tolerant and native landscaping in response to California's recurring drought conditions, and the code enforcement approach distinguishes between intentionally maintained low-water landscaping and genuinely neglected overgrown yards. Homeowners who replace traditional turf lawns with approved drought-tolerant ground covers, decomposed granite, or native plantings are not penalized as long as the landscape is maintained in an orderly condition, is free from dead plants and accumulated weeds, and complies with any applicable HOA requirements. Anaheim's water conservation rebate program, administered through the Anaheim Public Utilities Department, provides financial incentives for turf removal and xeriscaping on residential properties.

Property owners who receive a code enforcement notice regarding overgrown vegetation are typically given a correction period — usually 10 to 30 days depending on the severity — to bring their property into compliance. If the property is not corrected within the specified period, the city may arrange abatement at the owner's expense and place a lien on the property for the cost of abatement plus administrative fees. For questions about compliance standards or to report an overgrown property, contact the Anaheim Code Enforcement Division at (714) 765-5158.