Berkeley requires grass and weeds be kept under 6 inches (4 inches in the VHFHSZ fire zone). Tall, dry vegetation is a code violation and fire hazard subject to abatement.
Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 19.48 (Fire Code amendments) and Chapter 14.48 (Nuisance) require property owners to maintain vegetation at heights that do not constitute a fire hazard or nuisance. In the Berkeley Hills Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, grass and weeds must be cut and maintained at no more than 4 inches during fire season (typically May through October) under PRC 4291 defensible space rules. In the flats, grass exceeding 6 inches can be cited as an aesthetic nuisance and harborage for rodents. Berkeley's Vegetation Management Unit begins annual inspections in April. Notices to Abate give owners 30 days to cut and remove cuttings; noncompliance results in city-contracted abatement billed to the parcel at 2,000-10,000 dollars plus a 25 percent administrative surcharge. Vacant lots are held to the same standard. Native bunchgrasses managed as part of an approved fire-wise landscape plan may be exempt. Report tall vegetation at (510) 981-2489 or through SeeClickFix.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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