Brentwood, CA Landscaping Rules: Grass Height Limits (2026)

Overgrown grass and weeds are regulated in Brentwood as both a fire hazard and a general nuisance. California Government Code Sections 39560 through 39588 authorize cities to declare weeds a public nuisance and abate them at the property owner's expense, while Health and Safety Code Section 14875 gives similar authority. Brentwood Code Enforcement and the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District jointly enforce annual weed abatement, typically beginning with hazard notices in April and requiring compliance by May or June before peak fire season. The practical threshold is approximately 4 to 6 inches for dry grass in fire-prone areas and up to 12 inches in urbanized interior lots, measured from the soil surface. Property owners receive a Notice to Abate with a typical 30-day cure period; failure to comply authorizes the city to hire a contractor to mow the property and record the cost as a lien against the parcel, usually $400 to $1,500 plus administrative fees. Vacant parcels exceeding 10,000 square feet must maintain a disked firebreak around the perimeter. Weed abatement is not the same as aesthetic lawn standards, and merely having tall ornamental grasses or native landscape plants is not a violation unless they create a hazard.