Amador County, CA Landscaping Rules: Grass Height Limits (2026)

Amador County does not have a generic 'tall grass' nuisance ordinance setting a single height for an entire yard. Instead, grass and weed height is regulated through the defensible-space program in Title 7, Chapter 7.30 (Defensible Space Requirements and Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Abatement), added to the County Code by a 2022 Board of Supervisors ordinance. Section 7.30.050 requires every owner of an improved parcel in the unincorporated county to maintain defensible space, with the most intense fuel management within the first 30 feet of a building. In Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet from structures, or to the property line), subsection (C)(3)(c) directs owners to 'Cut annual grasses and forbs down to a maximum height of four inches (4 in.).' The same zone allows loose surface litter (leaves, needles, twigs) to a maximum depth of three inches. Within Zone 1 (the first 30 feet), all dead or dying grass, weeds, and pine needles must be removed entirely. The enforcement official, the fire chief of the Amador Fire Protection District, may require greater clearance based on weather, fuel type, topography, and other site factors. These duties apply year-round, not just in fire season.