Cupertino requires property owners to keep grass and weeds below six inches in height for fire safety under its weed abatement program (Municipal Code Chapter 9.08). Non-compliant parcels are cleared by the County at the owner's expense, added to the property tax bill.
Cupertino administers weed and brush abatement under Municipal Code Chapter 9.08 in partnership with the Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture and Environmental Management, which inspects and enforces within the city. To meet minimum fire-safety standards, vegetation on each parcel must be kept below six inches in height, with combustible growth cleared from around structures and roadways. The compliance deadline is April 30 each year, and County staff inspect from that date through October. The program is a recurring public-nuisance abatement authorized by California Health and Safety Code Sections 14875 through 14922, which lets the County inspect, order the work, and recover costs. Owners are noticed and given time to abate first.
If a parcel is not cleared by the April 30 deadline, the County may abate the vegetation by contractor and bill the owner. Abatement fees, including an inspection fee, are added to the property tax bill as a special assessment.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
cupertino-ca
Cupertino city parks are closed overnight under Municipal Code Chapter 13.04. No person may remain, stay, or loiter in a public park between 10 p.m. and 6 a....
cupertino-ca
Cupertino limits light trespass onto neighboring property under Municipal Code Chapter 19.102: no exterior light may cast more than 0.1 foot-candle onto an a...
cupertino-ca
Cupertino's dark-sky lighting standards in Municipal Code Chapter 19.102 require all outdoor lighting to be fully shielded, directed downward, and away from ...
cupertino-ca
Garage sale signs in Cupertino are allowed in residential zones under Municipal Code Table 19.104.250: one on-site sign and up to three off-site signs, each ...
cupertino-ca
Temporary political signs in Cupertino need no permit and are allowed in all zones with no numeric limit, under Municipal Code Table 19.104.250. Each sign ma...
cupertino-ca
A permanent tiny home on a foundation is treated as an accessory dwelling unit in Cupertino under Municipal Code Chapter 19.112, which allows detached ADUs u...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how other cities in Santa Clara County handle grass height limits.
See how Cupertino's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.