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

Placer County does not enforce a tidy-lawn or nuisance grass-height rule for ornamental turf the way some cities do. The height standard that exists is a fire-safety standard. Under the county's Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Abatement ordinance (Placer County Code Section 9.32, Part 4, effective May 21, 2020), annual grasses and weeds must be maintained at four inches or less in the abatement area, and tree limbs are to be cleared up six feet from the ground. This applies within the 100-foot defensible space zone around structures that California Public Resources Code 4291 already requires, and the county extends abatement obligations to owners of unimproved (vacant) parcels whose vegetation falls within 100 feet of a neighboring structure or along roadways the county fire warden deems essential for safe ingress and egress. Fire officials may require clearance beyond 100 feet in extraordinary high-hazard circumstances. The county recommends timing clearing work to avoid high fire season and avoiding hot, dry, or windy days. Beyond fire abatement, growing grass tall on your own lot is generally not itself a code violation in the unincorporated county.