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

The City of Hawthorne does not publish a specific maximum grass or weed height (such as 6 or 12 inches) in its municipal code. Overgrown vegetation is regulated instead through the city's nuisance / property-maintenance provisions, administered by the Planning Department's Code Enforcement Division. Under the city's 'Nuisances Enumerated' rules, a property maintained so that it is not kept substantially clean and free from accumulations of overgrown, dead, or decayed trees, weeds, or other vegetation - where the condition is visible from a public right-of-way and/or neighboring property and has a significant adverse visual impact on the neighborhood - is a declared public nuisance. The code also treats dead, decayed, diseased, or hazardous trees, weeds, ground cover, and other vegetation (or the absence of healthful vegetation) as a nuisance when it contributes to a fire hazard, dust or soil erosion, an attractive nuisance, a diminution in property values, or a detriment to public health, safety, or welfare. Enforcement is complaint- and inspection-driven: a code enforcement officer documents the condition, serves the owner a written notice describing the offending condition and the manner of correction, and gives a compliance deadline. To reach Code Enforcement during business hours, the city lists (310) 349-2945 and codeenf@cityofhawthorne.org.