Hayward Landscaping Rules: Grass Height Limits Rules (2026)

Hayward Municipal Code Chapter 7 and California Public Resources Code 4291 address overgrown vegetation. Citywide, property owners must keep weeds, grass, and dry vegetation under 6 inches in height to prevent fire hazards and nuisance conditions. In the eastern hillside Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, grass must be maintained at or below 4 inches during fire season, typically May through October, under the defensible space rule. Hayward Fire issues annual weed abatement notices in April with compliance deadlines in early May. Parcels that fail to comply are abated by a city contractor and the cost plus administrative fee is recorded as a lien against the property. Vacant lots and properties with absentee owners are the most common violators and face the steepest fees.