Huntington Beach Grass Height Limits Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Huntington Beach Municipal Code Title 17 establishes property maintenance standards that apply to all residential and commercial properties within city limits. As a coastal Orange County city of approximately 199,000 residents, Huntington Beach places significant emphasis on maintaining neighborhood visual quality and reducing fire risk associated with overgrown or dead vegetation, particularly in areas near the Bolsa Chica wetlands and along the bluffs.

Property owners and tenants (where the lease assigns maintenance responsibility) must keep all lawns, landscaped areas, and unpaved portions of their property maintained in a neat, orderly condition. Grass and vegetation that grows above approximately 12 inches is considered excessive and constitutes a nuisance under the city's property maintenance code. This standard applies to front, side, and rear yards visible from public streets, alleys, or neighboring properties. Dead grass, brown-out areas that are left unmaintained, and abandoned landscaping that has deteriorated into an unsightly condition also constitute violations, even if the vegetation is not technically overgrown.

Parkway strips — the landscaped areas between the sidewalk and the curb — are typically the property owner's maintenance responsibility even though they are located within the public right-of-way. Overgrown or dead parkway vegetation is subject to the same enforcement standards as the rest of the property. Huntington Beach encourages water-efficient landscaping in compliance with the city's Water-Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which implements the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). Replacing traditional turf grass with drought-tolerant plants, decomposed granite, mulch, and native species is permitted and encouraged, provided the replacement landscape is properly maintained and does not create bare dirt, erosion, or an unkempt appearance.

The Code Enforcement Division is the primary enforcement authority for property maintenance standards. Enforcement typically begins with a complaint or a proactive inspection patrol. When a violation is identified, the property owner receives a written notice of violation specifying the condition, the applicable code section, and a compliance deadline — typically 15 to 30 days depending on the severity. If the property owner fails to correct the condition within the allotted time, the city may issue administrative citations with escalating fines or initiate nuisance abatement proceedings. In extreme cases, the city can contract for the mowing, clearing, or remediation of the property and place a lien on the property for the cost of the work plus administrative fees.