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

Shasta County does not impose a county-wide cosmetic lawn-height limit the way some cities do. The enforceable height standard comes from fire protection. Under Shasta County Code Chapter 8.10, 'Defensible Space for Fire Protection,' when prohibited combustible materials are removed to create defensible space, Section 8.10.050(A) states that 'the height of weeds and annual grasses shall not exceed a height of six inches,' that removed-tree stumps be cut no higher than eight inches, and that on-site chipping not exceed six inches in depth. These standards apply within the defensible space a responsible party must maintain: 100 feet from the exterior perimeter of any improvement, up to 30 feet along property lines where fuel endangers a neighbor's structure, and up to 10 feet on each side of roads and driveways. Statewide, Public Resources Code 4291 separately requires up to 100 feet of defensible space around buildings in State Responsibility Areas, and CAL FIRE guidance (14 CCR 1299.03) calls for cutting annual grasses to a maximum of four inches in the 30-to-100-foot zone. Tall dry grass that is not part of a required clearance zone is generally addressed only when it becomes a fire hazard or public nuisance.