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

Unincorporated Lake County regulates tall, dry grass primarily as a wildfire fuel rather than as an aesthetic nuisance. County Code Chapter 13, Article VIII (Sections 13-57 through 13-66), adopted as Ordinance 3082 on March 26, 2019, declares hazardous vegetation a public nuisance and supplements California Public Resources Code Section 4291. On improved parcels (those with structures), owners must maintain at least a 30-foot defensible space around all buildings, keep a 10-foot clearance beside frontage roads, and may be required to clear up to 100 feet based on slope, fuel load, and fuel type (Section 13-60.2). On unimproved parcels, flammable and dead vegetation must be removed within 30 feet of neighboring structures and roadways, grass must be trimmed to less than 6 inches within a 10-foot buffer of structures and roads, and trees pruned to 6 feet above grade in that buffer (Section 13-60.3). The Lake County Fire Official, assisted by Code Enforcement, administers the program. Note: there is no separate county-wide ornamental-lawn height limit; the 6-inch standard is a fire-buffer rule, and PRC 4291's 100-foot defensible space controls in State Responsibility Areas.