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

There is no county code provision setting a maximum lawn-grass height (e.g., "12 inches") for unincorporated residential parcels. The operative rule is the wildfire defensible-space standard. Under California Public Resources Code § 4291 (applied to the State Responsibility Area and incorporated into Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 15), property owners must "maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line." Within that 100-foot perimeter — or to the property line, whichever is closer — "all brush, flammable vegetation, or combustible growth shall be modified" so that a wildfire burning under average weather conditions would be unlikely to ignite the structure. The County's defensible-space standards identify discing and rototilling as acceptable methods for removing small types of vegetation, and the inner 0-30 feet must be kept "lean, clean and green" (trimmed, irrigated, or with dead material removed). The 0-5 foot ember-resistant zone immediately around the home must be kept free of combustible vegetation and ground litter.