Portland regulates overgrown grass and weeds under PCC 29.20.040 ('Nuisances Affecting the Public Health') and PCC 29.30 (Tall Grass and Weed Abatement Program). Vegetation over 10 inches in height, or that creates a fire or pedestrian-visibility hazard, can be declared a nuisance by Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS). Owners receive a notice to abate within a set period or BDS will hire a contractor to cut and bill the cost to the property as a tax lien.
PCC 29.30 establishes Portland's Tall Grass and Weed Abatement Program, administered by BDS. The standard trigger is grass or weeds taller than 10 inches on improved properties, or any noxious-weed growth (e.g., blackberry, ivy) that creates fire risk or blocks sight lines at corners. After a complaint, BDS sends a notice giving the owner 30 days (or as little as 10 days for severe fire-season hazards) to mow and remove cuttings. If the owner doesn't comply, BDS contracts the work and assesses a charge — typically $400-$1,000 — that becomes a lien on the property under PCC 29.40.080. Vacant lots and absentee-owned parcels are the program's primary focus; occupied homes with minor overgrowth typically receive a courtesy notice first. Native landscaping and intentionally planted meadow/pollinator gardens are exempt if they're maintained and not creating hazards; the rule targets neglect, not naturalistic landscapes.
Failure to comply with a PCC 29.30 abatement notice triggers BDS administrative abatement under PCC 29.40, with charges typically $400-$1,000 per cutting, plus a $100 inspection fee. Charges become a tax lien on the property under PCC 29.40.080. Repeat violators may face escalating fines under PCC 29.60 (Civil Code Enforcement) of up to $1,000 per day for chronic non-compliance.
Portland, OR
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