Richmond's Yard Maintenance rule requires grass to be maintained at six inches or less and properly disposed of, and treats overgrown weeds, bushes, trees, and vegetation as code violations because they pose fire and safety hazards. The Richmond Police Department's Code Enforcement Division (510-621-1279) handles complaints under the City Council's blight and nuisance ordinances.
The City of Richmond's official Yard Maintenance guidance - the public-facing statement of Richmond's property-maintenance code - states: 'Grass must be maintained at six inches or less and disposed of properly,' and that 'overgrown weeds, bushes, trees, and vegetation' are code violations because they pose 'fire and safety hazards.' The same guidance puts maintenance of any right-of-way abutting the property on the abutting owner. Enforcement is handled by Code Enforcement (450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804; 510-621-1279; ce-1@ci.richmond.ca.us) Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Code Enforcement's stated scope expressly includes 'overgrown vegetation' along with junk and debris, abandoned/vacant properties, and inoperable vehicles. Because Richmond contains parcels inside a State Responsibility Area / Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone (the East Bay hillsides), parcels in those areas must also meet California Public Resources Code Section 4291 defensible-space rules - generally 100 feet of clearance from each side, front and rear of a structure (but not beyond the property line), with more intense fuel reductions in the 0-30 foot zones - in addition to the City's six-inch grass-height rule.
Code Enforcement issues notices of violation, administrative citations, and may use the City's nuisance / blight abatement authority to mow the lot itself and bill the owner. Continuing violations can be cited as infractions. Costs of City-performed abatement plus an administrative fee can be assessed as a lien against the property and collected with the property tax bill. Where a property also sits in a Cal Fire-mapped Fire Hazard Severity Zone, the Richmond Fire Department may issue separate notices requiring abatement of the fire hazard under state defensible-space law.
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Richmond, CA
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Contra Costa County.
See how other cities in Contra Costa County handle grass height limits.
See how Richmond's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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