San Jose, CA Landscaping Rules: Grass Height Limits (2026)

Unincorporated Santa Clara County does not regulate ordinary residential lawn height for appearance. Instead, height enforcement comes from the County's Weed Abatement Program, which exists to reduce wildfire fuel. Under that program, property owners must prevent grass and weeds from exceeding 6 inches in length at any time after the compliance deadline, which for unincorporated County areas is April 1. The County describes this as keeping hazardous vegetation below 6 inches. The rules are aimed at dry, flammable grasses and weeds, and the County states they do not apply to ornamental vegetation such as roses and hedges (though ornamental plantings should still be kept clear of dead material). In addition to the 6-inch limit across the parcel, the program requires grasses and weeds to be kept below 6 inches for 10 feet horizontally on both sides of roadways and flammable vegetation cleared a minimum of 30 feet around structures. A property that does not maintain its vegetation can be inspected, ordered to abate, and charged abatement and processing fees. This is a fire-safety standard, not a tidiness rule, so a well-watered green lawn that stays short generally raises no issue.