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

Temecula does not enforce a single specific grass-height number (such as 6 inches) under its Property Maintenance Code, but Chapters 8.12 and 8.16 require property owners to maintain landscaping in a way that does not create fire, health, or nuisance hazards. The city's annual Weed Abatement Program, administered through Code Enforcement and the Fire Department, inspects vacant lots and improved properties — particularly those adjacent to wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas in the eastern foothills, Wine Country, and western hillsides — for accumulated dry vegetation that could fuel a wildfire. CAL FIRE and Riverside County Fire enforce defensible-space requirements under Public Resources Code §4291: 100 feet of clearance around structures in State Responsibility Areas, with the first 30 feet kept as 'lean, clean, and green' (low fuel) and the next 70 feet as a reduced-fuel zone. Property owners receive notices to abate hazardous vegetation, typically before fire season (spring). Failure to comply triggers forced abatement, with the city contracting a vendor to clear the property and assessing all costs (plus administrative fees) as a lien on the property tax bill. Routine residential lawn maintenance — keeping grass trimmed, removing dead branches, and raking leaves — is generally sufficient on suburban lots.