Worcester County, MA Landscaping Rules: Grass Height Limits (2026)

Worcester County does not enforce grass height — it's a municipal responsibility because county government was abolished in 1998. Worcester Revised Ordinances Chapter 13 §29 requires property owners to keep grass, weeds, and rank vegetation below approximately 10 inches; violators receive a notice from the Department of Inspectional Services or Department of Public Health. If the owner fails to cut, the City may do so and lien the property. Fitchburg (10-inch limit), Leominster (8-inch limit), Gardner, Southbridge, and Webster have similar property maintenance bylaws. The Massachusetts State Sanitary Code 105 CMR 410.551 (Minimum Standards of Fitness for Human Habitation) requires that grounds of rental properties be free of overgrowth and garbage — this gives local Boards of Health strong enforcement authority against absentee landlords. Seasonal enforcement ramps up May through October. Foreclosed and abandoned properties are a particular focus in Worcester's Main South, Bell Hill, and Piedmont neighborhoods where Chapter 40U administrative fines can reach $300/day. Rural Worcester County towns (Petersham, Hardwick, Barre, Phillipston) enforce grass height less aggressively, typically only on complaint.