West Covina Grass Height Limits Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

West Covina's Municipal Code includes property maintenance standards that require all residential, commercial, and vacant properties to be kept in a condition that does not create a public nuisance or detract from neighborhood standards. As a densely developed suburban city of approximately 106,000 residents in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, West Covina places significant emphasis on neighborhood appearance and property maintenance. The city's nuisance and property maintenance provisions broadly prohibit allowing vegetation — including grass, weeds, brush, and ground cover — to grow to heights that create unsightly conditions, harbor rodents or vermin, or pose a fire hazard. The Code Enforcement Division, which operates within the Community Development Department, is the primary enforcement agency for lawn and vegetation maintenance standards.

While the West Covina Municipal Code does not prescribe a specific maximum grass height measured in inches, the practical enforcement standard used by code enforcement officers treats grass or weeds exceeding approximately 8 to 12 inches as constituting a violation. Officers exercise judgment based on the overall condition of the property and the standard of maintenance in the surrounding neighborhood. A neatly maintained lawn with a slightly taller ornamental grass species may not draw enforcement attention, whereas a neglected yard with patchy, overgrown grass mixed with weeds and debris is far more likely to generate a complaint and subsequent citation. Dead or completely brown lawns that have not been replaced with drought-tolerant landscaping or an approved alternative may also be cited if they create an appearance of neglect that constitutes a nuisance.

California drought regulations and the state's water conservation mandates have influenced landscaping expectations in West Covina. The city permits and encourages water-efficient landscaping alternatives including drought-tolerant plants, mulch, decorative rock, and artificial turf as substitutes for traditional grass lawns. Properties that have converted from grass to an approved drought-tolerant landscape are not required to maintain a green lawn, provided the landscaping is maintained in a neat and orderly condition without excessive weed growth, accumulated debris, or bare dirt areas prone to erosion. The city's water conservation requirements align with the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and state Water Resources Control Board regulations.

Both property owners and tenants share responsibility for maintaining the landscaping of occupied properties, but the city's code enforcement actions are directed to the property owner of record. Landlords who rent properties in West Covina are advised to include clear landscape maintenance responsibilities in lease agreements and to monitor the condition of rental properties regularly. Vacant lots are subject to the same maintenance requirements and must be cleared of overgrown vegetation, particularly during fire season, to reduce wildfire and vermin hazards.