Chesterfield County, VA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Bars
- limbs blocking streets, sidewalks, alleys
- Also bars
- dead limbs likely to fall into road
- Notice to cure
- one per growing season, county's call
- County remedy
- trim and bill owner plus $35.00 fee
- Unpaid cost
- becomes a real-estate-tax-equivalent lien
- Violation penalty
- up to $100.00 civil fine
Summary
Chesterfield bars property owners from letting a hedge, shrub or tree branch overhang a street, sidewalk or public alley enough to block safe passage, or from leaving dead limbs positioned to fall into the roadway. Sec. 11-32(c) treats overgrown, hazardous limbs alongside tall grass and weeds under the county's property-maintenance code.
(c)No owner of any lot or parcel of land shall permit to grow or remain thereon any hedge, shrub, tree or other vegetation, the limbs, branches or other parts of which overhang, extend or protrude into any street, sidewalk or public alley in a manner which obstructs or impedes the safe and orderly movement of persons or vehicles thereon, or, in the case of trees, when the dead limbs or branches thereof are likely to fall into or across such street or sidewalk, thereby endangering such persons and vehicles.(d)Disposal of vegetation. Upon remedying any unlawful condition hereunder, the owner shall dispose of such vegetation in a manner that eliminates any potential fire hazard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-32 groups vegetation control under one section: subsections (a) and (b) cap grass and weed height (12 inches on occupied residential lawns under a half-acre, 18 inches elsewhere), with active farm operations exempt. ' Subsection (d) then requires disposing of any vegetation cut to fix the violation in a way that eliminates fire hazard. Enforcement runs through subsection (e): the county administrator's designee sends written notice giving the owner a set time to cut back the growth, with one written notice per growing season deemed reasonable.
00 administrative charge, and subsection (f) turns any unpaid balance into a lien on the property ranking with unpaid real estate taxes. The section cites Va. 2-2009 as its state authority.
Violations & Fines
Overgrown limbs blocking a sidewalk or street under Sec. 11-32(c) draw a civil penalty of up to $100.00 per Sec. 11-32(g)(2), after the county administrator's designee gives written notice to cut it back; if the owner doesn't comply, the county can do the trimming itself and bill the cost plus a $35.00 administrative charge, which becomes a lien on the property if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Chesterfield County make me trim a tree that hangs over the sidewalk?
Does this rule apply to dead branches too?
What if I ignore the county's notice to trim overhanging branches?
How much is the fine for a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
Compare Chesterfield County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.