Under Contra Costa County Ordinance 2023-07 and Cal. Health & Safety Code Div. 12, Part 5, property owners must clear dry grass, weeds, brush, tree litter, and other flammable vegetation each year before the Con Fire abatement deadline.
The county-wide annual exterior hazard (weed) abatement program is authorized by Contra Costa County Ordinance 2023-07 (adopted by the Board of Supervisors) and by California Health and Safety Code Division 12, Part 5 (§§ 14875 et seq.). The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) defines 'weeds' as all wild plants growing on streets or private property, including dry grass, tree litter, and other flammable materials capable of being ignited and endangering public safety. In addition to the 18-inch height limit, owners must maintain a 10-foot-wide horizontal clearance and 15-foot vertical clearance from the shoulder of any roadway serving as primary ingress/egress to the parcel. State law (Public Resources Code § 4291) also requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility Areas, including the unincorporated wildland-urban interface in Contra Costa County.
Properties not in compliance by the deadline are subject to forced abatement by the Fire District at the owner's cost, plus an administrative fee. Costs become a special assessment / lien on the parcel and are collected with property taxes. Repeat violators may be cited under § 720-2 and Health & Safety Code § 14930.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Contra Costa County, CA
Vehicle noise in unincorporated Contra Costa County is enforced under the California Vehicle Code: mufflers are required (CVC §27150), modified exhausts can'...
Contra Costa County, CA
Unincorporated Contra Costa County enforces quiet hours of 10 p.m.–7 a.m. on weeknights and 10 p.m.–8 a.m. on weekends, using a plainly-audible standard — no...
Contra Costa County, CA
Contra Costa County's Noisy Animal Ordinance (County Code §416-12.202) makes it a violation for an animal to create noise 30 continuous minutes or 60 intermi...
Contra Costa County, CA
Unincorporated Contra Costa County restricts amplified music that is plainly audible inside a neighbor's closed home, prohibits nighttime amplification from ...
Contra Costa County, CA
Construction in unincorporated Contra Costa County is limited to 7 a.m.–7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays, with no construction on Sundays or holid...
Contra Costa County, CA
Gas and electric lawn equipment in unincorporated Contra Costa County may generally be operated between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 5:00 P...
See how Contra Costa County's weed ordinances rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.