Albemarle County, VA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches
- Covers
- Vacant developed property with buildings
- County cutting fee
- $100.00 administrative charge
- First civil penalty
- $50.00
- Repeat civil penalty
- $200.00, capped $3,000/12 months
- Criminal escalation
- Class 3 misdemeanor after 3 penalties/24 months
Summary
Albemarle County caps grass, weeds, brush and other uncontrolled vegetation at 12 inches on vacant developed property under County Code § 7-502(A)(1). Owners who don't cut face a county-ordered mowing, a $100 administrative charge, and civil penalties up to $200 per repeat violation.
A.Uncontrolled vegetation exceeding 12 inches in height is prohibited. It is unlawful for any owner of property to allow uncontrolled vegetation to exceed 12 inches in height. Therefore, except as provided in County Code § 7-503, the owner of any vacant developed or undeveloped property, including property upon which buildings or other improvements are located, must not permit any grass, weeds, brush, or other uncontrolled vegetation in excess of 12 inches in height to remain thereon, where the vegetation is located: 1.Developed property. On any vacant developed property.
Full Breakdown
County Code § 7-502, in Chapter 7's nuisance article, states that it is unlawful for any owner of property to allow uncontrolled vegetation to exceed 12 inches in height. For developed property, subsection (A)(1) applies the rule to any vacant developed property, meaning improved land, including lots with buildings, that sits unoccupied. Definitions in § 7-501 tie the rule together: "developed" means real property where improvements have changed it from its natural state, and "vacant" means property, with or without improvements, that is not occupied.
If the County Executive determines by inspection or report that a lot exceeds the 12-inch limit, § 7-504 requires written notice to the owner, delivered by hand or mailed to the owner's last known address, giving a reasonable time to cut the vegetation. 00 administrative handling charge; unpaid bills are added to and collected like real estate taxes and become a lien on the property under § 7-508. Several categories of land are exempt from the height limit entirely under § 7-503, including the Town of Scottsville, the Monticello Historic zoning district, the Rural Areas zoning district, pastures and cultivated or forested land, and property landscaped under an approved natural-landscaping plan with at least 80 percent native plant coverage.
Violations & Fines
A first violation, or violations arising from the same set of facts, draws a $50.00 civil penalty under § 7-509; a later, unrelated violation within 12 months is $200.00, and each business day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, capped at $3,000.00 total in any 12-month period. After three civil penalties for the same or similar violation within 24 months, each further violation becomes a class 3 misdemeanor under § 7-510.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass and weeds get on my Albemarle County property before it's a violation?
What happens if I don't cut my grass after the county sends a notice?
Can I be criminally charged for tall weeds in Albemarle County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albemarle County
How Albemarle County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Albemarle County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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