Bradenton, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Bradenton applies its height limit through two instruments. Section 38-111 of the lot clearing article defines excessive growth as the growth of weeds or plants which are not cultivated or landscaped or regularly tended which reach a height in excess of 12 inches. Section 38-113(a) then bars permitting unattended excessive growth that creates a haven for snakes, rats, rodents or vermin, a mosquito breeding place or a fire hazard, and § 38-113(b) bars growth on a street right-of-way that obstructs the view of approaching traffic at an intersection or street.

The second instrument is the International Property Maintenance Code, adopted in § 18-240 as the city's property maintenance code. In § 18-241 the city revises section 302.4 to insert 10 inches and to state that grass-type ground cover shall not exceed six inches. The schedule of violations and penalties in § 2-357 lists section 302.4 Overgrown Yard as a Class I violation. Class I carries a non-contested penalty of $75.00 for a first offense and $175.00 for a subsequent offense, and a contested penalty of $175.00 and $375.00.

Section 38-114 exempts undeveloped land over five acres in a natural state that has never been cut or mowed, wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas, and undeveloped parcels primarily in natural vegetation.

Under § 38-116 the planning and development department sends a written demand by certified mail giving ten days to clear the property, and a city council hearing follows not less than 15 days after receipt, with an average estimate of the city's clearing cost. The council can grant an extension not to exceed 30 days (§ 38-118). If the city clears the lot, the cost plus administrative costs becomes a lien (§ 38-120), after a written notice requiring payment within 30 days (§ 38-122). The principal amount of a lien bears interest at 15 percent from the date the lien is filed (§ 38-121).