Cumberland County, NC Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Cumberland County Code Sec. 4-79(d)
- Standard
- Yards must be free of noxious, health-hazard weeds
- Height limit
- No fixed inch measurement set in this section
- Court remedy
- Abatement order can direct weeds be cut
- Civil penalty
- $50/day, capped at $3,000
- Criminal penalty
- Misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4
- Related rule
- 12-inch trigger applies only to junked vehicles
Summary
Cumberland County's Minimum Housing Code requires every yard and exterior property area to stay free of noxious weeds or plant growth that endangers health or breeds flies and insects. The code sets no specific height limit, but a court-ordered abatement can direct that grass and weeds be cut, and violations carry the same misdemeanor and daily civil penalty as other housing-code offenses.
(d)Noxious weeds. Every yard and all exterior property areas shall be kept free of species of weeds or plant growth which are noxious or detrimental to health or provide breeding places for flies or insects. ... An order of abatement may direct ... that grass and weeds be cut, that improvements or repairs be made; or that other action be taken that is necessary to bring the property into compliance with the article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-79(d), the 'Noxious weeds' clause of the county's property-maintenance standards, requires that every yard and all exterior property areas be kept free of species of weeds or plant growth which are noxious or detrimental to health or provide breeding places for flies or insects. Unlike the county's separate junked-vehicle ordinance, which flags 'a point of heavy growth of weeds or other noxious vegetation over 12 inches in height' around a vehicle (Sec. 9-42), the housing-code weed rule sets no inch-based trigger; it is judged by whether the growth is noxious, unhealthy or a breeding ground for pests.
The same Sec. 4-79 property-maintenance section also requires yards to be properly graded to prevent standing water (subsection (c)) and requires vermin and rodent harborage to be exterminated (subsection (a)), so an overgrown, poorly drained yard can draw multiple violations at once. Enforcement follows the same Article IV path as any other housing-code violation: the inspector investigates, serves a complaint, and after a hearing can order the condition corrected. If the county goes to court instead, Sec. 4-85(d)(2) authorizes a judge to enter an order of abatement directing that grass and weeds be cut and that improvements or repairs be made, in addition to any injunction, with a lien against the property for the cost of the county carrying out the work if the owner refuses.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 4-79(d) is a misdemeanor under Sec. 4-85(b) and G.S. 14-4, plus a civil penalty of $50.00 per day the noxious growth continues, capped at $3,000.00 and payable at the county inspection department within 12 days (Sec. 4-85(c)). If the county obtains a court order of abatement to cut the grass and weeds itself, the cost of that work becomes a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cumberland County set a maximum grass or weed height?
Who enforces overgrown-yard complaints in unincorporated Cumberland County?
What if I refuse to cut noxious weeds after a county order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cumberland County
How Cumberland County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Cumberland County to another location·View the North Carolina landscaping rules overview
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