Dearborn Heights, MI Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 6 inches for grass, weeds, vegetation
- Minimum cutting schedule
- Last half of May and last half of July
- Duty holder
- Owner, occupant, or person in charge
- Exemptions
- Stream banks and grain crop land
- Enforcing department
- Building and Engineering Department
- First-offense fine
- $250 municipal civil infraction (Class D)
Summary
City Code Sec. 33-52 caps grass, weeds, and other vegetation at 6 inches on every lot in the City of Dearborn Heights and requires the owner or occupant to cut it before it goes to seed. Cutting must happen at least twice a year, in the last half of May and the last half of July, and more often if needed to stay under the limit.
(a)It is hereby made the duty of the owner or occupant of lot or parcel of land, or any person having charge of any lot or parcel of land, within the limits of the city upon which vegetation is growing or standing, to cut, destroy, and remove, or cause to be cut, destroyed, and removed, all such weeds, grass, and vegetation growing, standing, resting, or accumulating on such premises as often as may be necessary to prevent them from going to seed and/or reaching a height of six (6) inches or more, but in any event, at least twice a year, once during the last half of the month of May and again during the last half of July of each year and more often as may be necessary.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 33-52(a) puts an affirmative duty on the owner, occupant, or anyone in charge of a lot in the City of Dearborn Heights to cut, destroy, and remove weeds, grass, and other vegetation before it goes to seed or reaches 6 inches in height, and requires cutting at least twice a year, during the last half of May and again during the last half of July, with more frequent cutting whenever necessary to stay under the limit. Sec. 33-52(b) makes an owner or occupant who knowingly lets grass or weeds grow past that height, or ripen to the point of spreading seed, liable to the penalty set out in Article III once a court finds them responsible.
As with the companion nuisance provision at Sec. 33-51, land between the banks of a stream or watercourse and land devoted to a grain crop is excluded from the 6-inch limit under Sec. 33-52(c). The Building and Engineering Department enforces the height limit through the same two-notice process used citywide: a general published notice each April and July under Sec. 33-53, and a specific 7-day written notice under Sec. 33-54 that a property owner can appeal within 3 calendar days. If the owner still does not cut the vegetation, Sec.
33-55 authorizes the city to do the cutting itself and bill the owner the actual cost plus a $75 or 25 percent administrative surcharge, collectible as a lien on the property if unpaid within 30 days of the city treasurer's statement.
Violations & Fines
Letting grass or weeds exceed 6 inches, or letting them go to seed, is a municipal civil infraction under Sec. 33-56, billed at the Class D rate set in Sec. 1-11: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a repeat offense within a year, and $1,000 for a third or later offense, plus court costs. The city may also recover its own cutting costs and the administrative surcharge as a separate lien on top of any court fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my grass legally get in Dearborn Heights?
Is there any land in Dearborn Heights exempt from the 6-inch grass rule?
What fine applies if I don't cut my grass in time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn Heights
How Dearborn Heights compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Dearborn Heights to another location·View the Michigan landscaping rules overview
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