Placer County, CA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

The Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Abatement Ordinance (Placer County Code Ch. 9, Art. 9.32, Part 4) was repealed and replaced by Ordinance 6015-B, effective May 21, 2020. Section 9.32.140 enacts the ordinance under California Health and Safety Code §§ 14930-14931 and California Government Code §§ 25845 and 25845.5. Section 9.32.150 defines 'hazardous vegetation' as 'vegetation that is flammable and endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard, including but not limited to seasonal and recurrent weeds, stubble, brush, dry leaves, etc.' Section 9.32.130(F) deems all such vegetation on real property in the unincorporated county a 'public nuisance.' Section 9.32.160 imposes the abatement duty: improved parcels must keep grasses/weeds at 4 in. or less, limb trees up 6 ft, maintain 100 ft of defensible space, and keep a 10 ft roadside clearance; unimproved parcels must clear vegetation within 100 ft of neighboring structures, remove flammable growth within 10 ft of roadway frontage, and prune all trees within 10 ft of roadway frontage to at least 6 ft above grade. Abatement procedures, hearings, cost recovery (lien with property taxes), and civil/criminal penalties are set out in §§ 9.32.170-9.32.210. State Public Resources Code § 4291 separately requires 100 ft of defensible space in State Responsibility Areas.