Fayette County, GA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Fayette County did not write its own weed statute; it adopted the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) by reference in Code § 102-22(10) as one of ten construction and maintenance codes governing the unincorporated county, then wrote its own text into subsection (10)a to spell out the weed rule: all premises and exterior property must stay free of weeds or plant growth over 14 inches, and all noxious weeds are prohibited outright, with weeds defined as grasses, annual plants and other vegetation, not including trees, shrubs, crops, cultivated flowers or gardens.

Enforcement runs through the Department of Permits and Inspections. The 'code official,' defined in Code § 102-19 as the director of permits and inspections, is the officer who administers the property maintenance code, including the weed standard. Under § 102-22(10)a, once the property owner or agent gets a notice of violation and fails to cut and destroy the weeds, the county can prosecute under IPMC section 106.3, or send its own crew or a hired contractor onto the property to cut and destroy the weeds, and bill the owner for the cost of that removal. The rule carries one carve-out: land used for agricultural purposes, including grazing livestock or cutting grass for hay, is exempt from the 14-inch limit.