Grand Junction, CO Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Grand Junction Municipal Code § 8.04.020 puts the burden squarely on landowners and lessees: every parcel in the City, including agricultural land, must be kept free of junk and rubbish, and any weeds or brush must be cut to within three inches of the ground once they exceed six inches in height, with puncture vine cut regardless of height. The duty extends past the property line, covering the strip between the lot and the curb on adjoining streets and the strip to the center of any adjoining alley.

Owners of undeveloped parcels over one acre get a narrower obligation: weeds must be kept down within 20 feet of any adjacent parcel where weeds are controlled and within 40 feet of an adjoining right-of-way. 'Weed' is defined at § 8.04.010 to include any species the Colorado Department of Agriculture designates as noxious under § 35-5.5-108, C.R.S. Enforcement runs through the Community Development Department: each spring the City Manager publishes notice of the cutting duty for three consecutive days, and a suspected violation triggers a certified-mail notice to abate with seven calendar days to comply, propose a management plan, or request an administrative hearing before the City's Undesirable Plant Management Advisory Commission under § 8.04.100.

If the City ends up cutting the lot itself, § 8.04.060 charges the owner the City's actual labor and equipment costs plus an administrative penalty of $50 for a first cutting, $100 for a second and $150 for a third or later cutting within five years, plus a 25 percent inspection surcharge. Unpaid assessments become a lien and go on the county tax roll with a further 25 percent surcharge under § 8.04.080. Separately, § 8.04.090 allows the City to fine or jail a violator under the code's general penalty regardless of whether an assessment was ever levied.