Grant County, WI Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

The weed limit in Grant County sits inside Chapter 191, the public health nuisance ordinance adopted by the County Board of Supervisors, not in a lawn-care or zoning chapter. Section 191-5J is titled "Food and breeding places for vermin, insects, etc." and lists accumulations such as decayed matter, trash, scrap metal and abandoned structures alongside "grass or weeds which are more than 10 inches high above the ground on any parcel or real estate which is within 1,000 feet of a residence." The printed test has two parts: a height of more than 10 inches and a location within 1,000 feet of a residence.

Five exemptions follow. The 10-inch rule does not apply to (1) any intentionally cultivated agricultural vegetation; (2) vegetation intentionally cultivated or maintained to reproduce ecosystems or conditions naturally existing in Wisconsin; (3) vegetation in a clearly defined and physically discreet area kept for landscaping, ornamental or other aesthetic purposes; (4) naturally wooded areas, regulated wetlands, or meadows; and (5) grass or weeds in a highway right-of-way or any other area that the Grant County Health Director, the Environmental Health Coordinator or a Health Department employee determines would not cause a public health nuisance or health hazard.

Responsibility lands on the owner. Section 191-4 makes the property owner responsible for keeping the property nuisance-free and for abating any public health nuisance found there. Under § 191-6, Health Department staff investigate complaints and decide whether a nuisance exists. If one is confirmed, § 191-8B(1) requires a written cleanup or abatement order naming the violator, describing the violation and the steps to correct it, setting the deadline and stating the penalties. If the order is ignored, Health Department staff can enter the property and abate the nuisance, and the County can recover the cost by lawsuit or as a special tax assessment on the property.