Kirkland, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Kirkland caps weeds and grass at eighteen inches on every premises and exterior property in the city, under Section 21.41.302(d)(2) of the Kirkland Property Maintenance Code. The limit applies to improved, occupied lots citywide and does not distinguish between residential and commercial parcels. Overgrown vegetation that exceeds the height limit is treated as a code violation the city can act on directly.

If an owner fails to cut vegetation over eighteen inches tall, a city employee or a contractor hired by the city is authorized to enter the property and cut and destroy the overgrown weeds or plants, then bill the removal cost back to the owner or responsible agent. That entry must follow a warrant or other lawful remedy unless a public safety emergency justifies immediate access. Kirkland pairs this with a separate duty under KMC 21.41.302(d)(1) requiring owners to remove vegetation that overhangs and obstructs a sidewalk or street, or that has died and become a fire hazard; tree work under either provision needs prior city authorization.

Enforcement runs through the citywide code enforcement chapter, KMC 1.12. The city issues a notice and order of civil violation, and unresolved violations accrue civil fines of $100 per day for days one through fifteen, $250 per day for days sixteen through thirty, and $500 per day from day thirty-one onward, capped at $50,000 per violation. A cited owner has 21 calendar days to appeal to the hearing examiner under KMC 1.12.047. Payment of a fine does not excuse the owner from cutting the vegetation.