Lake Charles, LA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 23-3 of the Code of Ordinances defines excess vegetative growth as existing on a developed or undeveloped lot when vegetation grows to a height of 12 inches or more, when vegetation grows horizontally across sidewalks or street curbs by six inches or more, when fence lines are not kept clear of unintended vegetation, or when vegetation becomes a haven for rodents or other dangerous animals and insects. The height trigger applies citywide regardless of lot size, but the code layers additional distance-based prohibitions on top of it depending on lot size.

On easily maintained lots of five acres or less, excess growth is prohibited within ten feet of a property line, on more than 25 percent of any given area of the lot, and brush, underbrush, or a downed tree are likewise barred within ten feet of a property line, right-of-way, or street. On easily maintained lots over five acres, the buffer widens to 100 feet from a boundary line or street, while the 25 percent and brush/downed-tree rules stay the same. On lots that are not easily maintained, meaning they cannot be cut by a standard bush hog, tractor, lawnmower, or weed eater, the buffer shrinks to five feet, but where an inhabited dwelling sits on the adjacent developed lot, growth and brush are barred within 15 feet of that dwelling.

Flower beds, gardens, and other intentional plantings maintained near a lot line are expressly excluded from the definition. Enforcement runs through Section 23-8: the city must give the owner at least five days' notice, either by two consecutive days of publication in the city's official journal or by mail to the address on the tax rolls, before city forces or a contractor can cut the growth at the owner's expense. S. 33:5062. 00 per hour for hand mowing or trimming.