Pasco, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- General height cap
- 12 inches, PMC 9.90.040(16)
- Within 20 ft of a building
- Cap tightens to 1 foot, PMC 9.90.090
- Elsewhere on the lot
- Cap is 2 feet, PMC 9.90.090
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per day, code infraction
- Enforcing office
- Director of Community and Economic Development
Summary
PMC 9.90.040(16) declares weeds, noxious weeds, and grass a nuisance once they reach 12 inches tall, encroach on sidewalks or neighboring property, damage improvements, or block sightlines. The penalty section tightens that further near buildings, capping growth at one foot within 20 feet of a structure and two feet everywhere else.
(16) Weeds, noxious weeds, grass, and other vegetation which constitutes a fire hazard, encroaches on sidewalks or neighboring properties, is damaging public improvements, impairs the visibility of traffic signs or signals, and/or has reached a height of 12 inches.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" In practice this gives Pasco two thresholds on the same lot, a tighter one-foot limit close to structures where fire risk and sightline problems are greatest, and a looser two-foot limit farther out. 100: the Director of Community and Economic Development or a designee sends the owner or occupant written notice specifying a deadline to cut or remove the vegetation, and if the deadline passes, City crews can mow, clean, and level the property and bill the owner for the cost, plus administrative and legal expenses, with unpaid bills becoming a lien filed against the property with the Franklin County Auditor after 30 days. A third violation of the chapter lets the City instead seek a Superior Court writ of abatement and recover its costs through that action.
Violations & Fines
PMC 9.90.090 sets a code infraction penalty of "a penalty not to exceed $500.00" for permitting weeds or grass to exceed the height limits, and specifies that "each day that such condition or nuisance or fire hazard or unsanitary or unsightly condition is maintained or takes place upon the premises shall constitute a separate code infraction." Failing to pay the City's mowing or cleanup bill within 30 days of billing is itself a further violation carrying up to $500.00.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my grass or weeds be in Pasco before it's a violation?
What's the fine for overgrown weeds in Pasco?
Will the City mow my lawn if I don't cut it after a notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
How Pasco compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Pasco to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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