Roanoke, VA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 33-17(h) defines "weed or weeds" as any plant, grass or other vegetation over ten inches in height growing on a parcel in the City of Roanoke, excluding trees, ornamental shrubbery, purposefully planted and maintained gardens, cultivated crops, and undisturbed woodland not otherwise in violation. Section 33-18 declares that weeds growing, or trash lying, on any parcel constitutes a public nuisance, with one exception: on a parcel larger than one acre, natural vegetation growing more than fifty feet from every property line is not a nuisance.

It is unlawful under Sec. 33-18 to cause or allow that nuisance, and the owner is responsible for abating it. Sec. 33-19 sharpens the duty, making it "unlawful and a public nuisance" for an owner to allow the growth to stand and requiring the owner to "immediately cut, remove or destroy" it; violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor, with every additional day of uncut growth after the compliance period a separate offense. Enforcement runs through the city manager: Sec. 33-20 requires posted and mailed notice giving seven days to abate, describing the violation and the parcel, and advising of a right to appeal to the city manager within that same seven days, with a hearing set within five days of the appeal.

A single notice covers repeat violations on the same parcel between March 1 and November 30 of that year. If the owner still does not comply, Sec. 33-21 lets city forces or a hired contractor cut the growth, and Sec. 33-22 assesses the owner a minimum of two hours labor plus equipment charges and a $100 administrative fee. Sec. 33-23 converts unpaid costs into a recorded lien against the parcel, bearing interest at the legal rate until paid, enforceable by the city attorney in circuit court, though the director of finance and city treasurer may waive a lien to facilitate a sale to an unrelated purchaser.