Rockingham County, VA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Rockingham County Code § 14-30
- Residential height limit
- 10 inches
- Business/commercial/industrial limit
- 12 inches
- Notice period to cut
- 10 days after notice
- First violation penalty
- Up to $50.00
- Second violation (12 mo)
- Up to $200.00
- 12-month penalty cap
- $3,000 residential / $6,000 commercial
Summary
In Rockingham County outside Harrisonburg and the towns, County Code § 14-30 requires every owner of real property to keep grass, weeds and similar vegetation cut. Residential lots cannot exceed 10 inches; business, commercial or industrial lots cannot exceed 12 inches, and code enforcement can order a cut and bill the owner.
(a)The owner of real property located outside the corporate limits of any town has a duty to cut and remove the grass, weeds, and similar vegetation as frequently as necessary to control growth, subject to the following: Residential property. On property zoned residential, the owner must not permit grass, weeds, or similar vegetation to grow taller than ten (10) inches in height. Business, commercial or industrial property. The owner of property zoned for business, commercial, or industrial use must not permit grass, weeds, and similar vegetation to grow taller than twelve (12) inches in height. ... (e)Civil penalty. The first violation of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00). A separate and distinct violation occurring within twelve (12) months of the first violation, hereinafter referred to as a second violation, is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-30, added by ordinance 25-08 on May 14, 2025 and codified in article IV of chapter 14, puts a duty on every owner of real property located outside the corporate limits of any town, so it reaches unincorporated land around Bridgewater, Broadway, Dayton, Elkton, Grottoes, Mount Crawford and Timberville but not inside them. On land zoned residential, grass, weeds and similar vegetation cannot exceed ten inches in height; on land zoned business, commercial or industrial, the limit rises to twelve inches. The code enforcement officer can waive the rule in writing for a planned, actively maintained wildflower or ornamental planting area, for a slope or physical condition that makes mowing impracticable, or for vegetation serving a county-approved engineering or environmental purpose maintained under best management practices.
Once a violation is found, the officer must post notice on the premises and send it by certified mail to the owner of record on file with the commissioner of the revenue, giving the owner ten days to cut and dispose of the growth. 00 administrative charge, and place an unpaid bill as a lien on the property ranking with real estate tax liens. 00 for commercial or industrial property.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 14-30 carries a civil penalty of up to $50.00; a second violation within 12 months rises to up to $200.00, and each additional business day a violation continues unresolved adds another $50.00 or $200.00 penalty. Total civil penalties from one set of facts are capped at $3,000.00 in a 12-month period, or $6,000.00 for commercial or industrial property, on top of the county's cutting costs and a $100.00 administrative charge if it must mow the lot itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass or weeds get on my lot in Rockingham County?
What happens after code enforcement issues a violation notice?
Can I ever be exempt from the grass and weed limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockingham County
How Rockingham County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Rockingham County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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