Spalding County, GA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

The twelve-inch weed and grass limit sits in § 8-3003(2) of Spalding County's Exterior Property Areas chapter, adopted by the Board of Commissioners on July 7, 2025. It applies within the yard area, defined in § 8-3003(1)d as the space immediately adjoining the principal dwelling or structure that has been routinely maintained as open space since the property was developed, and only on developed property of five acres or less, per the definition in § 8-3003(1)b. The county defines weeds broadly in § 8-3003(2) as all grasses, annual plants, and vegetation other than trees or shrubs, but the definition excludes cultivated flowers and gardens, and the provision does not prohibit controlled natural growth, meaning a maintained natural landscaped area planted with native species under § 8-3003(1)a.

Once weeds or grass in the yard area pass twelve inches, § 8-3003(3) requires the county to serve the owner or agent in charge of the property with a notice of violation. The owner then has seven days to cut and destroy the excess growth. If the owner misses that seven-day deadline, the county can send its own employee or a hired contractor onto the property to cut and destroy the weeds directly, and the cost of that removal becomes the owner's or responsible agent's bill to pay, separate from any court penalty.