Pierce County Code Chapter 8.08 declares accumulated solid waste, junk vehicles, unpermitted salvage sites and unfinished structures to be public nuisances in unincorporated Pierce County, and lets Planning & Public Works order abatement after voluntary compliance fails. Cities like Tacoma and Puyallup enforce their own blight codes.
PCC 8.08.010 states the chapter's intent is to eliminate the effects of accumulated solid waste, damaged and inoperable vehicles, unpermitted septic systems and salvage sites because those conditions "create blight, depress land values, generate health hazards" and attract illegal dumping in rural and urbanized unincorporated areas. PCC 8.08.040 defines a public nuisance as any act or condition that unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers others, or renders persons insecure in the use of property. PCC 8.08.050 then lists specific per se nuisances including unpermitted salvage/repair yards, unfinished or unpermitted buildings, and property maintained in violation of a county permit or written order. Complaints go to Pierce County code enforcement, which pursues voluntary compliance before a notice and order to correct.
Code enforcement issues a notice and order to correct; unabated nuisances can be abated by the county with costs and a lien assessed against the landowner under PCC 8.08, in addition to other civil or criminal penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard residential composting is allowed and encouraged in Pierce County with no permit, but a compost pile that creates odor, attracts vermin, or otherwis...
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Pierce County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting or permitting synthetic/artificial turf on residential lots. Installation must still meet general zon...
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Pierce County encourages native and drought-tolerant plantings and requires native-vegetation retention on many development sites, but homeowners are free to...
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Rooftop rainwater collection is broadly allowed in Washington, and Pierce County has no ordinance prohibiting residential rain barrels or cisterns; larger sy...
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Pierce County government sets no county-wide residential watering schedule; outdoor watering rules are set by your water provider — mainly Tacoma Water and l...
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Every Pierce County landowner has an enforceable duty under RCW 17.10.140 to eradicate class A noxious weeds and control listed class B and C weeds. The Pier...
See how Pierce County's property blight rules stack up against other locations.
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