Chesterfield enforces property upkeep through Community Enhancement and the Virginia Maintenance Code (part of the USBC). Under Virginia's spot-blight law, the county can order repairs, place a lien for costs, and, for true blight, acquire or clear the property.
Chesterfield addresses run-down structures and unsafe conditions under the Virginia Maintenance Code, which the county administers as part of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. For genuinely blighted property, VA Code § 36-49.1:1 lets the county make a preliminary determination of blight, notify the owner of the reasons, and give at least 30 days to submit an acceptable abatement plan. If the owner fails to respond, the governing body may declare the property blighted by ordinance and the county may repair, clear, or acquire it. Most everyday complaints (trash, debris, tall grass, disrepair) are handled first on a complaint basis by Community Enhancement (804-748-1500) before formal action.
County repair or abatement costs become a lien on the property. Blight abatement follows a notice-and-30-day-plan process; unpaid costs are collected like real-estate taxes.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Chesterfield County, VA
Backyard composting of yard and food waste is allowed in Chesterfield County and promoted as a waste-reduction practice. Compost must be kept so it does not ...
Chesterfield County, VA
Chesterfield County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf. Synthetic lawns are generally allowed, subject to zoning, stormwater and drainage r...
Chesterfield County, VA
Chesterfield County does not require homeowners to plant native species in ordinary yards, but native and regionally appropriate plants are required for rest...
Chesterfield County, VA
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Chesterfield County. There is no ordinance banning rain barrels or cisterns for residential lawn and garden u...
Chesterfield County, VA
Virginia has no statewide mandatory lawn-watering ban. Chesterfield County Utilities issues conservation measures during drought; as of summer 2026 restricti...
Chesterfield County, VA
Chesterfield County Code prohibits uncontrolled weeds and grass. Occupied residential lots under one-half acre are limited to 12 inches; vacant developed and...
See how Chesterfield County's property blight rules stack up against other locations.
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