Merced County, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Blight complaints in the unincorporated county are split among several departments. The Merced County Sheriff's Office Code Enforcement Bureau (209-726-2725) enforces the County Zoning Ordinance and the Merced County Building Code throughout the unincorporated area; common violations it cites include the outdoor storage of inoperative motor vehicles, campers, boats and trailers, and the storage of items on property or within required setbacks. Substandard and unsafe buildings are handled separately by the Community and Economic Development Department's Division of Building & Safety through its Substandard Housing Program, which investigates unsanitary and unsafe residential structures and abates public nuisances for all unincorporated areas. Conditions that rise to a public nuisance can also be abated under the County Code's public nuisance abatement chapter, which states that any condition on public or private property within the unincorporated area of the County of Merced that constitutes a public nuisance may be abated under the procedures in that chapter. Fire-hazard blight such as rubbish, debris, abandoned vehicles and tires is enforced by the Fire Department under Ordinance 9.25 (see Vacant Lots and Weeds). When filing a complaint, residents should give their name, mailing address and phone number so staff can follow up.