Cape Coral, FL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Height threshold
- Over 12 inches
- Applies to
- Any vacant lot or private property
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Community Development Director
- Hearing window
- 10 days to request Special Magistrate hearing
- Criminal fine
- Up to $250/day, 60 days jail
- City abatement
- City can mow and lien the property
Summary
Cape Coral bans grasses and weeds over 12 inches tall on any vacant lot or other private property, treating overgrowth as a public nuisance the Director of Community Development can force owners to mow, with fines up to $250 a day for refusing.
NUISANCE GRASSES AND WEEDS. Grasses and weeds which are not regularly cared for and maintained, which exceed 12 inches in height. ... (b)Nuisance declared. It is hereby declared and determined by the Cape Coral City Council that grasses and weeds in excess of 12 inches in height which impair the economic welfare of property, constitute a fire hazard or create a health hazard, and shall constitute a nuisance.(c)Prohibitions. No person, firm, partnership, corporation, trust or estate, nor any other business entity, shall permit nuisance grasses and weeds as defined in this section to exist within the City of Cape Coral. ... a.Criminal penalties.1.A fine not to exceed $250 per day;2.Imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 60 days; or3.By both a fine and imprisonment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-43 defines nuisance grasses and weeds as any grass or weeds which are not regularly cared for and maintained, which exceed 12 inches in height, and it applies to private property broadly defined to include any vacant lot as well as occupied structures and their yards. The City Council has declared that overgrowth past 12 inches automatically impairs the economic welfare of property, constitutes a fire hazard, or creates a health hazard, making it a nuisance no owner may allow to exist. The Director of the Department of Community Development, or a designee, investigates complaints and inspects suspected violations, then mails and posts a notice describing the nuisance, the deadline to mow, and the owner's ten-day window to request a hearing before the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate.
S. 03(1) and can be foreclosed like a mortgage if it stays unpaid 30 days. The section shares its enforcement machinery, word for word, with the separate nuisance-accumulation rule for junk and debris in Section 9-42.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a mowing notice exposes an owner to a criminal fine of up to $250 per day, up to 60 days in jail, or both, plus civil remedies including injunctive relief and prosecution before the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate under Section 9-43(f). Each day the overgrowth continues counts as a separate offense, and the city can still bill the owner for its own abatement costs and place a lien on the property on top of any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can grass and weeds get on a vacant lot in Cape Coral before it's a violation?
What happens if I don't mow after getting a notice?
Can I challenge a nuisance-weeds notice before the city mows my lot?
What's the fine for letting weeds grow over 12 inches in Cape Coral?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cape Coral
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Cape Coral to another location·View the Florida property maintenance overview
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle vacant lot maintenance.