Spotsylvania County, VA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Weed height limit
- 15 inches on covered vacant lots
- Covered land
- Subdivision or commercially zoned vacant property
- Exemption
- 125 ft from building, 100 ft from street
- Penalty
- Class 4 misdemeanor, up to $250 fine
- Enforcement
- Zoning administrator; county can mow and lien
Summary
Spotsylvania County limits weeds to fifteen inches on vacant developed or undeveloped property inside a subdivision or commercially zoned area under Sec. 14-9(c). The rule exempts remote undeveloped land more than 125 feet from any occupied building and 100 feet from a traveled street.
The owner of any vacant developed property or undeveloped property in a subdivision or any area zoned for commercial use, including such property upon which buildings or other improvements are located, shall not permit weeds in excess of fifteen (15) inches in height to remain on such property. Provided, however, this subsection shall not apply to that portion of undeveloped property located more than one hundred twenty-five (125) feet from an occupied building and more than one hundred (100) feet from the traveled surface of a street.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 14-9(c) applies specifically to vacant property, whether developed with buildings or improvements or entirely undeveloped, when that property sits in a subdivision or in any area zoned for commercial use. The owner may not let weeds, defined in Sec. 14-9(a) as grass, weeds, and other foreign growth, exceed fifteen inches in height. The section carves out a geographic exception: the fifteen-inch cap does not reach the portion of undeveloped property that lies more than one hundred twenty-five feet from any occupied building and more than one hundred feet from the traveled surface of a street, recognizing that deep back lots pose less of a nuisance than street-facing frontage.
Enforcement runs through Sec. 1, Chapter 39 of the Virginia Code. The zoning administrator and staff serve as the enforcement agents under Sec. 14-9(f). Sec. 14-9(b) separately bars owners of any property in the county from allowing debris, meaning trash, garbage, refuse, or litter capable of endangering health or safety, to remain.
Violations & Fines
Letting weeds exceed fifteen inches on covered vacant property violates Sec. 14-9(c), which the code's cross-reference index ties to the Class 4 misdemeanor penalty in Sec. 1-11: a fine of not more than $250. If the owner and lienholder ignore reasonable notice, the county administrator may order the lot mowed under Sec. 14-9(e) and place the cost on the property as a lien enforceable like unpaid county taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can weeds get on a vacant lot in Spotsylvania County?
Does the rule cover my whole undeveloped parcel?
What can the county do if I don't mow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spotsylvania County
Compare Spotsylvania County to another location·View the Virginia property maintenance overview
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