Parker, TX Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Platted lots and metes-and-bounds tracts
- Height limit
- 12 inches
- Cutting frequency deemed compliant
- At least every 30 days
- Agricultural exemption
- Crops, wildlife management, livestock
- Max fine
- $2,000 per day
Summary
Parker's zoning code requires every tract of land, platted or not, to be kept clear of debris and mowed below 12 inches, so a vacant or unplatted lot carries the same weed duty as a built lot. Owners must cut weeds at least once every 30 days to stay compliant.
(D) Lot maintenance. In all districts, lots shall be maintained in such a manner as to be free and clear of debris. The following provisions relate only to the height of grass and weeds: (1) On tracts of land, whether platted or described by metes and bounds, grass and weeds are not permitted to grow to a height in excess of 12 inches unless the vegetation is for agricultural operations and may then exceed 12 inches. ... (3) ... It shall be the duty of any person owning, claiming, occupying, or having supervision or control of any real property to cut and remove all weeds, brush, or other objectionable or unsightly matter as often as may be necessary; provided that the removing and cutting same at least once in every 30 days shall be deemed a compliance with this chapter
Full Breakdown
37(D) of the zoning chapter requires lots in all districts to be maintained free and clear of debris, and specifically bars grass and weeds on any tract of land, whether platted or described by metes and bounds, from growing past 12 inches. Because the rule reaches property described by metes and bounds rather than only platted, developed lots, it covers vacant and unimproved land the same as built lots. The code carves out an agriculture exception: cultivating soil, producing crops, floriculture, viticulture, horticulture, silviculture, wildlife management, and raising livestock or poultry can all exceed 12 inches, though wildflowers grown under the horticulture exception must still be mowed to 12 inches after seeding.
Regularly cultivated crops cannot be grown within a public road right-of-way regardless of the exception. 37(D)(3) puts an affirmative duty on anyone owning, claiming, occupying, or supervising real property to cut and remove weeds, brush, or other objectionable matter as often as necessary, and sets a floor: cutting at least once every 30 days is deemed compliance. 37(E), since those are structural features rather than vegetation.
Violations & Fines
A violation of section 156.37(D) is a misdemeanor under section 156.99(B)(1), punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 for each offense, with every day the tall grass or debris persists counting as a separate offense. The city may also take other lawful action to remedy the violation beyond the fine, per section 156.99(B)(2), which can include abatement procedures available elsewhere in the code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 12-inch weed limit apply to an empty, unplatted lot in Parker?
How often does a vacant lot owner have to mow to comply?
Can a Parker property owner let a field grow tall for farming?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parker
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Parker to another location·View the Texas property maintenance overview
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Collin County handle vacant lot maintenance.