West Jordan, UT Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 5-3-1(A)(9)(b)
- Exception threshold
- 5+ contiguous acres of undeveloped ground
- Required buffer
- 50-foot bare-earth defense strip
- Does not cover
- State-listed noxious weeds or tumbleweeds
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor
Summary
Large undeveloped parcels get a break from West Jordan's twelve-inch weed limit. City Code section 5-3-1A9b lets an owner of five or more contiguous acres of undeveloped ground leave weeds taller than twelve inches if a fifty-foot bare-earth defense strip is maintained along every property line and road or sidewalk edge.
b. If a parcel of undeveloped ground is a size of five (5) contiguous acres or larger, weed growth, other than noxious weeds, may be left at a height higher than twelve inches (12") above ground if the property owner maintains a defense strip of fifty feet (50') along every property line or road/sidewalk edge surrounding the property. c. Tumbleweeds are the result of various plants that have dried out and been broken free of their roots and the soil by the wind. Tumbleweeds present a distinct fire hazard that becomes greater as they dry out and accumulate against structures such as fences, outbuildings, houses and businesses. Property owners are expected to clear and remove tumbleweeds originating on their property before they invade someone else's property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-38: Code current through: Ord. 26-33, passed 6-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-3-1A9, part of West Jordan's nuisance chapter as amended by Ordinance 21-16 on April 18, 2021, generally treats any 'injurious weed,' meaning uncultivated growth over twelve inches (12"), as a nuisance on every property in the City, developed or not (subsection D). Subsection A9b creates a specific exception for vacant land: if the undeveloped parcel is five (5) contiguous acres or larger, weed growth other than noxious weeds may be left taller than twelve inches so long as the owner maintains a defense strip fifty feet (50') wide along every property line and every road or sidewalk edge surrounding the property.
Subsection A9d defines what that defense strip must look like: bare earth, meaning vegetative growth has been cut down to the ground, hauled away, and herbicide applied to kill plant life down to the root, with continuous attention required through the growing season. The exception does not reach State-listed noxious weeds, which remain prohibited on the parcel regardless of acreage, and it does not exempt the owner from the separate tumbleweed-clearing duty in subsection A9c, since tumbleweeds are called out as a fire hazard against nearby structures.
Section 5-3-1D confirms the underlying weed duties apply to undeveloped and undivided parcels as well as individual developed lots, including the strip in front of a property to the curb line under Utah Code Annotated section 10-8-23.
Violations & Fines
An owner of a vacant lot under five acres who lets weeds exceed twelve inches, or an owner of five acres or more who fails to maintain the required fifty-foot bare-earth defense strip, is maintaining a nuisance under section 5-3-1B and is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, subject to criminal prosecution or administrative abatement under Title 16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a vacant lot in West Jordan skip the weed-height rule?
What counts as a proper defense strip?
Does the five-acre exception cover noxious weeds and tumbleweeds too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Jordan
Compare West Jordan to another location·View the Utah property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle vacant lot maintenance.