Rowlett, TX Property Maintenance: Weeds & Overgrown Grass (2026)

Under Rowlett's property maintenance rules, high grass and weeds are a 'Tier One' code violation. The city's Common Code Violations guide states the standard plainly: 'Grass and/or weeds 12" or higher on property,' and also prohibits leaving 'cut grass/weeds and/or leaves on sidewalk, street or alley.' Rowlett cites this to IPMC Sec. 302.4 (which requires premises and exterior property to be free from weeds or plant growth in excess of the adopted height) together with Rowlett Code of Ordinances Sec. 22-121(a) and Sec. 22-122(1). Accumulation of leaves is treated under the same heading. Enforcement runs through Neighborhood Services on a complaint-driven basis: a Code Officer verifies the overgrowth and issues a notice giving the owner time to mow and remove the cuttings. If the owner does not comply, the city is authorized to abate the overgrowth and dispose of the cuttings, and the cost becomes the owner's responsibility, consistent with Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 342. Rowlett's abatement-lien program lists 'mowing weeds/grass over 12 inches in height' as a primary abatement trigger; the resulting invoice carries a $150 residential administrative fee (commercial $250-$850) plus labor, filing fees, and interest, and unpaid invoices are recorded as a lien. The 12-inch figure is the city's published threshold; Rowlett does not set a separate lower mowing height for routine lawn maintenance.