Sammamish, WA Property Maintenance: Weeds & Overgrown Grass (2026)

Unlike many cities, Sammamish does not have a turf-grass height ordinance. SMC 16.25.200 (Exterior property areas) requires premises to be kept 'clean, safe and sanitary' (subsection 1) and graded to prevent erosion and stagnant water (subsection 2), and it addresses rodent harborage, exhaust vents, accessory structures and graffiti — but it contains no reference to weeds, overgrown vegetation, lawns, or any height measurement in inches. The code's definition section (SMC 16.25.190) defines 'rubbish' to include 'tree branches' and 'yard trimmings,' so an accumulation of cut vegetation can be treated as rubbish under SMC 16.25.225, but living grass and weeds are not assigned a maximum height. As a result, overgrowth is generally only actionable in Sammamish if it creates a separate, identifiable nuisance — for example by harboring rodents (SMC 16.25.200(4)), creating fire or safety hazards, or accumulating as rubbish. State-listed noxious weeds are controlled separately: Washington's noxious weed law, Chapter 17.10 RCW, makes landowners responsible for controlling designated noxious weeds, and the King County Noxious Weed Control Board administers that program countywide. Honest bottom line: there is no Sammamish-specific grass-height rule; we will not invent one.