Code Violation Mowing in Tampa Bay
My lot is overgrown and I received a code enforcement notice. Can you help?
Yes, this is one of the most common calls we get during the summer. Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Manatee (and most cities within them) actively cite overgrown lots during the rainy season, and fines can accrue daily if you miss the compliance deadline. Tell us your deadline when you call and we'll do our best to get you cut in time. We photograph the completed work so you have documentation for the code enforcement officer, and we can set up recurring maintenance so you never get cited again. Call 813-677-1315 with your notice in hand and we'll take it from there.
What your notice means, by county
Every city and county in Tampa Bay sets its own height limit for grass and weeds, and its own deadline before it sends a contractor and bills the owner. Here is what each local code says. The deadline printed on your notice is the one that counts.
| Where the property is | Height that can get you cited | If the deadline passes | Official sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Hillsborough County | Weeds, grass or underbrush over 10 inches within 200 feet of a building, structure, recreation area or road | Code Enforcement Board or Special Magistrate can impose fines. On abandoned property the county can cut it after 15 days and lien the cost. | Sec. 8-116 Hillsborough County code enforcement |
| City of Tampa | Over 12 inches over the majority of the parcel, within 200 feet of improved property or 25 feet of a road | The city can hire a contractor to abate it and bill the owner; unpaid bills become a lien after 30 days. | Sec. 19-50 TampaConnect overgrown lot complaint |
| Unincorporated Pinellas County | Weeds or plants over 12 inches that are not cultivated or regularly tended | 10 days to comply (3 for a repeat). The county can clear the lot and lien the cost. | Sec. 58-331 Pinellas County code complaints |
| City of St. Petersburg | Grass over 10 inches | After the correction date the city can cut it and record a special assessment lien. | Sec. 16.40.060 St. Petersburg code enforcement |
| City of Clearwater | Over 12 inches | 5–10 days to comply after notice; the city can do the work and lien the property. | CDC Sec. 3-1503 City of Clearwater |
| Unincorporated Manatee County | Overgrowth over 16 inches | Each day can count as a separate offense. 15 days after notice the county can clear the lot by private contract and lien it. | Sec. 2-9-105 Manatee County code enforcement |
| City of Bradenton | Over 12 inches on an overgrown lot (stricter limits apply to maintained yards) | 10 days after a certified-mail demand; the city can then clear the lot and lien the cost. | Sec. 38-111 City of Bradenton code enforcement |
Code text checked October 2026. City rules apply inside city limits; county rules apply in unincorporated areas. Your notice always controls: follow its deadline and instructions.
What to send us
- The property address or parcel ID. No physical address? Send the folio number, parcel ID, or the ownership name.
- The notice itself. A phone photo of the notice is fine. It tells us the case number and what the officer cited.
- Your deadline. Tell us your deadline when you call and we'll do our best to get you cut in time.
- Photos of the lot, if you have them. They help us quote without a site visit.
What we do
- Cut the lot with the right machine for the growth: a rotary cutter for tall grass, weeds and light brush, or a heavy duty finish mower where a finished look is required.
- Photograph the completed work so you have documentation for the code enforcement officer.
- Set up recurring maintenance so you never get cited again. The cost per visit is much lower once a property is on a regular schedule.
You do not need to be present. Many of our clients are out-of-town property owners; we just need access to the property, and we can coordinate payment remotely.
Who calls us
Out-of-town owners who got a notice in the mail, investors and builders holding vacant and infill lots, REO asset managers and property managers, and neighbors of a lot that's gotten away from its owner. We specialize in code compliance work, small urban lots, large commercial tracts, and challenging special assets.
Don't wait for it to get worse. Rainy season growth can push vegetation up a foot or more per month, and the taller and thicker it gets, the more it costs to cut. Can you bush hog during Florida's rainy season?
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