City guide · Canada
Long Grass Bylaws in Canada: How Tall Is Too Tall?
IllustrationThere's no national long grass rule in Canada. Each city sets its own. Half of the 14 cities we checked cap grass at about 20 cm (8 inches). Some are much stricter. Airdrie draws the line at 10 cm (4 inches), and Belleville and St. Albert at 15 cm (6 inches). Windsor allows up to 31 cm (12 inches). Fredericton has no height limit at all. If you mow every week in season, you'll stay under every one of them.
Is there a long grass bylaw where I live?
Almost certainly. Most cities put a grass height limit in a yard, lot or community standards bylaw. The name changes from place to place, so it can be hard to find.
Here's what to look for on your city's website:
- Yard maintenance or yards bylaw
- Lot maintenance or land maintenance bylaw
- Community standards or good neighbour bylaw
- Tall grass, clearing of yards or nuisance bylaw
The rule usually covers both owners and the people living there. So a tenant can be on the hook too. Many cities also count the grass strip between your lot and the road.
How tall can grass be in Canadian cities?
We read the actual bylaws for 14 cities in our network. Here's the limit in each one, from strictest to most relaxed.
| City | Grass height limit | Bylaw |
|---|---|---|
| Airdrie, AB | 10 cm (about 4 in) | Community Standards Bylaw B-09/2012 |
| Sarnia, ON | 6 in (about 15 cm) | Lot Maintenance By-law 75 of 2009 |
| Belleville, ON | 15 cm (about 6 in) | Land Maintenance By-law 2025-117 |
| St. Albert, AB | 15 cm (about 6 in) | Community Standards Bylaw 12/2010 |
| Saskatoon, SK | 20 cm (about 8 in) | Bylaw No. 8175 |
| Brandon, MB | 20 cm (about 8 in) | Community Standards By-law No. 7282 |
| Moncton, NB | 0.2 m (20 cm) | Tall Grasses By-law Z-1418 |
| Greater Sudbury, ON | 20 cm, June 1 to December 1 | Clearing of Yards By-law 2009-101 |
| Kingston, ON | 20 cm (8 in) | Yards By-law 2007-136 |
| Kelowna, BC | 8 in (20.32 cm) | Bylaw No. 8133 |
| Hamilton, ON | 21 cm (8 in) | Yard Maintenance By-law 10-118 |
| Abbotsford, BC | 10 in (about 25 cm) | Good Neighbour Bylaw 3068-2024 |
| Windsor, ON | 31 cm (12 in) | By-law 3-2006 |
| Fredericton, NB | No height limit | Unsightly Premises By-law S-16 |
The gap is big. Grass that's fine in Windsor would be three times over the line in Airdrie. So don't go by what a friend in another city told you.
Why do the limits differ so much?
Each council writes its own bylaw, and some are newer than others. Belleville passed its current rule in 2025. Abbotsford's dates from 2024. Windsor's has been around since 2006.
Some cities measure in centimetres and some in inches. Sarnia and Abbotsford write the limit in inches. Moncton writes it in metres. Hamilton's yard maintenance page says 21 cm, while its general bylaw page rounds it to 20 cm. When the numbers don't match up, aim for the lower one.
Pollinator programs add another wrinkle. Greater Sudbury changed its rule in 2023. Now you can leave your lawn alone until June 1. From June 1 to December 1, it has to stay at 20 cm or less. Belleville backs No Mow May, but the City says people who join still have to follow its by-laws.
Does the rule cover the boulevard too?
In a lot of cities, yes. That strip of grass between your sidewalk and the street is often your job.
- Moncton: the 20 cm limit includes the part of the street right in front of or beside your land.
- Windsor: the 31 cm limit also covers the strip between your lot and the road.
- Brandon: you have to keep boulevard grass at 20 cm or less, whether it's at the front, back or side.
Corner lots get hit hardest here. They often have two long boulevard strips. Good trimming and edging along curbs, walks and fences keeps those strips from getting shaggy between cuts.
What happens if your grass is too long?
It usually starts with a complaint from a neighbour or a by-law officer's visit. Then you get a notice or an order to cut it. If you don't, it gets more expensive. Here's how a few cities spell it out.
Notice periods
St. Albert gives you 2 business days' notice to clean up. If you don't, the City can do the work and charge you all the costs. In Kelowna, you get 10 days after an order. After that, the City can have the grass cut and add the cost to your property taxes.
Tickets and fines
- Saskatoon: a ticket for overgrown grass is 250 dollars the first time, 1,000 dollars the second and 2,000 dollars the third. The first one drops to 200 dollars if you pay within 14 days.
- Brandon: an untidy and unsightly premises ticket, which covers boulevard grass, is 100 dollars within 15 days, or 200 dollars after that.
- Hamilton: charges can reach up to 10,000 dollars under the Provincial Offences Act. The City can also fix the yard itself and add the cost to your taxes.
Our post on Hamilton's long grass bylaw walks through that city's process step by step.
How do you stay under the limit all season?
The trick is to never let it get close. Grass grows fastest in spring, and that's when most people fall behind. Here's what helps:
- Set your mower to 6 to 7.5 cm (2.5 to 3 inches). The City of Hamilton suggests that height.
- Never cut more than one third of the blade at once. Hamilton's tips say the same.
- Cut every 4 to 5 days in spring and early summer, when growth is fast.
- Book help before a trip. A long June holiday can put a lawn over a strict limit.
- Don't forget the boulevard, the side yard and the strip behind the fence.
Mowed at 7.5 cm, your lawn has a lot of room under even a strict 15 cm rule. Our FAQ on how often to mow in Canada covers timing in more detail.
What if you can't keep up?
Life gets busy. A new baby, a sore back or a cottage summer can put a lawn weeks behind. Once grass gets tall, it's hard to cut it back in one pass without scalping it.
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Long Grass Bylaw Questions
How long can grass legally be in Canada?
It depends on your city. There's no national rule. Half of the 14 cities we checked set the limit at about 20 cm (8 inches). Airdrie is stricter at 10 cm, and Windsor allows 31 cm.
Can a tenant get in trouble for long grass?
Often, yes. Many bylaws name both the owner and the occupant. Sarnia's covers anyone who owns, leases or occupies the land. Check your lease to see who's supposed to mow.
Does No Mow May protect me from a fine?
Not unless your city changed its bylaw. Belleville says No Mow May participants still have to follow its by-laws. Greater Sudbury did change its rule, so you can wait until June 1 there.
Who pays if the City cuts my grass?
You do. In St. Albert, Kelowna and Hamilton, the City can do the work and charge the cost back to you. Kelowna and Hamilton can add it to your property taxes.
Rules change, so check with your City before you plan. Sources: Airdrie bylaw enforcement, Sarnia Lot Maintenance By-law, Belleville by-laws, Belleville pollinators, St. Albert Community Standards Bylaw, Saskatoon weed control, Saskatoon Bylaw 8175, Brandon By-law 7282, Brandon By-law 7198, Moncton By-law Z-1418, Greater Sudbury Clearing of Yards, Kingston Yards By-law, Kelowna Bylaw 8133, Hamilton yard maintenance, Hamilton mowing tips, Abbotsford Good Neighbour Bylaw, Windsor By-law 3-2006, Engage Fredericton.
