Red Deer Long Grass Rules Explained: How Tall Can Your Lawn Get?

In Red Deer, grass and other plants on your lot can't grow taller than 15 cm (about 6 inches). That's section 24 of the City's Community Standards Bylaw 3669/2021. The bylaw also counts the boulevard in front of your home. If someone complains, an officer checks, gives you a deadline, and fines can follow. Ignore it, and City crews can do the work and put the cost on your tax roll.

What does Red Deer's grass bylaw say?

The rule sits in the Community Standards Bylaw, number 3669/2021. Section 24 is called "Maintenance of Grass." It's one sentence long. No person can let grass or other vegetation on land they own or occupy grow past 15 centimetres.

That's a tight limit. Oshawa, Ontario, for example, allows 20 cm (8 inches). Red Deer stops at about 6 inches. Our guide to long grass bylaws in Canada shows how other cities compare.

The rule says "own or occupy." So a tenant can be on the hook, not just the landlord. If you rent out a house, write down who mows before May.

Does anything get a pass?

A few kinds of land do. Section 24 doesn't apply to:

• Golf courses
• Maintained xeriscaped areas
• Parks and natural areas run by the City
• Areas set aside for naturalization

Note the word "maintained." A low-water yard still has to look cared for. A lawn that just stopped getting mowed is not xeriscaping.

Do you have to mow the boulevard in Red Deer?

Yes, in practice. Section 67 of the bylaw is titled "Boulevards." It says an owner or occupant is treated as occupying the road strip in front of their lot. That strip runs from your property line to the centre line of the road.

So the grass between your sidewalk and the curb counts as yours under this bylaw. The 15 cm limit applies there too. On a corner lot, that can mean two strips to keep short, one on the front and one on the side.

Corner lots have one more rule. The City says hedges and plants in the sight area at the corner can't grow higher than 90 cm (3 feet). That keeps drivers able to see. Our partner crews handle hedge and shrub trimming if your corner hedge creeps up.

Does the bylaw cover weeds and clippings?

It does. Section 15 lists "unkempt grass or tall weeds" as a nuisance. It also lists failing to control noxious weeds or letting nuisance weeds spread. Section 13 says you can't permit a nuisance on property you own or occupy.

The City's weeds page puts it plainly. If listed weeds grow on your property, it's your job to control or destroy them. Pulled weeds go in the regular garbage, not the compost. Seal the seeds in a bag.

Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give advice on weed killers or other chemicals.

What about grass clippings?

Section 21 says owners can't let yard material pile up. A big heap of clippings by the back fence can count. The City's grasscycling page has the easy fix: leave the clippings on the lawn. They break down fast.

If you do bag them, clippings go in your Green Cart. The City picks up Green Carts every week from early April to mid-November. Sweep any clippings off the street and away from storm drains when you're done.

What happens if your grass is too long in Red Deer?

It usually starts with a call. Anyone can report an unkept private property to the City at 403-342-8328. The City's complaint process then runs in steps:

1. An officer inspects within 48 hours of the complaint.
2. If there's a problem, you get a notice. You have 2 to 14 days to fix it, depending on how bad it is.
3. Still not fixed? A letter gives you 7 to 10 more days. A fine may come with that letter.
4. Next comes an order with a firm 14-day deadline.
5. After that, City crews do the work.
6. The owner pays. The cost goes on the property tax roll.

The bylaw backs this up. The City can inspect after giving reasonable notice. It can tell you what to fix and by when. If you miss the date, it can do the work itself.

Are there fines?

Yes, though the fine table has no line for grass height alone. Long grass falls under the nuisance rules. Here's what Schedule "A" of the bylaw lists:

• Permitting a nuisance on private property: 200 dollars, then 400, then 600 for a third or later offence.
• Not following a direction from the City: 500 dollars, then 750, then 1,000.
• Refusing to allow an inspection: 500 dollars, then 750, then 1,000.

Repeat trouble costs more. If a property gets more than 8 complaints or enforcement actions in 6 months, the City can call it a "Chronic Nuisance." Then it can charge extra fees and costs.

How fast does Red Deer grass reach 15 cm?

Faster than most people think. The City suggests mowing to 2.5 to 3 inches (about 6.5 to 7.5 cm). That height helps roots and keeps weeds down.

Now do the math. A lawn cut to 7.5 cm only needs to double to break the rule. In a wet stretch, that can happen in a couple of weeks.

The City also says to follow the one-third rule. Never cut more than a third of the blade at once. So a lawn that hits 15 cm can't go straight back to 7.5 cm in one pass. It takes a few cuts. The City's own advice is to mow every 5 to 7 days.

When are the risky times in Red Deer?

• Late May: the airport station's average last spring frost is May 23. Growth takes off soon after.
• June and July: these are the wettest months, each with about 94 mm of rain and other precipitation on average. Grass grows fast, and wet days stall the mower.
• Holidays: two weeks at the lake in July can push a lawn past 6 inches.
• Late summer: Kentucky bluegrass can go dormant in heat. It greens up and grows again once it cools.
• Empty homes: a rental between tenants, a house for sale, or a parent's place after a move.

Fall counts too. The average first fall frost at the airport is September 11, but grass keeps growing for a while. Our posts on when grass stops growing and the last mow of the season help you time the end of the year.

How do you stay under 15 cm?

A few habits keep you well clear of a complaint:

1. Mow on a set day each week, every 5 to 7 days in spring and early summer.
2. Mow the boulevard every time, side strip included on a corner lot.
3. Trim along fences, posts, the curb and the sidewalk edge.
4. Mow when the grass is dry, with a sharp blade.
5. Spread clippings thin, or put them in the Green Cart.
6. Line up a backup before you travel, and tell them about the boulevard.

Edges matter as much as the middle. Grass along a fence or a light post can top 15 cm even when the lawn looks fine. Clean trimming and edging takes care of the spots neighbours see from the street.

Our Red Deer lawn care page has more on local soil, watering stages and yard waste. For timing, see how often to mow in Canada.

Can someone keep your lawn under the limit for you?

Yes. Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in Red Deer. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Your crew handles weekly lawn mowing, the boulevard, and trimming and edging. You keep the same crew every visit. They text you a photo after every cut. That photo helps if you own a rental you can't drive past.

If your crew misses your scheduled window, that cut is free. Not happy with a cut? Text us a photo within 24 hours and your crew re-cuts it free within 48 hours. You pay for the season up front and can pause by text for trips. Book the season and your first cut is free.

We measure your lawn from satellite images, so nobody needs to visit. Your price comes by text in 60 minutes. It depends on lawn size, how often you mow, slopes, gates and extra strips like a corner boulevard.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Red Deer Long Grass Bylaw Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Red Deer Community Standards Bylaw 3669/2021, bylaw complaints and questions, property complaints process, Red Deer weeds, naturescaping, grasscycling, yard waste, Green Cart, trees in your yard, Red Deer A climate normals.