April 1 - October,
2024
Property owners notified that their property was investigated for the first time and determined to be non-compliant, or inspected for a second or third year and determined to be non-compliant, and therefore recommended to be added to the 2025 Commencement List. County has agreed to send the City of Santa Clara the properties that are being added to the Commecment List for 2026 in August, 2025.
First Inspection Fee:
$105
February 25, 2025
Council declares weeds to be a public nusiance, therefore giving County the ability to send out "Notice to Destroy" letters to individuals on the 2025 commencement list and inviting them to a public hearing.
A minimum 10-days notice must be provided before the hearing date.
County has agreed to include contact information for the City of Santa Clara along with these notices to destroy for the 2026 season.
Work Order
Processing Fee After
Failed Inspection:
$597
March 25, 2025
Council authorizes weeds to be abated and conducts a public hearing for property owners investigated in 2024 and added to the 2025 Commencemnt List, as well as those investigated in 2023 or earlier and inspected in 2024. Property owners can come to appeal their inclusion on the Commencement List for 2025. Once Council approves the proposed Commencemnt List, those removed from the list that were investigated in 2024 would not have incurred any fees yet. Those removed from the list that were investigated in 2023 or earlier and inspected in 2024 would have already incurred, at a minimum, the 2024 inspection fee of $96. Council has the authority to remove fees from the property owner's tax bill. These fees would be absorbed by the County program but if the program has a shortfall at the end of the year, the City would be responsible to pay our share of the shortfall (per our contract with County).
Contractor Invoice
Processing Fee: $961
April 15 - Oct, 2025
County inspectors investigate/inspect properies in the City of Santa Clara. Non-compliant properties are given a 15-day courtesy notice informing the property owner to bring the property into compliance or a contractor will be sent to do it. Fees incurred: $105 for inspection + $597 for cost of creating work order for contractor to abate ($702 total).
Warrant Fee (if
required):
$1323
15 Days after First
Inspection
County abatement contractor goes to the property. If the property is still non-compliant and the property owner has given consent to abate*, the contractor abates the property. Fees incurred: $961 for contractor invoicing + charge for abatement by contractor. If the property owner has not given consent to abate, a warrant is requested and once received (2-3 weeks later), the weeds are abated by the contractor. Fees incurred for warrant (if necessary): $1323 2024 Contractor
Abatement Fees
(depending on size of
property):
$25 - $700 for
residential properties
and up to $9700 for
commercial
properties
July 2025
Council is provided list of fees for those properties on the Commencement List and conducts public hearing which results in Council authorizing the County fees to be assessed on the property taxes.
August 10, 2025 County deadline to receive authorization to add weed abatement fees to property taxes. Residential $3011 - 3686
December 2025 Fees added to property owners property taxes for 2026. Commercial $3011 - $12,686 2026 Cycle Repeats
County Weed Program Timeline County Fees 2025
These fees are incurred after the initial
investigation visit and subsequent inclusion on
the commencement list and determniation that
proprety still non-compliant upon the first
inspetion visit to the property the following
year.
These fees are incurred upon second visit to the
property, 15 days after the "Notice to Destroy"
weeds. Property owners are given two
opportunities to provide consent to abate their
weeds: in the notifictation that they will be
added to the commencemnt list and in the
notification to destroy weeds.
Potential Total for One Year