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Common Violations
Our Teaching Residents About Code (TRAC) (PDF) handout gives some examples of the Neighborhood Health and Sanitation code violations we enforce. You can also view a complete listing of City of Garland Code of Ordinances.
Common Violations
The following are some of the common violations found to exist in your community:
- Encroachments (Obstructions)
- Fences
- Garage Sales
- Graffiti
- High Grass or Weeds
- Illegal Signs
- Improper Storage
- Parking Lot Maintenance
- Parking Lot Striping
- Pool Fences
- Stacking of Vehicles
All encroachments (any object, structure, or vegetation) that fail to allow the lawful passage of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on any street, alley, easement, or sidewalk must be eliminated and/or maintained at all times. Overhanging tree limbs or shrubs over the street must be trimmed to the curb and 14 feet high from the ground.
Shrubs, tree limbs, etc. over the sidewalk (on both sides) must be trimmed to the sidewalk and up to eight feet high from the sidewalk.
Tree limbs and shrubs in the alley must be trimmed so they do not extend more than one foot from the fence and up to 14 feet high from the ground.
It is unlawful to allow a fence to lean more than 10 degrees or to have missing, loose, or broken slats or panels. No fence is allowed to have symbols, writings, and other graffiti; except for signs which pertain to the address or occupancy of the property. The following are prohibited:
- Barbed wire
- Chicken wire
- Corrugated metal or fiberglass
- Electric fences
- Hog wire
- Sheet metal
- Used materials
Any new fence installation, change of materials, location or height alteration require a permit. A permit can be obtained by contacting Building Inspection at 972-205-2300.
Contact Code Compliance at 972-485-6400 for a permit number. There is no fee required. Permit number, dates of sale and address must be on signs. Please call at least 24 hours prior to sale. (48 hours for Institutional Garage Sales.)
It is illegal to erect or affix a sign in the right-of-way (the area from the curb to the sidewalk), on the median (the area in the middle of any street), on public trees, public fences and/or buildings, traffic signals, street signs, street lights, or utility/telephone poles.
Signs must be on private property. You may have no more than 4 signs, 1 in your yard and 3 others on private property only. Remember to be courteous to neighbors and keep the neighborhood neat and clean; all signs must be removed by 9 p.m. on the last day of the sale. A garage/yard sale is for selling used or unwanted household or personal items from the seller’s own premises.
Single Family Garage Sale
Single family garage sales are permitted for a sale period not to exceed more than 3 consecutive days, excluding holidays, and not more than 3 garage sales shall be permitted for the same location in any calendar year.
For safety purposes, if your home fronts a major thoroughfare or other busy roadway, please attempt to provide customer parking on your driveway or encourage customers to park on a side street. Merchandise and activities cannot be displayed or conducted on any public property, including sidewalks, streets, alleys, and parkways.
Multifamily Garage Sales
A multifamily garage sale permit shall be valid for only 3 consecutive days, excluding holidays, and not more than 5 garage sales shall be permitted for the same location in any calendar year.
The location of the garage sale must be on the multifamily property and shall not be displayed within 50 feet of a public street. The owner or manager of a multifamily residence must obtain the garage sale permit from the City.
Institutional Garage Sale
An institutional garage sale permit must be obtained a minimum of 48 hours prior to the garage sale. When the permit is obtained the person in charge, the date(s) of the garage sale, the name of the institution and location of the institutional site, where the garage sale will occur, must be identified.
The site of the garage sale must have given permission and all proceeds shall be directed to the institution, nonprofit organization(s), or any combination thereof. The number of institutional garage sale permits shall not be limited.
Property owners are responsible for removing graffiti from buildings, fences, and any other structures on the property. The City of Garland offers free graffiti removal, for most occurrences on single family residential properties. Contact your inspector for details.
Twelve inches is the height limit for grass and/or weeds. This includes the front, back, side yards and right-of-ways (area between the sidewalk and curb).
Also, the grass in any alley and/or easement (area behind the property) must be maintained to the mid-point.
It is illegal to erect or affix a sign in the right-of-way (the area from the curb to the sidewalk), on the median (the area in the middle of any street), on trees, public fences and/or buildings, or utility/telephone poles.
Residential property should be maintained free and clear of all material subject to deterioration by the elements, such as:
- Appliances
- Boxes
- Furniture
- Paper
- Vehicle parts
Material which is stored in a disorderly manner or in such a manner as to offer harborage of rodents and/or other vermin. Lumber and any building materials except masonry should be stored at least six inches off the ground. Items not made for outdoor use should not be stored outdoors.
Multifamily, lodging, and commercial parking lots must be free from potholes, cracks which may contain weeds or other vegetation, or changes in surface grade of one inch or greater. Materials used to repair parking lots must be of similar paving materials.
Multifamily, lodging, and commercial parking space striping and fire lanes (if applicable) must be maintained to clearly designate those areas. Minimum parking space dimensions are 9 feet wide by 18 feet long designated by a 4 inch painted line.
A fence, structure, or gate is required to completely surround a swimming pool to prevent small children from inadvertently wandering into the pool.
The fence, structure, or gate shall not be lower than four feet in height, and not have any openings that will allow a four-inch diameter sphere to pass through; and all gates should have a self-closing and self-latching device designed to keep gates closed and locked at all times. The latching device must be located within the top 1/3 of the gate.
A permit is required to build any fence and can be obtained by contacting Building Inspection at 972-205-2300.
On multifamily, lodging, and commercial parking lots, all vehicles must be parked in marked parking spaces on approved parking surfaces meeting standard requirements for length, width, and drive aisle dimensions. All drive aisles must remain unobstructed allowing unimpeded access and circulation. Minimum parking space dimensions are 9 feet wide by 18 feet long designated by a 4 inch painted line. Drive aisle must be 24 feet wide.