Gas-powered leaf blowers became legal again in Lower Merion Township on October 1. That ended the first seasonal restriction, which ran from June 1 through September 30, 2026, according to a township notice posted September 25. The summer ban was the part everyone talked about. Next year's change gets less attention, and it starts sooner. The ordinance text adds a winter ban from January 1 to April 1, which applies every year from 2027 on. So Penn Valley's fall leaf season, with gas equipment allowed, runs about thirteen weeks. It closes on New Year's Day.
The ordinance takes gas blowers off the calendar one season at a time, and fall goes last. That puts this fall on a hard deadline. The leaves on the ground this October and November are among the last that can legally be cleared with gas.
The Calendar Closes In From Both Ends
The Board of Commissioners passed the ordinance 10–4 on November 19, 2025. The Inquirer's coverage of the vote describes a debate over noise and health on one side and the cost and capability of electric equipment on the other. The code was amended on June 17, 2026. Under the current version, the restricted months grow each year:
| Year | Gas blowers prohibited | Gas blowers allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | June 1 to Oct. 1 | Through May, then Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 |
| 2027 | Jan. 1 to Apr. 1, and June 1 to Oct. 1 | April, May, and Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 |
| 2028 | Jan. 1 to Oct. 1 | Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 only |
| 2029 and after | All year | Never |
The table shows the pattern. Spring 2027 is the last spring in which gas blowers are allowed. Fall 2028 is the last season of any kind. Each autumn from now through 2028 gets the same window, October through December. The current one is the first of those three.
The rules apply to everyone. The code names "residents, commercial landscapers, contractors, and property maintenance personnel" on every property in the township. A homeowner who rakes and runs a gas blower now and then is covered the same way as a crew working a dozen yards on one street.
What Counts as a Leaf Blower Under the Code
The ordinance defines a blower by what it does. It covers handheld and backpack gas units used to move leaves, dust, dirt, clippings, trimmings and other debris. Electric blowers are allowed all year. The exemptions matter most in fall and winter:
- Snow. Gas blowers are allowed during snowfall and for 24 hours after it stops. That covers part of the new January-to-April window.
- Wheeled leaf machines. The code as amended on June 17, 2026 exempts certain wheeled equipment, including tow-behind blowers, when the engine and blower housing are permanently built in.
- Leaf vacuums and sprayers. Mounted or towed leaf vacuums and chemical sprayers are outside the ban.
- Generators. A portable generator can't power an electric blower directly or charge its batteries.
The leaf blower ordinance sets seasons, not hours. Daily hours come from a separate part of the township noise code, which exempts lawn and garden equipment from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and federal holidays. One machine may go over the noise limits from 6 to 8 p.m. on weekdays. Those hours apply now, while gas is allowed, and they'll apply to electric equipment after 2029.
After a warning, fines are $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second within 12 months, and $600 for a third or later one within 12 months. Court costs and township attorney fees can be added, and each day can count as a separate violation.
How the First Summer Actually Went
From June 1 to September 9, 2026, Lower Merion received 437 complaints about leaf blowers and issued 49 fines, the Inquirer reported from a September 9 budget meeting. Over the same period, the department received 80 reports covering every other routine property maintenance problem, including trash, debris, noise, lighting, high weeds and grass. In its first summer, one new rule produced more than five times as many complaints as the rest of the property maintenance code put together.
All of that came through neighbors. Enforcement is complaint-based. Only about a third of complaints had enough evidence to confirm a violation without an investigation, which can mean reviewing photos and video and driving to the property. At the meeting, Commissioner Chris McGuire described what she was hearing from residents:
"They're feeling as though they're being asked to report on one another in the absence of another type of system."
Staff asked for $48,000 to make a part-time clerk full-time and $35,000 for a seasonal code compliance officer who would work 22 weeks a year. Assistant director Ernest Pendleton said a seasonal position could be dropped if complaints fall off. Commissioners and staff both said they expect fewer complaints as people switch to electric equipment. No formal vote was taken at that meeting.
The 22-week figure lines up with the 2027 calendar, which adds a winter window to the summer one. If the position is funded, enforcement through LM Report-It and neighbor complaints may look different by January 1.
Where Penn Valley Fits In
The Penn Valley Civic Association put the ordinance at the top of its homepage this year. It asked residents to tell their lawn crews about the June 1 restriction and thanked "the many landscapers who have converted to electric equipment." The page links the township's phase-out timeline and its training slides, and it lists three ways to report a violation: the LM Report-It app, which the township prefers, email to [email protected], or a voicemail at 610-645-6124.
The civic association also gives advice about mowing. It says some homeowners have asked their crews to stop blowing altogether and mulch-mow grass and leaves instead. It also points out that whole leaves can stay almost anywhere except paths and paved areas, especially under trees and shrubs.
Some lawn care companies were already using electric equipment. Slides from the township's March 5, 2026 training session list MowGreen as offering electric lawn care since 2006 and Cultural Lawns as switching in 2023. That free session included an electric equipment demo and a raffle for handheld blower sets. The township materials reviewed don't mention any cash rebate or grant for residents or crews buying electric equipment.
Cost was the main argument against the ordinance. When it passed, Main Line Media News reported opponents' concerns about the technology and the expense. One homeowner said their gardener had told them he couldn't work for them during the restricted period. For a household in that position, the time to ask about the crew's January plans is now, while the fall contract is running.
Where the Leaves Go Once They're Raked
Blowing is only half of fall cleanup. Pickup is the other half, and it trips up people who moved here from towns with curbside leaf vacuum trucks. Lower Merion doesn't run separate loose-leaf rounds by ward. Leaves go in compostable paper bags and are collected on each household's regular weekly trash day. Plastic bags aren't accepted. Leaves from private property shouldn't be raked or blown into the street, because piles there can wash into storm sewers and clog them. For Penn Valley addresses, the township's refuse and recycling FAQ sends residents to its address lookup to find their collection day. It doesn't publish a Ward 2 leaf schedule.
The township's fall advice also means fewer bags. Its September notice lists three practices. Leave leaves and grass clippings where they fall. Mow over them to make mulch, with the mower chute pointed into the lawn so less debris lands on paved areas. Use rakes and brooms, or an electric blower. Details on the ordinance and electric equipment are at lowermerion.org/ELawns.
The Dates Between Now and 2029
- Now through December 31, 2026. Gas blowers are allowed, within the noise code's daily hours.
- January 1, 2027. The winter ban starts and runs to April 1. Snow and the 24 hours after it are exempt.
- April 1 to May 31, 2027. The last spring window for gas blowers.
- October 1 to December 31, 2027 and 2028. The last two fall windows.
- January 1, 2029. Gas-powered leaf blowers are banned in Lower Merion all year.
A township rule that changes how a yard gets maintained can come up when a home changes hands, especially if the buyer is new to Lower Merion's leaf pickup and blower schedule. If you're thinking about a sale or a move in Penn Valley and want to know how the seasonal calendar affects listing prep, the Damon Michels Team can walk you through the timing. Contact Us.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
