Tree Permit Filing

Who this is for

• Homeowners told they need a permit to remove or prune a protected tree
• Anyone who does not want to learn the city's process
• Contractors who will not start without the permit in hand
• Owners who already have an arborist report and need it filed

What you get

You sign one authorization. The application is filed with the attachments the city asks for, the notice is posted on the tree where the city requires it, the city inspector is met on site, city questions are answered during the comment period, and the approved permit is sent to you and your contractor. Replacement-tree terms are explained before you accept them.

Turnaround and price

Filed within 5 business days of the signed authorization; the city's review period after that, which the city page states.

$750 flat for one tree. $600 when booked with an arborist report from this practice, or when you post the notice and meet the inspector yourself. Additional trees on the same application $100 each. City permit fees are paid at cost and listed separately. Cities whose routine permits go to a hearing (Hillsborough, Mill Valley, Sausalito, East Palo Alto) are quoted after a call; hearings and appeals $175 per hour (prices as of October 20, 2026). The price is confirmed before the visit; there is no charge for a phone call to decide whether you need this at all.

How this fits the city's rules

Each city page shows the permit fee the city charges and whether a posted notice, an inspection or a hearing is part of its process. Foster City, Piedmont and San Rafael have no private-tree permit to file. The fee is the same whether the city approves or denies; a denial comes with the written reason and the appeal route.