Do I need a permit to remove my tree?
Pick your city, describe the tree, and get the rule that applies, with the code section, the fee and who to call. Covers 45 Bay Area cities.
Rules verified against each city's municipal code; dates shown per city. By Michael Schuck, ISA Certified Arborist WE-15750A, Certified Urban Forest Professional WE-15750AF.
1. Which city is the tree in?
Not listed? The rule depends entirely on the city's code. Ask us and we will look it up.
2. Where is the tree?
3. What species is it?
4. How big is the trunk?
5. What condition is the tree in?
This tool applies the city's published rule to what you enter. It is general information, not legal advice, and it cannot see your tree. Borderline measurements, multi-trunk trees and trees on lot lines are exactly where cities and arborists disagree; when in doubt, measure with the city arborist or get a report.
How this tool decides
Each city's rule is stored as structured data taken from the municipal code: which species are protected, the size threshold, whether the city measures trunk diameter or circumference and at what height, how multi-trunk trees are counted, and what happens with dead or hazardous trees. The tool compares your measurements against that rule and shows the code section it used. San Francisco's three-part test (trunk size, height, canopy, within 10 feet of the right-of-way) is applied as written. Street trees and city-designated heritage trees are protected at any size in every city.
Three cities in the dataset have no private-tree permit at all (Foster City, Piedmont, San Rafael), and Berkeley has a removal moratorium on coast live oaks instead of a permit. The tool says so rather than inventing a threshold.
Every rule with its source: the 45-city ordinance table.
Need the city to say yes?
Sixteen of the 45 cities require an arborist report with the application and 23 more ask for one in specific situations. We write them.